Bleak House

[plasticjock]

Anyone else looking forward to this BBC adaptation which starts on October 27th?

Got its own webpage:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/bleakhouse/

[Allen Dace]

Since you ask - I am.

The cast alone makes this a must. I like the idea of running this twice-weekly soap-style which is so appropriate as Dickens novels were the 'soaps' of their day (serialised, popular and full of broad characters and social issues).

[samkydd]

(Allen Dace @ Oct 16 2005, 11:21 PM) Since you ask - I am. The cast alone makes this a must. I like the idea of running this twice-weekly soap-style which is so appropriate as Dickens novels were the 'soaps' of their day (serialised, popular and full of broad characters and social issues).

I look forward to anything new, and although its a Dickens classic I haven't read the book yet, despite having two copies at home!

[Fellwanderer]

(Allen Dace @ Oct 16 2005, 10:21 PM) Since you ask - I am.

Me2

The cast alone makes this a must.

Looks to be an incredibly strong cast - especially among the more "mature" male characters.

I like the idea of running this twice-weekly soap-style which is so appropriate as Dickens novels were the 'soaps' of their day (serialised, popular and full of broad characters and social issues).

Just so long as it doesn't deteriorate into too much shouting and bawling and Estuary English

FEL

[samkydd]

(Fellwanderer @ Oct 17 2005, 03:23 PM) Just so long as it doesn't deteriorate into too much shouting and bawling and Estuary English FELL

Not with such classical actors in it like Johnny Vegas and Janine off Eastenders!! What the Dickens is that all about, is there a shortage of proper actors out there? Or is it "Bleak House the Panto"?

Johnny Vegas cannot act for toffee, I've seen him try and he makes the cast of Emmerdale look like The Royal Shakespeare Company! It's embarassing for the rest of the cast and the audience.

The Janine bird is like a human cartoon, and I think she went to drama school run by Tom and Jerry and Wile E Coyote! Everytime she was doing something devious in Eastenders her eyes would roll and raise up to the ceiling and you expected to hear the cartoon music "Wah, wah, wah, waaaaah!" Absolutely ridiculous acting!

What next, Alan Davies as Macbeth, Ant and Dec as Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Frank Bruno as Othello or maybe even Phil Jupitus as Wilkins Micawber!

[Fellwanderer]

(samkydd @ Oct 19 2005, 07:33 AM) Not with such classical actors in it like Johnny Vegas and Janine off Eastenders!! What the Dickens is that all about, is there a shortage of proper actors out there? Or is it "Bleak House the Panto"?

You can almost tell from the website which ones the BBC considers real actors - virtually all those worth watching are given separate character and actor profiles including Gillian Anderson, Pauline Colins, Alun Armstrong, Timothy West, Dennis Lawson, Charles Dance and Richard Griffiths.

FELL

[samkydd]

(Fellwanderer @ Oct 19 2005, 11:04 AM) You can almost tell from the website which ones the BBC considers real actors - virtually all those worth watching are given separate character and actor profiles including Gillian Anderson, Pauline Colins, Alun Armstrong, Timothy West, Dennis Lawson, Charles Dance and Richard Griffiths. FELL

I think they have to add the soapsters and current "names" to attract "the kids". "Hey, let's bring the classic serial home to the kids!" Who apparently won't watch anything if it just has actors in it, there has to be someone in it they're familiar with! So rather than raise them up a level or two they just lower everything down to "the kids" level!

Despite this I am confident that it will be a good drama and I am looking forward to seeing it.

[Fellwanderer]

(samkydd @ Oct 19 2005, 12:41 PM) I think they have to add the soapsters and current "names" to attract "the kids". "Hey, let's bring the classic serial home to the kids!" Who apparently won't watch anything if it just has actors in it, there has to be someone in it they're familiar with! So rather than raise them up a level or two they just lower everything down to "the kids" level! Despite this I am confident that it will be a good drama and I am looking forward to seeing it.

