JAMaica INN

[Thropplenoggin]

I so agree. By contrast, the surprisingly excellent US series 'Walking Dead' plays on silence, for long stretches - and it's utterly gripping (some episodes were watched the other night, and the comparison with the BBC 'carpet of muzak' was stark).

I found it to be diminishing returns after the excellent first season.

[Richard Tarleton]

I think all this mumbling began in America, with method acting, and Marlon Brando in particular - an amusing piece in the Daily Beast. But it seems to be pretty universal. Having recently graduated to a hearing aid, Mrs T struggles with much contemporary TV drama even with the sound plumbed through our sound system.

And the "brown" production values HS mentions are indeed universal - see "Endeavour". Funnily enough one recent series - just finished - where I thought the gloomy production values worked well (albeit with some impenetrable accents) is "Shetland" - some first class acting, especially from Douglas Henshall who is not afraid of stillness and silence.

[aeolium]

And the "brown" production values HS mentions are indeed universal

Not just in TV drama either: they've certainly invaded opera productions where there are frequently gloomy monochrome sets and dark costumes.

[amateur51]

I think all this mumbling began in America, with method acting, and Marlon Brando in particular - an amusing piece in the Daily Beast. But it seems to be pretty universal. Having recently graduated to a hearing aid, Mrs T struggles with much contemporary TV drama even with the sound plumbed through our sound system.

And the "brown" production values HS mentions are indeed universal - see "Endeavour". Funnily enough one recent series - just finished - where I thought the gloomy production values worked well (albeit with some impenetrable accents) is "Shetland" - some first class acting, especially from Douglas Henshall who is not afraid of stillness and silence.

Isn't Endeavour set in the time when Britain was indeed uniformly brown, before Ronay, Conran and David got hold of our sorry nation's tastes?

[Richard Tarleton]

Isn't Endeavour set in the time when Britain was indeed uniformly brown, before Ronay, Conran and David got hold of our sorry nation's tastes?

Well....the latest series is supposed to be 1966, a year that saw multiple hits by the Beatles and Rolling Stones, Habitat (1964), Carnaby Street and Swinging London were in full swing - Endeavour looks more late 50s to me. Another year and there would be anti-Viet Nam war graffiti on the walls of Brasenose Lane.....

[amateur51]

Well....the latest series is supposed to be 1966, a year that saw multiple hits by the Beatles and Rolling Stones, Habitat (1964), Carnaby Street and Swinging London were in full swing - Endeavour looks more late 50s to me. Another year and there would be anti-Viet Nam war graffiti on the walls of Brasenose Lane.....

Ah that's London, RT. It wasn't until 1972 that I saw a salmon-pink pullover in Wrexham

I seemed to spend my entire childhood and early adolescence wandering around dressed as a tree

[Richard Tarleton]

Ah that's London, RT. It wasn't until 1972 that I saw a salmon-pink pullover in Wrexham

I seemed to spend my entire childhood and early adolescence wandering around dressed as a tree

Well - Oxford was a bit nearer London! I first set foot in it when I went for my interview in December 1966, the year in question - my future tutor even asked me for my views on the Viet Nam war

The gloomy production values of both series are hard work even in HD.

[Serial_Apologist]

The gloomy production values of both series are hard work even in HD.

I think they're intended for us to overlook historical inaccuracies - double glazing, hallogen bulbs, etc etc.

[Ferretfancy]

The term 'technical problems' usually means that nobody has checked the sound before transmission. This is because there is virtually no drama production done in house, everything is commissioned and bought in from independent production companies, and there is nobody inside the BBC with enough clout to send stuff back if it doesn't meet the right standards. Indeed, there may not be any staff around at the time with enough audio knowledge to judge.

I'm not suggesting that there are no good sound staff, it's just that they are not invited to judge.

The BBC has said in the case of Jamaica Inn that they hope to rectify the problem in episodes 2 & 3, after numerous complaints. This should be possible if a dialogue premix was created before all the effects and music were added. We made these premixes in order to ensure maximum clarity, and there used to be very clear guidelines to ensure correct balance.

