"Well written, funny and wistful" - Paul Linford; "He is indeed the Lib Dem blogfather" - Stephen Tall "Jonathan Calder holds his end up well in the competitive world of the blogosphere" - New Statesman "A prominent Liberal Democrat blogger" - BBC Radio 4 Today; "One of my favourite blogs" - Stumbling and Mumbling; "Charming and younger than I expected" - Wartime Housewife
I quite agree. I watched the first McEwan one last year and didn't approve. I've tuned in this evening because the Hickson adaptation of Sleeping Murder was one of my great childhood scares. I'd like to see how the finale of this version - with its too many celebrity guest stars - compares.
I did enjoy the first run of these but I agree about Joan Hickson. The BBC Miss Marple adaptions were an important part of my childhood and seeing another actress in the role, well its like fiddling with gravity or the weather or some such other deep principle of the universe.
I prefer Geraldine. She makes Miss Marple a much more cheery, sweet, natural and 'human' character - it's far more understandable how she's developed such an excellent comprehension of human behaviour so she can solve murders.
My other half particularly enjoys Miss Marple, so he was enthusiastic about new versions and sat grim-faced through the handful of Geraldine McEwans last year. After giving them a go, he felt so hostile that he wouldn’t even watch last night’s. He’s recently bought a box set of the Joan Hickson DVDs, so we spent much of the weekend watching The Body in the Library and The Moving Finger instead. Even I was quite drawn in, and he’s been humming the magnificent tune (the organist at our parish church used it play it to warm up for mass when I was young. Maybe he didn’t like Father Peters). I quite like the Margaret Rutherford ‘camp old nonsense’, but I have to admit that Joan Hickson’s interpretation of her as ‘insufferable old bat’ is definitive (ask anyone in Wivenhoe). Added to that, ‘Marple’ is a place a stout walk from where I grew up, not a proper series title. It's just plain rude without a genteel ‘Miss’ in front.
Returning having seen the end: what a disappointment. No monkey hands, no spooky house, no water in the eyes. Just the protagonists sitting around talking for the last twenty minutes.
I agree, Joan Hickson is the real Miss Marple. I asked for the BBC DVD box set for Christmas, but got two of the ITV ones, and so watched them out of curiosity. Not impressed. Not just for changing the endings, not just for the lashings of Lesbian Sex to keep the viewer "interested", but just because Miss Marple was too young, too "knowing" ... ugh. And the casting was appallingly badly done. Once again I'm so glad that we can only get BBC1 and BBC2 in Belgium!
I couldn't help thinking the same while I was watching. But then I suppose there comes a time when actors, familiar and comfortable in their established roles, are unable to continue and have to be replaced. The trick is to change in such a way so as not to upset the fans and to choose a new leader, errr... I mean actor, who can retain the exsiting following and capture a whole new one.
I quite agree. I watched the first McEwan one last year and didn't approve. I've tuned in this evening because the Hickson adaptation of Sleeping Murder was one of my great childhood scares. I'd like to see how the finale of this version - with its too many celebrity guest stars - compares.
ReplyDeleteJonathan, we are at one. I've been forced to put on a DVD of Hitler: The Rise of Evil. And Robert Carlyle ain't much better than Gerladine McEwan...
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the first run of these but I agree about Joan Hickson. The BBC Miss Marple adaptions were an important part of my childhood and seeing another actress in the role, well its like fiddling with gravity or the weather or some such other deep principle of the universe.
ReplyDeleteI prefer Geraldine. She makes Miss Marple a much more cheery, sweet, natural and 'human' character - it's far more understandable how she's developed such an excellent comprehension of human behaviour so she can solve murders.
ReplyDeleteMy other half particularly enjoys Miss Marple, so he was enthusiastic about new versions and sat grim-faced through the handful of Geraldine McEwans last year. After giving them a go, he felt so hostile that he wouldn’t even watch last night’s. He’s recently bought a box set of the Joan Hickson DVDs, so we spent much of the weekend watching The Body in the Library and The Moving Finger instead. Even I was quite drawn in, and he’s been humming the magnificent tune (the organist at our parish church used it play it to warm up for mass when I was young. Maybe he didn’t like Father Peters). I quite like the Margaret Rutherford ‘camp old nonsense’, but I have to admit that Joan Hickson’s interpretation of her as ‘insufferable old bat’ is definitive (ask anyone in Wivenhoe). Added to that, ‘Marple’ is a place a stout walk from where I grew up, not a proper series title. It's just plain rude without a genteel ‘Miss’ in front.
ReplyDeleteReturning having seen the end: what a disappointment. No monkey hands, no spooky house, no water in the eyes. Just the protagonists sitting around talking for the last twenty minutes.
ReplyDeleteBring back Freddie Treves.
I agree, Joan Hickson is the real Miss Marple. I asked for the BBC DVD box set for Christmas, but got two of the ITV ones, and so watched them out of curiosity. Not impressed. Not just for changing the endings, not just for the lashings of Lesbian Sex to keep the viewer "interested", but just because Miss Marple was too young, too "knowing" ... ugh. And the casting was appallingly badly done. Once again I'm so glad that we can only get BBC1 and BBC2 in Belgium!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help thinking the same while I was watching. But then I suppose there comes a time when actors, familiar and comfortable in their established roles, are unable to continue and have to be replaced. The trick is to change in such a way so as not to upset the fans and to choose a new leader, errr... I mean actor, who can retain the exsiting following and capture a whole new one.
ReplyDeleteA lesson for the party there I think.