Recommended Television Programmes

[johncorrigan]

The 1987 serialisation of Le Carré’s A Perfect Spy surfaces this evening on BBCFour (preceded by a short retrospective by Peter Egan who played ‘Magnus Pym’) - Dame Peggy & all

As far as I know, this hasn’t appeared on You Tube (as some series of a similar vintage have) - looking forward to watching it (concluding 4 episodes next Wednesday night)

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PS I just noticed that all 7 episodes are currently available on iPlayer

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I watched episode 1 of 'Perfect Spy' last night. It was quite magnetic - I don't recall seeing it before - I thought Ray McInally as Pym's father, Rick, was terrific as the SPIV. I'm certainly going to watch more of it.

I watched the first two series of 'Race Across the World' when they went out and enjoyed them very much. For some reason, I missed out on series three across Canada, but my interest was rekindled by 'Celebrity Race Across the World' from Morocco to Norway's Arctic Circle, even though I had no idea who the celebs were.
The present series is just past the halfway mark, as the five English pairs travel from Sapporo in Northern Japan heading for Lombok in Indonesia, via seven checkpoints, with no mobile phones or bank cards, but armed with a map and the price of a first class air fair. The five couples are now four as one pair was eliminated as they chase the £20000 prize.
The thing I have found fascinating is, having never visited this part of the World, I was only casually aware of the geography of that part of the world, so it has been really interesting to watch and to see how the teams negotiate their ways through vastly different cultures on their way south. All the time they have to balance cost with the need for speed and the need to experience the countries and also earn money where they can. I have been thoroughly hooked in. Cambodia and Thailand were particular revelations, so far with some particularly moving moments; one where the elderly couple, Stephen and Viv, are shown an amazing cave in Cambodia where, every evening, six million bats fly out at dusk in a twenty minute period - they are spellbound. Then their cab driver points out a cave next door to it where, he tells them, the bones of ten thousand people lie, thrown from the cliffs by the Khmer Rouge.
Watching the relationships change over the couple of months is always interesting. If previous series tell us anything, money, or the lack of it, may well prove to be the deciding factors for the teams. Very interesting series, I think.

[LMcD]

I watched episode 1 of 'Perfect Spy' last night. It was quite magnetic - I don't recall seeing it before - I thought Ray McInally as Pym's father, Rick, was terrific as the SPIV. I'm certainly going to watch more of it.

I don't know how I came to miss this in 1987 but I think 'magnetic' is the mot juste. I shall try to resist the temptation to binge-watch the whole series and limit myself to an episode a day!

[Xerber]

I’m currently hooked on “Shōgun” on Hulu. The cultural depth and stunning visuals make it a standout series. It’s an epic tale that’s both educational and entertaining, a rare find in today’s TV landscape. Definitely a must-watch for anyone interested in historical dramas with a touch of action.

[Nick Armstrong]

I’m currently hooked on “Shōgun” on Hulu. The cultural depth and stunning visuals make it a standout series. It’s an epic tale that’s both educational and entertaining, a rare find in today’s TV landscape. Definitely a must-watch for anyone interested in historical dramas with a touch of action.

Yes I’ve watched it all, very absorbing. Wasn’t sure about the acting of the main European character (“Anjin-san”) but otherwise fabulous. The long list of Japanese ‘cultural consultants’ in the credits speaks for itself.

(A far cry from the drab, sentimentalised series on telly in the ?1970s with Richard Chamberlain which turned Clavell’s novel into a romance with vague Samurai stage dressing and which I recall as being one of the most boring programmes of my teenage years - not that I stayed in the room long enough to watch much )

[Roger Webb]

I don't know how I came to miss this [A Perfect Spy] in 1987 but I think 'magnetic' is the mot juste. I shall try to resist the temptation to binge-watch the whole series and limit myself to an episode a day!

