TV detectives

[antongould]

Dare I ask if anyone watched the latest 3 Wallenders and if so if they have any views thereon?

[Northender]

I watched last night's episode. It was ...well, better than OK, but there were a lot of devices - cars speeding along empty roads, stills showing lakes and other bleak landscape - that were familiar from what I would call the 'definitive' Swedish series. Kenneth Branagh (whom I basically admire) seemed to spend much of the time trying very hard not to be to 'actorly' and/or not Kenneth Branagh, which - perversely - served to remind me that it was Kenneth Branagh I was watching. The father-and-daughter relationship was well done. I missed the world-weariness of the 'original' Wallander - Branagh's just seemed to be miserable for no apparent reason. The sociological aspects of the crimes seem to have been downplayed somewhat. I gather that Henning Mankel is a great fan of KB's depiction of Wallander. I wouldn't like to say which 'Jussi' was better
To sum up: worth watching, but it doesn't displace the original in my affections.

[Nick Armstrong]

Dare I ask if anyone watched the latest 3 Wallenders and if so if they have any views thereon?

Scandi-faux-noir... Doesn't cut the mustard after the real thing. I found the first two rather tedious.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Branagh's portrayal of Wallander is so dysfunctional one wonders how he would hold down a job as a street sweeper .......

[Nick Armstrong]

Branagh's portrayal of Wallander is so dysfunctional one wonders how he would hold down a job as a street sweeper .......

Quite.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Branagh's portrayal of Wallander is so dysfunctional one wonders how he would hold down a job as a street sweeper .......

Yes. And North's description of him "spend[ing] much of the time trying very hard not to be to 'actorly' and/or not Kenneth Branagh, which - perversely - served to remind me that it was Kenneth Branagh I was watching" is right on the money.

Still much better than "man-boobs" Wallander", though.

[Pegleg]

Naff and naff, and ... well I haven't watched the third one. Perhaps "nothing" was better after all.

[Anna]

I haven't seen the original Wallender. I watched the Branagh first episode, I think The Bridge and The Killing were too fresh in my mind. I didn't bother with the other episodes and I missed the subtitles. Why can't Branagh learn Swedish?

[Northender]

Have you tried googling 'Wallender' [sic], by the way?

[Anna]

Have you tried googling 'Wallender' [sic], by the way?

No, I hadn't. I now realise I was very foolish in expecting the original Wallender (that I had not seen) was, in fact, not what I thought was a film noire involving Swedes, talking Swedish. I shall now retire in total disarray! And admit my ignorance. I'm not proud, I can do humble.

[Nick Armstrong]

now realise I was very foolish in expecting the original Wallender (that I had not seen) was, in fact, not what I thought was a film noire involving Swedes, talking Swedish. I shall now retire in total disarray! And admit my ignorance. I'm not proud, I can do humble.

I don't understand. You were right (apart from the spelling): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Wallander There were loads of Swedish screen adaptations before the Beeb and Sir Ken came along.

Am I missing something here?

[Anna]

Am I missing something here?

Probably. I dunno. I think I am. Now, where's me Faroe jumper?

[Nick Armstrong]

Dare I ask if anyone watched the latest 3 Wallenders and if so if they have any views thereon?

Having castigated the first two, I should say that I found the third to be the best of the three, rather good I think.

What view do you take, anton? Sounds as if you saw the three of them.

[Keith Braidwood]

Lewis in the television series (of Morse and Lewis) is not the original Lewis from the novels, though I imagine Dexter sanctioned the change.

Many people who have watched the television episodes of Morse say they are much better than the novels. I've done both and have to agree. In the novels Morse was quite a bit younger than Lewis, and had a love of pornography. He also drove a Lancia rather than the classic Jag that we all know and love. John Thaw stated that Inspector Morse was NOT a detective show but a show about a man who just happened to be a detective. Lewis was much more interesting in the Morse series as it was his down-to-earth family man against Morse's irascible, intelligent single man. Hathaway is arguably more intelligent than Morse but sadly Lewis seems to have regressed. In the episode 'Music TO Die For' his understanding of Wagner's Ring Cycle was something you could not take seriously.

Colin Dexter had stated that NO-ONE else could play Morse on television but following ITV's interest in the short story he wrote for the Daily Mail and the subsequent popularity of the pilot episode seems to have changed that. Morse was played on the radio by John Shrapnel who played Dr Julian Storrs in the television episode 'Death is now my Neighbour'.

David Suchet's portrayal of Hercule Poirot is certainly the most popular and Agatha Christie's grandson stated he regretted that she did not see it as he felt it the most convincing.

[antongould]

Having castigated the first two, I should say that I found the third to be the best of the three, rather good I think.

What view do you take, anton? Sounds as if you saw the three of them.

I was sort of hoping you wouldn't ask that dear boy seeing as how I cannot even spell Wallander. I read the books a good few years back and have waited eagerly for each new one these many years. For reasons various, not least Lady Gould and the princess's dislike of sub titles which The Killing seemed to end, we did not get into the native series.
But I have to say from Episode 1 and through to the present Sir Ken is just as I imagined Kurt to be from the books.
To me he is a Nordic Morse the case/chase is all and everyday life is at best a puzzle...........I shall say no more.

I see BBC4 seems to be re-visiting the originals so we may become converts........