Author Topic: PBS Masterpiece Mystery 2010 (Read 110442 times)

joangrimes · « **Reply #280 on:** September 07, 2010, 05:03:29 PM »

Masterpiece Mystery 2010 brings back favorite sleuths with new episodes. See the complete 2010 MASTERPIECE MYSTERY schedule.

NOW DISCUSSING

A Study in Pink
October 24, 2010 at 9pm
One 90-minute episode
Sherlock Holmes teams up with former army doctor John Watson to solve a case of serial suicides and corner a killer who has mysterious powers over his victims.

COMING

The Blind Banker
October 31, 2010 at 9pm
One 90-minute episode
Pursuing the case of a banker and a journalist shot dead by a ghostly assailant, Sherlock and Watson uncover an antiquities-smuggling empire.

The Great Game
November 7, 2010 at 9pm
One 90-minute episode
In a gripping match of wits, Sherlock solves crimes at a dizzying pace for a mad bomber who threatens to blow up innocent people.

ALREADY DISCUSSED
List of series and episodes already discussed.

Discussion Leaders: JoanP and marcie

Phyll, thank you so much....it has been a long summer here in this rehab facility but may be coming down to the end and maybe I will be going home around the 17th of this month...I am getting nervous about that now.

Guess I just can't be pleased $:-\$
Joan Grimes

marcie · « **Reply #281 on:** September 07, 2010, 06:05:37 PM »

Yes, I forgot to mention Hathaway's hair. I like it. A bit longer and curly. It was quite short before.

I've never heard of Primeval, mrssherlock. I'm glad you mentioned it. It looks like a show I'd like. Luckily, my public library has the DVD of Seasons 1 and 2. You're right that the one about astronomy is coming this Sunday.

Phyll, I agree with you about the Hathaway character and actor. I want to continue to see more of both Hathaway and Lewis, as well as interesting cases.

JoanG, that's great news that you're going home soon. I can understand that you're nervous after being in rehab so long.

Phyll · « **Reply #282 on:** September 07, 2010, 06:37:00 PM »

Joan, that is understandable that you would be nervous about going home after all this time. Will you have someone there to help you for awhile?

JoanK · « **Reply #283 on:** September 07, 2010, 06:52:39 PM »

As usual, I had trouble understanding what the characters were saying, and lost track of what was going on. But it was an interesting premise.

SPOILER
Again same pattern I saw last season, where any woman of interest turns out to be bad. It takes all the suspense out of the story and annoys the heck out of me. GRRR. That's Colin Dexter at work. His books are like that. The actor who played Morse wouldn't put up with it. Said he had daughters, and they'd never speak to him again if he did.

Frybabe · « **Reply #284 on:** September 07, 2010, 07:11:02 PM »

Quote

There wasn't as much this time since the emphasis seemed to be on the way that both of them are very private people. I liked the last scene when Lewis says that between the two of them, they make one good policeman (with him being the brains) :-)

Marcie, I was quite interested in that bit. There was always that tension between them because neither one opened up their thoughts or feelings very often. The boss has been taking them both to task for it of late. I remember Lewis said he didn't want to have to train another new partner. So maybe he took her words to heart and is trying to open up a little more. It looks like they are finally beginning to become more comfortable with each other.

Quote

Again same pattern I saw last season, where any woman of interest turns out to be bad.

Yes Joan, once again the women weren't put in a very good light were they. At least neither one was the murderer this time. Last week's episode had a real diabolical twist in that department.

marcie · « **Reply #285 on:** September 07, 2010, 09:59:00 PM »

Definitely the men turned out to be worse than the women in this episode. The daughter who forged the letters seems to have been trying to protect her father and her family's reputation and finances. She originally tried to warn Hathaway away from her and her family. I guess it's best for the show that Lewis and Hathaway don't form permanent relationships with the women in the various episodes, though it looks like there could be something forming between Lewis and the woman coroner.

Frybabe · « **Reply #286 on:** September 08, 2010, 01:36:24 PM »

Quote

...it looks like there could be something forming between Lewis and the woman coroner.

Marcie, I hadn't noticed. I will be on the look out for clues next time.

marcie · « **Reply #287 on:** September 08, 2010, 10:48:46 PM »

Frybabe, maybe I'm reading into it. Let's both watch for it in future episodes.

