Posted on 12/29/2018 5:54:25 PM PST by Simon Green
Edited on 12/29/2018 6:08:36 PM PST by Jim Robinson. [history]
If you were adapting a story that has already been turned into a colossus of a stage musical and a triple-Oscar-winning Hollywood film, you might be expected to be slightly overawed by the task.
The actors and producers of the latest iteration of Les Miserables – a six-part BBC take on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel – are suitably diplomatic about the stage show seen by 70 million people in 51 countries, giving verdicts that range from “perfectly good” to “brilliant”.
Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert are homosexual lovers?!
The BBC actually puts out some pretty good stuff. My wife and I have cable but we mostly watch PBS on Sunday night.
The mid-1980's London stage version, which starred the amazing actor, Donald Sniden, was every bit as good, if not even better, than the Howard movie.
TCM shows the 1934 version, pretty often, so rather than see it on YouTube, watch out for it on T.V.! :-)
Sorry...that went over my head; please explain.
Whilst MASTERPIECE THEATRE and MYSTERY were once excellent...those shows are long gone and, with few exceptions, today's offerings just don't compare favorably.
And FWIW, I have watched PBS ( MASTERPIECE THEATRE and such ) since the very beginning, starting with the very first one: THE FORSYTH SAGA.
You don’t like Poldark or Vicky? Downton Abbey was entertaining.
he will be an illegal immigrant an arab in france
I vaguely remember the 1978 TV miniseries (trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO_rw4fRQLA
VICTORIA is great, is SPOT ON factually, and well done; the exception to the rule of modern series that are being shown now.
DOWNTON ABBEY is a "poor man's"/not well done UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS. And whilst the new version of UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS suffered due to that fact that it came out at the very same time as DOWNTON, the latter of which was heavily pushed, that too suffered somewhat, due to the fact that the original writers were not all that involved with it, outside of actually being in it.
The new, Brit "LITTLE WOMEN"? YUCK and PUKE!
And side from the Aussie stuff ( THE DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES and A PLACE TO CALL HOME; perhaps throw in Brit DEATH IN PARADISE too ), outside of CALL THE MIDWIFE ( which has run out of steam and become too damned PC, since they ran out of material that was in the book, it was taken from ), other than VICTORIA, there's NOTHING memorable.
Going back to the beginning...there were SO many wonderful, truly memorable shows that were once on every Sunday, that for me to list them all, would take me hours to type and bore everyone to death; not to mention eat up bandwidth.
Yeah, they used to show a lot better stuff but that was probably when I was watching Laverne and Shirley or Happy Days.
My wife had never seen the stage musical, “Beauty and the Beast”, one of my favorites. Took her to see it last year; the production inserted a lot of homosexual themes and inuindo in it. It was disgusting.
And before that time, during the GOLDEN AGE OF T.V., CBS, NBC, and ABC all had live shows that were dedicated to plays, operas, operettas, classical music, and ballet; not to mention shows such as OMBINBUS, with Alistair Cooke presiding/as host, which was better than ANYTHING no on any station, including cable!
Movies? In the NYC tri-state area, there were six, COUNT 'EM...SIX, channels that showed great old and newer movies day and night.
That really was when T.V. lived up to what had been dreamed that it should/would be! Oh sure, there were also some much "lighter" and absolute junk shows, but that only means that there really was a LOT to choose from for everyone.
Today, with hundreds and hundreds of channels, one is lucky to find one show worth watching per week; sadly.
The (lengthy) 1934 French version Harry Baur as Valjean is excellent. The novel starts slowly, but is superbly worth the long read.
Since then, I have seen ALL of the American and Brit remakes and T.V. series. I've been told that the '34 French film is supposed to be excellent and would like to see it.
Lester, short for Les. Don’t make me get out the rimshot drumkit again. ;^)
Sorry, it’s late and I’m confused. :-(
Lester Miserables?
:^)
Donald Sinden was a very good actor.
He was on a show, Never The Twain, that I loved very much.
I’m not sure exactly which shows you’re including (BBC or ITV or all sources, etc) but I enjoy Endeavor, Inspector George Gentley, Grantchester, Home Fires, Midsomer Murders, and The Coroner. Luther had potential but was too preposterous for my taste. I guess Miss Fisher is actually Australian, and projects a bit too much girl power, but it’s fun. Murdoch Mysteries is Canadian but I’ve been watching that too.
It’s sad but I much prefer British fare to almost anything from the US. Timeless (just ended) and Blue Bloods come to mind. The Rookie isn’t bad. I’m not including miniseries like Dirty John or Trust. It’s sad how bad American shows have become.
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