Given the setting - and the excellent point made by Allen earlier in the thread - it is perhaps not to inappropriate to have some soapsters among the cast.

It may have been a typo, but soapsters seems so much more suitable that soapstars.

I certainly hope it lives up to the standard of previous BBC adaptations of Dickens.

FELL

[samkydd]

(Fellwanderer @ Oct 19 2005, 01:55 PM) Given the setting - and the excellent point made by Allen earlier in the thread - it is perhaps not to inappropriate to have some soapsters among the cast. It may have been a typo, but soapsters seems so much more suitable that soapstars. FELL

No, "soapster" isn't a typo it's my term for someone best known for being in a soap, similar to "shyster"!

[Fellwanderer]

(samkydd @ Oct 19 2005, 12:58 PM) No, "soapster" isn't a typo it's my term for someone best known for being in a soap, similar to "shyster"!

Credit where credit's due - it is an excellent term and should be given wider currency.

FELL

[Aenima]

I missed the first hour-long episode. Was it any good?

Cheers,
A

[Fellwanderer]

(Aenima @ Oct 28 2005, 11:52 AM) I missed the first hour-long episode. Was it any good? Cheers, A

Managed to miss it as well

Thoughts from those who saw it?

FELL

[Clinton Morgan]

I'm leaning towards 'disappointed'. I was looking forward to this "experiment" in adapting Dickens for television. Had the programme been shot like an episode of 'Coronation Street' or 'Eastenders' (or even 'The Talons of Weng Chiang') it would have looked more fresh and involving. However it looked like yet another costume drama albeit with a few crash zooms and wet fingers rubbing wine glasses on the soundtrack. I know that certain scripts have to be shot on film (ie 'Ripping Yarns') because they wouldn't work any other way. But if 'Bleak House' is meant to be Dickens as a soap then why not shoot it and broadcast it on glorious colour pal video-tape? There is something distant, otherwordly and uninviting about film. You don't feel that you are 'with' the characters or are 'in' the situation. People who like Andrew Davis adapted costume dramas shot on film (or even video sans field) would watch 'Bleak House' anyway. Those who are not interested in such television dramas (and I presume that is who 'Bleak House' is aimed for) will stop watching after the first four minutes. In that case one can say that 'Bleak House' has been a failure.

I also have a problem of "star studded cast" and appearances of 'popular entertainers' such as Alistair McGowan, Johnny Vegas (how I groaned when I saw his name come up) and Liza Tarbuck. Although she was the best thing in the programme, those years at RADA weren't wasted and if she got contacts through old Jimbo then thank goodness for that*. But I'm not interested in a star-studded cast, stop trying to please me. It does not matter if I recognise Charles Dance, what does matter is that Charles Dance convinces me that he is the person he is supposed to be playing.

I'll be interested to see how this bears out in the half hour episodes but I hope to God it does not end with "In The Next Episode" previews.

* Cue defensive reply which goes " You say [quote] Bad thing about Liza Tarby[quote] and then you say [quote] Good thing about Liza Tarby[quote]"

[Allen Dace]

(Fellwanderer @ Oct 28 2005, 01:27 PM) Managed to miss it as well Thoughts from those who saw it? FELL

The first 2 episodes are repeated on Sunday (BBC1 16:30-17:30 and 18:15-18:45). Well worth watching despite some flashy direction. I saw no weaknesses in the cast, including the 'celebrities'.

[samkydd]

(plasticjock @ Oct 16 2005, 09:24 PM) Anyone else looking forward to this BBC adaptation which starts on October 27th? Got its own webpage: BBC - Drama - Bleak House

It's been brilliant so far! Especially the man Griffiths who can't do a thing wrong in my book (apart from Pie in the Sky). Vegas is a bit naff, like a troublesome school pupil being roped in to do something in the end of term school play! At last mainstream TV to look forward to each week!