Babi · « **Reply #288 on:** September 09, 2010, 08:34:03 AM »

My local PBS station has no mystery theatre episodes scheduled for at
least the next two weeks. Drat!

marcie · « **Reply #289 on:** September 09, 2010, 10:47:47 AM »

Drat is right, Babi! :-(

kiwilady · « **Reply #290 on:** September 10, 2010, 08:51:52 PM »

I just love the English crime writers. We get all these TV movies here. I like Lewis and Co better than Poirot. I do watch Poirot if there are no other mysteries available.

Carolyn

marcie · « **Reply #291 on:** September 10, 2010, 08:55:07 PM »

Hi, Carolyn. It's good to see you here. I'm glad that you get these programs in New Zealand.

Frybabe · « **Reply #292 on:** September 11, 2010, 10:51:07 AM »

I've read some Poirot short stories and found the them rather simple and flat. The productions bring much more dimension to the places and characters. This impression might not hold true to the full novels which I don't recall ever reading.

JoanK · « **Reply #293 on:** September 11, 2010, 02:32:29 PM »

Local PBS had an old Lewis on last night -- the one with the Shakespeare company. I enjoyed it even more the second time.

marcie · « **Reply #294 on:** September 11, 2010, 06:28:13 PM »

Frybabe, I've seen more Agatha Christie and similar mysteries on TV than I've read in books.

JoanK, it's good to know that these programs hold up on second viewing. I seem to be able to see them several times, if spaced at least a year apart, and not remember who did it. That makes it even more fun to watch again

kiwilady · « **Reply #295 on:** September 11, 2010, 11:26:56 PM »

Now I am older I can read or watch books or movies and then a year or two on read them or watch them again and I don't remember all of the plot! I think in one way its a blessing that my memory about fiction is not as sharp. Now non fiction I can remember!

Carolyn

marcie · « **Reply #296 on:** September 11, 2010, 11:34:31 PM »

Carolyn, I have the same experience as you with many books and movies.

I'm looking forward to watching DARK MATTER tomorrow. Since it's new this season, I know I'll be watching it for the first time! http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/lewis/darkmatter.html

JoanK · « **Reply #297 on:** September 12, 2010, 03:48:39 PM »

CAROLYN: it's especially fun to reread mysteries. You don't remember "who-done-it" but halfway through you brilliantly figure it out.

Phyll · « **Reply #298 on:** September 12, 2010, 03:54:18 PM »

Unfortunately, my local PBS station is once again fund raising and I won't be able to see tonight's Masterpiece Mystery. Drat! I wonder if this constant fund raising that they go through doesn't result in turning viewer's away more than it does in raising money?

JoanK · « **Reply #299 on:** September 12, 2010, 07:52:23 PM »

My local PBS program (KCET) is in so much money trouble, they are talking about quitting PBS. They have such good programming, but it seems that's because they order more programs than they can pay for.

marcie · « **Reply #300 on:** September 13, 2010, 12:02:27 AM »

That's not good news, Phyll and JoanK. I am fortunate. I'm about to watch this episode!

marcie · « **Reply #301 on:** September 13, 2010, 11:00:18 AM »

What did you all think of Dark Matter? I was confused by all of the subplots. Everyone seemed to be having an affair with everyone else!

Frybabe · « **Reply #302 on:** September 13, 2010, 02:01:11 PM »

Well, Lewis and Hathaway certainly did had to sort through a lot of false leads and blind alleys to get to the truth. I was surprised at who finally emerged as the killer. I was pleased to see (hear) Holst's The Planets featured.

JoanK · « **Reply #303 on:** September 13, 2010, 03:31:17 PM »

So was I, and the combination of classical music and astronomy made a very rich program.

But I thought the solution was pretty farfetched.

marcie · « **Reply #304 on:** September 13, 2010, 08:28:33 PM »

Frybabe and JoanK, I agree that the perpetrator was a surprise. And it was nice to hear that music.

FlaJean · « **Reply #305 on:** September 14, 2010, 11:51:54 AM »

For some reason I enjoyed this episode the most. I think it might be that I am understanding and getting used to the dialects much better.

Frybabe · « **Reply #306 on:** September 14, 2010, 02:06:06 PM »

Radioman asked over on the S&F Classical discussion group which Holst Planets were featured in the music. I believe the orchestra concentrated on Mars, but I thought I picked up some strains of Jupiter in the background music now and again. Does anyone recall any others or recall differently? I couldn't find any references to the individual Holst pieces.

