Call the midwife

[CaptainWaggett]

Starts tonight at 8pm on BBC1

Miranda Hart on Call the Midwife: 'There isn’t much comedy delivering a baby' - Telegraph

[faginsgirl]

Not sure it`s my type of thing, babies and stuff , and not too keen on the cast. I will wait to see what others say about it.

[Arfur Teacake]

I expect it will be the usual TV fayre?
ie The Englishmen will be all psychopathic, idle numb sculls who cause all chaos while the women wearily pick up the pieces and multitask several different issues.

[Windyridge]

So far, one out of two lines said by the lead actress in the show (set in 1957) have been in "uptalk". "I was told to report to Nonnington House?" "I'm a trained nurse?" "I have to ask your wife? Some personal questions?" What a shame when it looks good, and has some cracking actresses in it. Directors of the show, please, please note, that people in 1957 did NOT speak like this.

[julian_craster]

I thought it was set in 1937, not 1957........

[Steve Crook]

I thought it was set in 1937, not 1957........

That's how 1957 was for some people

They didn't have many jet planes in 1937

Steve

[Steve Crook]

I expect it will be the usual TV fayre?
ie The Englishmen will be all psychopathic, idle numb sculls who cause all chaos while the women wearily pick up the pieces and multitask several different issues.

You'll be suggesting next that women don't really run the world (but they're clever enough to let men think that they're in charge )

Steve

[Steve Crook]

The big dramatic scene with the Spanish lady was beautifully done.

The divine Jenny was beatific and calm in the midst of the worst storms.
A great start

Steve

[Mo B Dick]

Yes - much better than I feared - but then again it was from the Cranford team! Very well acted and interesting characterisation. No doubt the eagle-eyed (sad?) will spot some anachronisms but I thought it caught the period quite well.

[Windyridge]

Yes - much better than I feared - but then again it was from the Cranford team! Very well acted and interesting characterisation. No doubt the eagle-eyed (sad?) will spot some anachronisms but I thought it caught the period quite well.

I don't think of myself as "sad", but speaking lines as if every sentence is a question is my bete noir. All that money on the period styling, booking of marvellous actresses like Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris and Judy Parfitt, to name but a few and then the laziness of allowing someone to speak like this. It's simply bad direction.

[Mo B Dick]

I don't think of myself as "sad", but speaking lines as if every sentence is a question is my bete noir. All that money on the period styling, booking of marvellous actresses like Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris and Judy Parfitt, to name but a few and then the laziness of allowing someone to speak like this. It's simply bad direction.

Sorry I didn't intend to disagree with you regarding the dialogue, although I was too young to notice speech patterns in 1957 of course you are right - this rising inflection business seemed to originate in the imported Aussie soaps, didn't it?
I did however notice some other minor points (vehicles/props) which I decided against mentioning - on grounds of potential "sadness" on my part.

[faginsgirl]

I did however notice some other minor points (vehicles/props) which I decided against mentioning - on grounds of potential "sadness" on my part.

Nothing wrong with mentioning them, little things add up when watching a historical drama, and everything should be accurate. That`s the point of a historical drama

[Steve Crook]

Sorry I didn't intend to disagree with you regarding the dialogue, although I was too young to notice speech patterns in 1957 of course you are right - this rising inflection business seemed to originate in the imported Aussie soaps, didn't it?

That's where a lot of people first noticed it. But it really seems to have originated with "Valley speak" from the west coast of America

Steve

[Arfur Teacake]

You'll be suggesting next that women don't really run the world (but they're clever enough to let men think that they're in charge )

Steve

I forgot to check how many Antonias,Penelopes, Felicitys,Louises,Sarahs etc were in the production credits

[Windyridge]

I did however notice some other minor points (vehicles/props) which I decided against mentioning - on grounds of potential "sadness" on my part.

Mention away!

[Mr Sloane]

Sorry I didn't intend to disagree with you regarding the dialogue, although I was too young to notice speech patterns in 1957 of course you are right - this rising inflection business seemed to originate in the imported Aussie soaps, didn't it?
I did however notice some other minor points (vehicles/props) which I decided against mentioning - on grounds of potential "sadness" on my part.

But where do you stop ? Do all films,shows and plays have to performed in appropriate "voice" Who could sit through a Robin Hood or even a Tudor or Jacobean set drama. Not only would the inflections but the pronounciations and even the words would be different.

[CaptainWaggett]

Presumably a lot of our perception of how people talked in the 1950s come from films and tv anyway which wouldn't necessarily be accurate...

[faginsgirl]

But where do you stop ? Do all films,shows and plays have to performed in appropriate "voice" Who could sit through a Robin Hood or even a Tudor or Jacobean set drama. .

One thing`s for sure, Robin Hood wouldn`t sound anything like Kevin Costner

[Nick Dando]

No, he sounds like Errol Flynn.

Nick

[Windyridge]

Presumably a lot of our perception of how people talked in the 1950s come from films and tv anyway which wouldn't necessarily be accurate...

H'oh yes h'it h'was. H'i can remember h'exactly how they spoke as I was around at the bleedin' time. Surrounded by either cut glass Kensington ( Celia Johnson) or mock refained (Joyce Carey) or Gor Blimey (Stanley Holloway). Life was so simple then.....