Drama | Tellyspotting

October 30, 2014
First Lady Sybil, then Matthew. Could Isis be next?

The rumor mill is in overdrive this week in the UK as we are down to the last few episodes in the 5th series of Downton Abbey. With only 3 episodes left (2 plus the Christmas special), what could Downton Abbey creator/writer, Julian Fellowes, possibly be thinking? As if the death of Lady Sybil wasn’t almost too much to take during series 2, he provided the ultimate kick to the stomach on Christmas Day in the series 3 finale by ending Matthew Crawley’s time at Downton. For those that are not quite up to speed on the series as it has played out so far, I’m sorry to report that Lord Grantham’s pride and joy, Isis, was looking a little peaked and a bit listless this past week.
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October 29, 2014
"All the World's a Stage…" as Benedict Cumberbatch celebrates a lifetime of British drama

This was definitely worth the wait. UK audiences have been teased recently on the BBC’s Facebook page that there was a new Benedict Cumberbatch project in the works. With the simple phrase of “Benedict Cumberbatch filming something special for BBC One and BBC Two” much of the UK went into orbit. Last night, the ‘project’ […]
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October 27, 2014
Sans powdered wigs, BBC's Silk headed for U.S. remake on ABC

This just in…a U.S. television broadcast network will try, yet again, to re-invent the wheel and adapt a British drama for American television. Surprise! ABC will re-make Peter Moffat’s British legal drama, Silk, the Bafta-nominated BBC drama which revolved around the lives of barristers at Shoe Lane chambers, and the lengths they went to to […]
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October 26, 2014
Fancy a bit of 'Pride and Prejudice' catch-up before tonight's premiere of 'Death Comes to Pemberley'?

Remember when you HAD to read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in high school? I’m guessing a number of you have re-read several times as an adult because you actually WANTED to. Whatever the case, it’s probably been awhile since read it or seen one of the numerous big or small screen adaptations. So, courtesy […]
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October 25, 2014
‘Downton 221bey’ anyone? Hey, it could happen….

Now THIS is what makes the Internets interesting. Since 2010, the desire and hope there would be a Sherlock/Downton Abbey crossover has been an on-again, off-again trending topic on Twitter. I recognize most of Planet Earth would rather see Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock step out of the TARDIS but, somehow, seeing Sherlock match wits with the […]
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October 23, 2014
More Foyle's War on the way in 2015

For PBS viewers, 2015 is already shaping up to be another brilliant year for British drama. You can now add Foyle’s War to the mix that already includes new seasons of Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Mr. Selfridge, Endeavour, Scott and Bailey, DCI Banks, Case Histories, Father Brown, Death in Paradise and New Tricks not to mention the new series premieres of Grantchester and Wolf Hall. To be honest, you had me at Foyle’s War!
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October 22, 2014
Order of the Companions of Honour all in a days work for Dame Maggie Smith

As if 2014 wasn’t already a busy year for Dame Maggie Smith, on Friday, October 17, the Dowager Countess was made a member of the Order of Companion of Honour in a ceremony at Windsor Castle. Ok, technically, it was actually Dame Maggie Smith that received this well-deserved honor, but it was fun to think […]
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October 21, 2014
'Happy Valley' to 'Grantchester' was quite a change for James Norton

After binge-watching Sally Wainwright’s amazing series, Happy Valley, which starred Sarah Lancashire and Steve Pemberton, I began to see the haunting figure of Tommie Lee Royce on every street corner. Played brilliantly by James Norton, Royce was the stereotypical tormented soul/psychopathic killer (if there is such a thing). Thankfully, to get that image out of my head, all I had to do was quickly fast forward to the premiere of ITV’s Grantchester earlier this month.
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October 14, 2014
Don't insult the audience's intelligence says 'Wolf Hall' author, Hilary Mantel

“As soon as you decide it’s too complicated for the viewer or history is an inconvenient shape, you fall into a cascade of errors which ends in nonsense”, author Hilary Mantel said to the audience at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Referring to her novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies and their upcoming BBC adaptations, Mantel stressed the importance of not under-estimating the intelligence of her readers and audience, reports Radio Times. “As soon as you decide this is too complicated for the viewer or history is an inconvenient shape – ‘I’ll just tidy it up’ – you fall into a cascade of errors which ends in nonsense”, citing Showtime’s The Tudors as the perfect example of how simply combining history and drama does not always make for good telly.
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October 13, 2014
Final 'Wallander' series begins principle filming

BBC 1 announced last week that the final three-part series of the hauntingly brilliant detective drama, Wallander, has begun principle production filming. Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, the final trilogy of 90-minute episodes will adapt the two remaining works by Swedish author Henning Mankell that features the character. The first will be based on the 1993 […]
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