Alan Bennet's Talking Heads.

[biggbn]

Only watched the first one and it was brilliant. Clever, funny, provocative, poignant, brilliant television. Recommended

[threespires]

biggbn said:

Only watched the first one and it was brilliant. Clever, funny, provocative, poignant, brilliant television. Recommended

Yes, I agree. Always a surprise twist at the end.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

I haven't seen it, but the impression I got was that they we remakes of old ones, just voiced by contemporary actors. If that is the case, what's the point? The original ones were all great.

No one is going to surpass Thora Hird's Waiting For The Telegaram. Or am I missing something?

[biggbn]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I haven't seen it, but the impression I got was that they we remakes of old ones, just voiced by contemporary actors. If that is the case, what's the point? The original ones were all great.

No one is going to surpass Thora Hird's Waiting For The Telegaram. Or am I missing something?

I have not seen the original ones so cannot comment. I'm seeing this for the first time. Imelda Stauntons episode has me in tears of laughter and sadness. So clever, poignant, brilliamtly written

[TwigtheWonderkid]

biggbn said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I haven't seen it, but the impression I got was that they we remakes of old ones, just voiced by contemporary actors. If that is the case, what's the point? The original ones were all great.

No one is going to surpass Thora Hird's Waiting For The Telegaram. Or am I missing something?

I have not seen the original ones so cannot comment. I'm seeing this for the first time. Imelda Stauntons episode has me in tears of laughter and sadness. So clever, poignant, brilliamtly written

I have no doubt, because she's a great actress. But so was Patricia Routledge when she did the exact same monologue 30 years ago. I'm not knocking anyone's performance, but....what's the point of it?

[biggbn]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

biggbn said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I haven't seen it, but the impression I got was that they we remakes of old ones, just voiced by contemporary actors. If that is the case, what's the point? The original ones were all great.

No one is going to surpass Thora Hird's Waiting For The Telegaram. Or am I missing something?

I have not seen the original ones so cannot comment. I'm seeing this for the first time. Imelda Stauntons episode has me in tears of laughter and sadness. So clever, poignant, brilliamtly written

I have no doubt, because she's a great actress. But so was Patricia Routledge when she did the exact same monologue 30 years ago. I'm not knocking anyone's performance, but....what's the point of it?

Perhaps to introduce Bennet's work to a new audience who hadn't seen the old version and would not watch 'old TV'?

[coppernorks]

just a cheap time filler, one set, one actor,

i think bennet has written a couple of new ones, one with sarah lancashire lusting after her own son !!!!!

is that even a thing ?

[sgtBerbatov]

coppernorks said:

just a cheap time filler, one set, one actor,

i think bennet has written a couple of new ones, one with sarah lancashire lusting after her own son !!!!!

is that even a thing ?

Giles Coren did something similar, the dirty p***k.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

biggbn said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

biggbn said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I haven't seen it, but the impression I got was that they we remakes of old ones, just voiced by contemporary actors. If that is the case, what's the point? The original ones were all great.

No one is going to surpass Thora Hird's Waiting For The Telegaram. Or am I missing something?

I have not seen the original ones so cannot comment. I'm seeing this for the first time. Imelda Stauntons episode has me in tears of laughter and sadness. So clever, poignant, brilliamtly written

I have no doubt, because she's a great actress. But so was Patricia Routledge when she did the exact same monologue 30 years ago. I'm not knocking anyone's performance, but....what's the point of it?

Perhaps to introduce Bennet's work to a new audience who hadn't seen the old version and would not watch 'old TV'?

Yes, fair point. I would hope that someone with the intelligence to watch something like this wouldn't be so daft as to rule out watching old tv. But I guess it's possible.

[Doofus]

The second one, with Sarah Lancashire, is a new episode, not done before.

I had to keep checking the programme guide to make sure it was definitely written by Alan Bennett.

:O

[biggbn]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

biggbn said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

biggbn said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I haven't seen it, but the impression I got was that they we remakes of old ones, just voiced by contemporary actors. If that is the case, what's the point? The original ones were all great.

No one is going to surpass Thora Hird's Waiting For The Telegaram. Or am I missing something?

I have not seen the original ones so cannot comment. I'm seeing this for the first time. Imelda Stauntons episode has me in tears of laughter and sadness. So clever, poignant, brilliamtly written

I have no doubt, because she's a great actress. But so was Patricia Routledge when she did the exact same monologue 30 years ago. I'm not knocking anyone's performance, but....what's the point of it?

Perhaps to introduce Bennet's work to a new audience who hadn't seen the old version and would not watch 'old TV'?

Yes, fair point. I would hope that someone with the intelligence to watch something like this wouldn't be so daft as to rule out watching old tv. But I guess it's possible.

I'd have nothing against watching old TV, but nor would I likely have sought it out, so a win for me!!

[ewolg]

Jody Comer can do no wrong imho......!!

[geeks]

I watched the originals years ago, Patricia Routledges one always stuck in my mind as a superb piece of television. Is the "new" series on iPlayer?

[biggbn]

geeks said:

I watched the originals years ago, Patricia Routledges one always stuck in my mind as a superb piece of television. Is the "new" series on iPlayer?

Yes. I think i remember Sheila Hancock doing one? Excellent actress.

[Castrol for a knave]

I'd love to share a few pints in some red brick, forgotten Leeds pub with Alan Bennett - I love his writing, the metric of how he writes and how a story slyly and slowly takes form as he tells it. Once you've heard his voice, everything you read is in that lugubrious dry tone.

The new series omits the Thora Hird episodes sadly, but then again, I think those two, Telegram especially, are stand out and who could match or surpass them. I remember watching them, and seeing my grandmother, Bratfud mill girl born and bred sitting there on the TV speaking to me - the loss in the character's life mirroring the loss my gran experienced.

[LeadFarmer]

Doofus said:

The second one, with Sarah Lancashire, is a new episode, not done before.

I had to keep checking the programme guide to make sure it was definitely written by Alan Bennett.

:O

It was certainly an awkward subject matter.

[pequod]

Great to see Alan Bennett's 'Talking Heads' repeated although, I do wonder if the subject matter is a bit 'difficult' for modern tastes? I remember watching the series back in the 80's and thought it was 'edgy' back then and Bennett was always controversial.

I watched the episode, Playing Sandwiches, with the brilliant actor, Lucian Msamati and haven't read any reviews as, I imagine, a black actor playing the part of a paedophile, is a tricky one?

If BBC can make a case for the Bennett repeats, what else could be remade with this generations actors?

It ain't half hot, mum?

[LeadFarmer]

I didn't quite understand episode 3 - Soldiering On

I kept expecting a big reveal, such as her deceased husband having committed a crime, or suicide, or a scandal in the family. But I missed it if it was there. Was there a message I missed?

[Doofus]

LeadFarmer said:

I didn't quite understand episode 3 - Soldiering On

I kept expecting a big reveal, such as her deceased husband having committed a crime, or suicide, or a scandal in the family. But I missed it if it was there. Was there a message I missed?

Her son, Giles has taken and lost all her money.

[LeadFarmer]

Doofus said:

LeadFarmer said:

I didn't quite understand episode 3 - Soldiering On

I kept expecting a big reveal, such as her deceased husband having committed a crime, or suicide, or a scandal in the family. But I missed it if it was there. Was there a message I missed?

Her son, Giles has taken and lost all her money.

I did wonder something like that towards the beginning, but didnt pick up on it again. It must have been too subtle for me?

Also the one about the young attractive actress sleeping with the producer. I assume the story was just about her being used?