JoanK · « **Reply #307 on:** September 14, 2010, 02:41:20 PM »

I found it easier to understand than the others, too, although there were some things I missed.

marcie · « **Reply #308 on:** September 14, 2010, 09:00:19 PM »

Frybabe, The Internet Movie Database website has the info about the planets featured in the episode. It says that: "During the concert, the orchestra play the movements of Holst's "Planets" in the wrong order. We hear Mars, followed by Jupiter, followed by Venus. The correct order is Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1474296/

Babi · « **Reply #309 on:** September 15, 2010, 08:15:22 AM »

I was surprised to see the Internet Data Base's comment. I haven't
been able to see the recent episodes, but surely they should realize the
'order' of the music would be chosen to fit the scenes. Too bad I won't
be able to hear it. Missing the music and singing voices is, I think, the
thing I hate most about my hearing loss.

Phyll · « **Reply #310 on:** September 15, 2010, 09:40:14 AM »

"Missing the music and singing voices is, I think, the
thing I hate most about my hearing loss. "

Me, too, Babi. I can put up with not hearing the rest of the world's constant noise but I miss the music. I can hear music but the distortion is so uncomfortable as to be actually painful.

Babi · « **Reply #311 on:** September 16, 2010, 07:59:30 AM »

I'm sorry to hear that, PHYLL. I at least have no pain. The only things
I hear are loud thuds (vibrations) and the sounds in my own head.

Zulema · « **Reply #312 on:** September 17, 2010, 11:45:28 AM »

With still good hearing, thanking the powers that be, I enjoyed DARK MATTER so much more than the previous two episodes in Series II, because the speech was clearer. I don't think we are getting more used to the accents, because these are the accents we've been hearing for years, but in Series I, they allowed a lot of background noise to interfere, maybe for atmosphere. Hathaway and Lewis walking on gravel or cobblestones and the crunch being too loud, or music drowning out the dialogue. I usually had to see them twice. In the one on the estate where Hathaway had grown up, it was also the constant discontinuities in the plot and I had to read a full synopsis afterwards to understand it, though the language came through clearly. DARK MATTER seemed a breath of fresh air to me, and there was a lot of very clever dialogue as well as the music by the same composer who did the music for BRIDESHEAD REVISITED. I know viewers who have closed caption on while they watch it and that helps a lot, if you can do that. My set will only do closed caption on mute, so I can't take advantage of it.

JoanK · « **Reply #313 on:** September 17, 2010, 02:44:17 PM »

Zulema:" in Series I, they allowed a lot of background noise to interfere, maybe for atmosphere."

I've noticed that, not only in this series, but in many of the British programs. It drives me crazy!

Babi · « **Reply #314 on:** September 17, 2010, 03:45:57 PM »

That's realism for you. In real life, there nearly always is background noise, isn't there? However, introducing thematic or mood music that
drowns out the dialogue is simply bad technique, imo.

marcie · « **Reply #315 on:** September 22, 2010, 11:12:12 AM »

Did anyone watch Your Sudden Death Question? Again, there were a lot of potential suspects. I had wanted more interaction between Lewis and Hathaway and got it this episode but I thought it was somewhat forced. From a completely private, reserved relationship between them, to Hathaway boldly snooping into Lewis's dating life seems out of character. Maybe the holiday weekend really freed both of them.

salan · « **Reply #316 on:** September 22, 2010, 12:55:13 PM »

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Best one yet, IMO.
Sally

FlaJean · « **Reply #317 on:** September 22, 2010, 04:03:40 PM »

I agree this was the best one so far. I enjoyed the interplay between Hathaway and Lewis. It didn't seem forced to me.

Frybabe · « **Reply #318 on:** September 22, 2010, 06:34:18 PM »

Marcie, Looks like you were right. Lewis and the coroner didn't make it to their opera date, and Lewis insisted it wasn't a date - but... Speaking of opera, when did Lewis start taking an interest in opera? I thought that was Morse's thing.

marcie · « **Reply #319 on:** September 22, 2010, 06:42:07 PM »

That's great that you enjoyed the episode, salan and FlaJean. I looked to see who wrote the screenplay and it was Alan Plater, who wrote the script for several of the Inspector Lewis episodes, including The Quality of Mercy. Plater died in June at the age of 75.

News:

Author Topic: PBS Masterpiece Mystery 2010 (Read 110442 times)