BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Parade's End

SusiGo · November 21, 2012 7:30 am

PE has been nominated for a Broadcast Award. In case you visit the page, have a look at the table bookings. Quite reasonable prices.

http://www.broadcastawards.co.uk/shortlist

besleybean · November 21, 2012 5:19 pm

Good stuff.

kazza474 · January 5, 2013 10:03 am

'Parade's End' With Benedict Cumberbatch Comes To HBO In Feb

Bummed you missed the U.K. miniseries "Parade's End" with Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall that aired overseas last fall (maybe you caught some of our reviews)? Well, settle in because HBO is going to get you over the winter hump by airing it in February.

The series will air over three consecutive nights starting on February 26th at 9 p.m.

SusiGo · January 5, 2013 10:12 am

And here's a pic from yesterday's event:

Writer Tom Stoppard and actor Benedict Cumberbatch speak (via satellite) during the HBO Winter 2013 TCA Panel at The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa on January 4, 2013 in Pasadena, California.

source: deareje.tumblr.com

harleyq · January 5, 2013 4:43 pm

I've been waiting to hear an air date for this, so this is great news!! It's not exactly on my birthday, but it's close enough to qualify as a nice birthday gift.

SusiGo · January 6, 2013 2:21 pm

From the HBO panel discussion. The ladies looked great and much better made up than Benedict and Tom:

http://clock-watcher.tumblr.com/post/39789082936/hi-res-pix-rebecca-hall-adelaide-clemens

Last edited by SusiGo (January 6, 2013 2:21 pm)

Mattlocked · January 6, 2013 2:35 pm

SusiGo wrote:
From the HBO panel discussion. The ladies looked great and much better made up than Benedict and Tom:

http://clock-watcher.tumblr.com/post/39789082936/hi-res-pix-rebecca-hall-adelaide-clemens

Wow, you could have given a little warning. Now I'm blind, all PINK!
Just managed to notice (again) how beautiful Rebecca is....

Davina · January 11, 2013 6:40 pm

Parade's End has been nominated for a Broadcast Award in the Best Drama Series category.

tobeornot221b · January 11, 2013 6:44 pm

Fully deserved!

kazza474 · January 11, 2013 7:42 pm

Davina wrote:
Parade's End has been nominated for a Broadcast Award in the Best Drama Series category.

Should be interesting, considering 1/3 of viewers tuned out of the second installment. Critically is was well recieved but basically a lot of viewers didn't like it .
I have a theory that this could be partly influenced by some people's familiarity with the book. I read that many British people studied it in their schooling years, so they would be more tolerant of following the plot. Many who complained & tune out said the story was too hard to follow.

These are voted on by a panl of British TV people, wonder how they will see things.

SusiGo · January 11, 2013 8:09 pm

I agree that it's much easier to understand if you are familiar with the books. I read them just before viewing it. And five hours are not enough to do the extensive narrative justice. Nevertheless I think it's a fine piece of work with wonderful camera work and excellent actors. And today you have so many ready-made easy-to-digest things on TV.

Davina · January 11, 2013 9:27 pm

I'm not sure about it being a studied book here. Perhaps it is, it is a long time since I did my English Lit exams. Mind you my daughter did A Level English Lit very recently and it wasn't part of her syllabus. As I mentioned at the time it was being aired I cannot really understand how people find it so difficult to understand/follow. I have never actually read the book. Perhaps a knowledge of events before and during the First World War and its society helps; with that I am familiar.

SusiGo · January 11, 2013 9:42 pm

From what I read I had the impression that it was quite forgotten in England and not appreciated as much as it deserves to be.

kazza474 · January 11, 2013 9:52 pm

I've read several reviews where it was mentioned that the writer had studied the books, perhaps in a Literature degree or some such; I had the feeling it was sometime ago as the works were considered until recently as 'lost works'.
I don't think it has anything to do with knowledge of the time it is set in, more the flow of the story was just not there. Many had problems with understanding what was being said so that would have made it hard also.

This review lists some of the problems viewers had with this show:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2194477/Parades-End-I-dont-want-rain-Beebs-Parade-Downton.html

As for me, nothing grabbed me as being interesting enough to want to try to follow the story further. I eagerly anticipated the show but was sorely disappointed with what I saw. I won't use lables of 'brilliant', ''beautiful" etc just based on who is in a show. Ben's acting was fine; the attempt to make him appear more rotund however only managed to succeed in making him harder to understand. I don't believe it added to the character, it only added to the longing to follow the story & have him fit the role.
In all honesty, I think they tried too hard & in doing so lost a lot of viewers.
3 million+ on the first night to 2 million+ on the second???? That's not rivetting viewing; diehard ans can scream technical brilliance etc all they like but this show is NOT going to be remembered in 10 years time.

SusiGo · January 11, 2013 10:05 pm

It's also quite interesting to read the readers' comments. There seem to be some who do not agree at all with the author of the article. So do I. For me the book was the most satisfying reading experience of last year. And I know what I'm going to watch for a third time after having finished series 1 of DA.

Harriet · January 11, 2013 10:16 pm

Davina wrote:
Parade's End has been nominated for a Broadcast Award in the Best Drama Series category.

Great news! I wish them the best luck!

harleyq · January 12, 2013 4:34 am

I did try to read the book, but found it just a bit too much. I was hoping the BBC would find a way to merge the writing style with the medium of television, but now I'm nervous about seeing it. I guess it's good to read these things though and not go in with too high expectations and then be disappointed. I'm still looking forward to it, but now I have a more realistic expectation.

Mattlocked · January 12, 2013 10:04 am

Don't know if I mentioned before:
Normally I don't like reading a book and watch the film afterwards because I often was disappointed from the film then. (A brilliant example: "The neverending story".)
So I prefer the other way round. If I like a film I sometimes go and get the book.
In this case I tried to read the book(s) before I watched PE on screen, as I trusted Susi in this matter; but I simply didn't manage. I am quite a fast reader, but reading a book in English is like reading in slow-motion because there are still too many words and expressions I don't understand.
As I own the books now I will go on reading them later - no matter how much time I need then.
Loved it on screen!

SusiGo · January 12, 2013 10:15 am

It's not an easy read, that's true. And I was glad to read it on my Kindle with the dictionary function. But if you enjoyed it without knowing the books, so much the better. It just shows that the adaptation wasn't so bad after all.

Mattlocked · January 12, 2013 10:21 am

Or maybe it shows that I am simple and easy to satisfy.