There are still drama series with excellent sound. The recent Sunday offering of The Musketeers series was a good example with beautifully crisp dialogue correctly balanced with music and effects. It was produced in the Czech Republic, and I'm sorry to say that they seem to do things better there.

[Ariosto]

The term 'technical problems' usually means that nobody has checked the sound before transmission. This is because there is virtually no drama production done in house, everything is commissioned and bought in from independent production companies, and there is nobody inside the BBC with enough clout to send stuff back if it doesn't meet the right standards. Indeed, there may not be any staff around at the time with enough audio knowledge to judge.

I'm not suggesting that there are no good sound staff, it's just that they are not invited to judge.

The BBC has said in the case of Jamaica Inn that they hope to rectify the problem in episodes 2 & 3, after numerous complaints. This should be possible if a dialogue premix was created before all the effects and music were added. We made these premixes in order to ensure maximum clarity, and there used to be very clear guidelines to ensure correct balance.

There are still drama series with excellent sound. The recent Sunday offering of The Musketeers series was a good example with beautifully crisp dialogue correctly balanced with music and effects. It was produced in the Czech Republic, and I'm sorry to say that they seem to do things better there.

I think that sounds about right Ferret. Too much is sent out to independant companies. Look what happened with the Proms a while back when an outside company was used and they had no idea how to balance and broadcast some of the concerts. It's a disgrace and we should demand the high standards that were there before the BBC lost its way and wanted to become a commercial broadcaster.

Are the BBC capeable now of making something with the high production and acting standards which we enjoyed when they made Bleak House?

[Honoured Guest]

Which Bleak House are you fondly reminiscing about?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Which Bleak House are you fondly reminiscing about?

The BBC has done it twice, but it was the second of these that made such an impact. Wasn't it one of the first dramas to be filmed in HD?

[ardcarp]

I don't believe a word about the 'technical problems'. The producer had set the whole thing in The Stone Age not 1820s Cornwall, and so grunting seemed obligatory. They were obviously also terrified of eliciting Mummerset from the actors. The Cornish accent (less strong than Somerset or Dorset) is very difficult to reproduce, so incoherent growls seemed a safer bet.

Off topic, if anyone wants a rollicking, light-hearted read, try Daphne du M's late
romp, Rule Brittania.

[Flosshilde]

There are still drama series with excellent sound. The recent Sunday offering of The Musketeers series was a good example with beautifully crisp dialogue correctly balanced with music and effects. It was produced in the Czech Republic, and I'm sorry to say that they seem to do things better there.

You might have been able to hear it, but was it worth hearing? I saw the first episode & I thought it was nonsense. There seems to be a trend at the moment of taking the title of a novel, & a few of the characters, & writing an entirely new story. What particularly irked me (& would do about the drama about the Restoration, judging from the few pictures I've seen) was the un-historical costumes & appearance of the lead characters - very 21st century hair & beards; no wigs here, we're butch men. Same with the costumes - leather (brown or black, naturally). No bright silks & lace, we're even butcher.

[Ferretfancy]

I think that sounds about right Ferret. Too much is sent out to independant companies. Look what happened with the Proms a while back when an outside company was used and they had no idea how to balance and broadcast some of the concerts. It's a disgrace and we should demand the high standards that were there before the BBC lost its way and wanted to become a commercial broadcaster.

Are the BBC capeable now of making something with the high production and acting standards which we enjoyed when they made Bleak House?

Ariosto,

The BBC lost its way years ago, largely due to the insistence of the Thatcher government that it must have more independently produced output, starting at 25%

Most of the people I knew hated the idea of losing the production departments which gave them encouragement and advice when needed. There was always a system of upward referral, sometimes bureaucratic, but it did mean that there was always help on hand when needed and a sense of house style. I don't see much sign of that now.

I was recently approached by a BBC producer, now retired, who had a film of one of his programmes that he wished to offer in case they did not have it. He had written to the Corporation about it, but had not received a reply. I tried to search for him, and was eventually able to help, more by good luck than anything.
It turned out that the Archive already had his programme in good condition.

Now, this man had been a distinguished producer and director, responsible among other things for I Claudius, but his approach was ignored. That seems to be the BBC today.