Yes, I missed it first time round.....but thanks to this thread I'm catching up one episode a day also....4th tonight. Tremendous cast, and really nice to see Rüdiger Weigang (Axel) in something else - last time seen as Eduard Simon in Edgar Reitz' Heimat.

[vinteuil]

I watched episode 1 of 'Perfect Spy' last night. It was quite magnetic - I don't recall seeing it before...

... very disappointed by the first three episodes - laboured, clunky, telling-not-showing - we almost gave up - BUT - marked improvement in episode four, just watched, and I think we'll now stay the course. Plot remains drastically improbable in espionage terms, regardless of how 'autobiographical' it is supposed to be...

[johncorrigan]

Wasn’t sure about the acting of the main European character (“Anjin-san”) but otherwise fabulous.

Yes indeed, Nick. He is a great big lump of wood. Otherwise I am thoroughly enjoying this series.

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes indeed, Nick. He is a great big lump of wood. Otherwise I am thoroughly enjoying this series.

… yes, ‘lump’ & ‘lumpen’ were among the words that came to my mind!

I reconciled myself to it by trying to think it was a ‘performance choice’ to convey the blunt unsubtlety of Brits of the period compared to the sophistication of Japanese culture. It sort of worked in those terms…

[eighthobstruction]

... very disappointed by the first three episodes - laboured, clunky, telling-not-showing - we almost gave up - BUT - marked improvement in episode four, just watched, and I think we'll now stay the course. Plot remains drastically improbable in espionage terms, regardless of how 'autobiographical' it is supposed to be...

you are very brave....perhaps we might use you in a little job we have in mind....

[Roger Webb]

Tonight on France Musique, but also live TV stream on Arte 19.00 (UK time)

https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/le-concert-du-soir/alexandre-kantorow-chopin-concerto-pour-piano-n02-orchestre-national-de-france-cristian-macelaru-5807147

[kindofblue]

I share the views of some other forumistas regarding A Perfect Spy. It failed to grip me at the start, with the notable exception of Pym's father as a character. The final episodes though I found gripping as a study of psychology. There was not enough spying for me!

[vinteuil]

We have been watching the marvellous series of Maigret starring Bruno Cremer on Talking Pictures TV over the last year. In total there are 54 episodes, and Maigret en meublé (Maigret rents a room) will be episode 51, to be shown next Tuesday. I have been reading / re-reading all the stories as the series unrolls ; I shall be very sad when we reach the end next month.

[smittims]

Aren't they splendld? Quite apart from the acting and the choice of locations, the cinematography is a delight, with every shot composed with care. I think they rank with the old Forsyte Saga and A Family at War as the finest TV dramas I've ever seen.

[LMcD]

Aren't they splendld? Quite apart from the acting and the choice of locations, the cinematography is a delight, with every shot composed with care. I think they rank with the old Forsyte Saga and A Family at War as the finest TV dramas I've ever seen.

How do they rank compared to the old Rupert Davies episodes?
It was 'A Family At War' which I revisited 2 or 3 years ago, that introduced me to RVW's 6th Symphony.
While we're on the subject of old TV dramas, does anybody remember an ITV series called (I think) 'Heartland' - a series of linked plays set in the Heart of England. Each episode was introduced by an excerpt from Elgar's 1st - an even happier musical discovery!

[vinteuil]

How do they rank compared to the old Rupert Davies episodes?

... for Maigret on the telly I think the Rupert Davies episodes were comparatively weak. If I remember they were an hour long, which meant the stories were trimmed and scampered through; Rupert Davies himself was all right but the other actors were often abysmal, dragged out of rep - and the cardboard scenery often wobbled. But - they did have some authentic Paris filming. The Michael Gambon series was stronger, but only ran for twelve episodes ; it was mainly filmed in Budapest. The Rowan Atkinson series I gave up on : he just didn't convince as Maigret.

I think the Bruno Cremer series has been outstanding. Tragically he died not long after : in the final episode his voice had to be dubbed because of the the throat cancer that was to kill him.

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