Britdrama recs?
Feb. 15th, 2011 12:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sereneI liked Downton Abbey (a Masterpiece Classic thingy). Didn't love it; liked it quite a lot. Not a big fan of Elizabeth McGovern's acting in it; otherwise, pretty solid, and while I don't have a history of reading/watching stuff set in that period, it worked for me because it paid attention, the way ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
papersky's Farthing novels do, to some of what was not good about that age. (Plus: queerness. Minus: evil queers. Plus: socialists and suffrage-for-women advocates. Minus: who nonetheless soak in their privilege. Minus: nearly no people of color, and the one notable non-UK person is very assimilated and dies very quickly. Other similar pluses and minuses kept me from loving it, but I liked it.)
I've also liked/loved, in the Britdrama realm:
MI-5 (Spooks) (While folks I trust disliked the level of violence, I found that to be so wonderful -- finally, a spy drama that acknowledges that spies are in truly terrible peril a lot of the time)
A Touch of Frost (David Jason has my heart. I even watched the silly Pratchett thing so I could see him act circles around Sean Astin)
the new Robin Hood for about a season before I got tired of it
Jekyll until the mom became a big plot point
and, of course, I love Torchwood and Doctor Who
Got recommendations for me? Extra bonus points if it's something I can get on Netflix. I've never watched that detective thing with Helen Mirrin -- Prime Suspect, is it? Is it wonderful? And what else should I check out?
papersky's Farthing novels do, to some of what was not good about that age. (Plus: queerness. Minus: evil queers. Plus: socialists and suffrage-for-women advocates. Minus: who nonetheless soak in their privilege. Minus: nearly no people of color, and the one notable non-UK person is very assimilated and dies very quickly. Other similar pluses and minuses kept me from loving it, but I liked it.)I've also liked/loved, in the Britdrama realm:
MI-5 (Spooks) (While folks I trust disliked the level of violence, I found that to be so wonderful -- finally, a spy drama that acknowledges that spies are in truly terrible peril a lot of the time)
A Touch of Frost (David Jason has my heart. I even watched the silly Pratchett thing so I could see him act circles around Sean Astin)
the new Robin Hood for about a season before I got tired of it
Jekyll until the mom became a big plot point
and, of course, I love Torchwood and Doctor Who
Got recommendations for me? Extra bonus points if it's something I can get on Netflix. I've never watched that detective thing with Helen Mirrin -- Prime Suspect, is it? Is it wonderful? And what else should I check out?
no subject
Date: 2011-02-15 08:51 pm (UTC)It runs from 1940 through 1945, in Hastings, England. Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle is an older man (I'd guess in his 50s, or maybe early 60s) who has to investigate the crimes that still happen even after he's lost a lot of his personnel to the war. Lots of good, meaty looks at issues of class. Some racial issues too. It's often the case that Foyle feels like he's fighting his own government more than the German threat.
Aside from all the good story telling, I'll allow as how DCS Foyle is the kind of man I strive to be. Not that I succeed, mind you. But he's good all the way through.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-15 09:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-15 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-17 01:23 am (UTC)