BBC to film all 37 of Bard's plays (12-year Shakespeare project could top $200 Million)

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | November 18, 2007 | Chris Hastings and Stephanie Plentl

[goldstategop]

I've seen the original BBC teleplays. Top notch adaptations of the works of the greatest writer whoever lived. Shakespeare is inexhaustible after five centuries.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

News of the new venture has been welcomed by many Shakespeare enthusiasts, who believe that the first series has become dated.

How have these versions become dated? Has Shakespeare's language changed in 30 years?

[Stoat]

 

News of the new venture has been welcomed by many Shakespeare enthusiasts, who believe that the first series has become dated.

How have these versions become dated? Has Shakespeare's language changed in 30 years?

Perhaps it is judged as being "dated" because the actors spoke proper English, used complete sentences and didn't use modern inner-city slang  and vulgarities  :-)

From the article:

The treasurer of the British Shakespeare Association, Stuart Hampton-Reeves, said it was important that modern audiences weren't bombarded with too much text. He said: "Modern audiences are used to immediate language, plot delivery and fast cutaways. The best Shakespeare adaptations have cut the text in a way that is suitable for TV."

Translation:  "We feel that audiences are too stupid to be able to grasp and pay attention to an authentic production of Shakespeare, so we want it to be edited it the way MTV does, and the scripts should be focus-grouped by third-graders"