SS-GB

[Nick Armstrong]

Just finished watching this five-part series - anyone else see it?

I seem to be the only one of friends and family who found it gripping - and the reviews I've seen have been lukewarm too. (There's also been a hoo-ha about the sound levels/mumbling, esp. in the initial episode - I never found any problem there).

I especially appreciated the occupying Nazis being played by unfamiliar German actors, not familiar British faces 'doing the accents'. Standout I thought was Lars Eidinger who played the main SS man, Huth - a mixture of sympathetic creepiness which made total sense by the final episode. (He's obviously well-known in Germany, and has recently appeared in a mainstream US film, Personal Shopper, I noticed the other day.

Compelling stuff for me, particularly the final episode.

[pastoralguy]

To be honest, we lost interest after episode three. Perhaps it was too near the bone but we found it a bit distasteful. Good on you for seeing through to the end.

[DracoM]

For me, not so much distasteful as incredible and feeble. Have not read the book - is that really how it ends?? Such an anti-climax. Kept on comparing it unfavourably with Harris's 'Fatherland'.

[muzzer]

It's set up for a second series, "SSGB2 - This Time It's Audible"

[Pulcinella]

Not how the book ends, according to my partner, who has read it but didn't tell me the difference, in case I decided to read it myself; his hint was that the tv adaption (based on the book, as it said) was perhaps tailored to the American market.

We watched the whole thing (on catch up, so even more compelling with a couple episodes back to back) and found it rather good on the whole, if implausible (saying to each other things like 'You wouldn't do that', 'Why isn't anyone else around', or 'Surely the Germans would....') in places. The sense of living under occupation came over well, we thought.

[Dave2002]

We thought it was OK, and I guess quite atmospheric until the last two episodes. The last episode just fizzled out, with some seemingly unanswered questions. The final shots seemed fairly pointless, unless that was the point!

[vinteuil]

To be honest, we lost interest after episode three...

... we lost interest here during episode two.

... not so much distasteful as incredible and feeble...

Exactly.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I enjoyed it - in spite of (or possibly because of) the many similarities to the 1964 Doctor Who story The Dalek Invasion of Earth - and thought it particularly good at demonstrating how everyone in the Nazi chain of command loathed each other. Eidenger was very good - the most fully-rounded character in the story - and I loved being caught out by the plot twists. The very end seemed to me to be hedging its bets for a second series.

However, for real engrossment it was pale in comparison with Follow the Money on BBC4, and The Team on More4 - whew! (I'm also hooked on Prime Witness 1973 and the third series of Broadchurch - the second had been so dire I very nearly didn't bother, but this is much, much better - with an infinitely superior handling of a rape crime than the Beeb's recent Apple Tree Yard. )

[DracoM]

Aha! Yes. 'Follow the Money' has been top stuff. Agreed.

[Ferretfancy]

It seemed to take place in perpetual night, which of course is convenient for hiding modern parts of London. Even the daytime parts were dismal.
I suppose that having a hero who spoke in stage whispers throughout must have seemed a good idea to somebody. The whole thing could have been an episode shorter if the director had not expected long pauses between lines of dialogue accompanied by long meaningful looks.

Years ago I worked on this sort of thing from time to time, surrounded by production staff who couldn't see the wood for the trees.

[Dave2002]

Aha! Yes. 'Follow the Money' has been top stuff. Agreed.

No. FTM is getting even more ridiculous and violent. Still watch it though. Whoever thought Swedish people were so indestructible! I can almost make out some of the words in the Danish now.

[Zucchini]

The differences between the TV series & the novel are described here:

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-03-20/bbc-drama-ss-gb-has-a-dramatically-different-ending-to-the-original-len-deighton-novel

[vinteuil]

... Broadchurch (third series) is so good. Mainly because of the intelligent and involving script and acting. If SSGB had spent less on the speshul effex and more on the script and acting it might have worked.

We quite enjoyed the first series of Follow the Money : the heroine was irritating, but we had a soft spot for the two losers (Bimse and Nick, was it?). Given up on the new series which is just getting beyond ridiculous.

Have almost given up on Homeland (tho' Mme v remains loyal... )


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And when will we see the return of Spiral ???



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[Dave2002]

Agree about Spiral.

Homeland: Peter Q about as indestructible as The Swede, but Astrid unfortunately not so.

Never bothered with Broadchurch, though Line of Duty was previously quite good, and about to return.

We rather liked the dumb losers in FTM too, but now things getting out of hand there.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Evening viewing needs to be acceptable to Mrs CS as well as myself. I wondered if we could give SS-GB a miss as it returns yet again to the Second WW, but I have to concede in the context that we lost.... The audibility problem was solved by listening through the adjacent audio system speakers and turning the sound up. Yet to watch the last episode but I don't
have sharp criticism to make - enjoyable and engaging, atmospheric post defeat setting.

I don't go for the dark Scandi noir stuff - the last Scandi series we engaged with was Borgen (much enjoyed). I happened upon "Home from Home" last Sunday night (wondering why it had crept into the schedule with no apparent publicity) and was immediately captivated, then realised I had bought the DVD because I have Heimat series I, II and III on DVD. I had to abort plans to watch it through in order after complaints from my teenage offspring (no longer teenage, no longer at home - so its time to make a start I think.....).
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