Re: PBS Masterpiece 2016 - Poldark, The Durrells in Corfu and Other PBS Programs

[BarbStAubrey]

 

See the 2017 MASTERPIECE schedule. 

While we're waiting for the 2017 season of Masterpiece, let's talk about other PBS programs that we enjoy.

CURRENT


On GREAT PERFORMANCES Sundays, December 11th, 18th and 25th. Following the international critical success of the four-part miniseries The Hollow Crown in 2013, The Wars of the Roses continues the epic cycle of Shakespeare’s History Plays in three new lavish film adaptations of Henry VI, Parts I and II, and Richard III. Together they comprise a tumultuous medieval spectacle, spanning rebellion in France, the rise and fall of Joan of Arc, the terror of England’s Civil War, and the deceitful dynastic murders culminating in the infamous reign of Richard III. As in The Hollow Crown, The Wars of the Roses features a cast of today’s leading actors in a bravura collection of Shakespearean roles, including Hugh Bonneville, Tom Sturridge, Sophie Okonedo, Ben Miles, Sally Hawkins, Keeley Hawes, Judi Dench and Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III.

ALREADY DISCUSSED

The Durrells in Corfu, Season 1
October 16 - November 20, 2016

Keeley Hawes (Upstairs Downstairs) stars as an intrepid widow who decamps from dreary England to a sun-dappled Greek island with her four recalcitrant children, ages 11 to 21, on this six-part adaptation of Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals and its two sequels.


Poldark, Season 2
October 2 - November 27, 2016

In 18th century Cornwall, times are as tough as the rocky shoreline: unemployment, hunger, and sickness are widespread among the working class, while the wealthy landowners prosper. Only one man dares to defy the status quo.

Lewis Season 8
August 7-21, 2016

Kevin Whately stars as Inspector Lewis, the former working-class foil to the erudite Detective Inspector Morse. Together with his cool, cerebral partner Detective Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Lewis tackles murder and mayhem in the seemingly-perfect academic haven of Oxford.


Endeavour Season 3
June 19 - July 10, 2016

Shaun Evans (The Take, The Last Weekend, Silk), charms audiences with his portrayal of the early career of cerebral and solitary Detective Constable Morse in Endeavour, written by Inspector Lewis creator and Inspector Morse writer Russell Lewis.

Wallander Season 4
May 8-22, 2016

Kenneth Branagh returns as Inspector Kurt Wallander in the Swedish sleuth’s farewell episodes, bringing the beloved, Emmy®-nominated series to a poignant end. Neither carnage, corruption, or terrifying lapses of memory can keep this brooding detective from cracking cases. In the final mysteries, Branagh gives a heartbreaking performance of a gritty cop starting to lose his grip. The series is based on the novels by Henning Mankell.


Grantchester Season 2
March 27 - May 1, 2016

“As a priest, isn’t everything our business?” asks Reverend Sidney Chambers as he
 gets to the bottom of another baffling murder around the placid village of Grantchester. James Norton stars as the handsome, jazz-loving vicar, with Robson Green as his law-enforcement ally, Inspector Geordie Keating. The series is based on the acclaimed novels by James Runcie.


Downton Abbey Season 6
January 3- March 6, 2016

Rejoin this Emmy® and Golden Globe® award-winning drama for a sixth and final season.



Sherlock - The Abominable Bride
January 1; repeated on January 10, 2016

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the acclaimed modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories. But now, our heroes find themselves in 1890s London.

Discussion Leaders:  JoanP and marcie

Ginny we have now 4 stations all part of the local PBS - here the call letters are KLRU - the one is the same station that probably schedules the programs most of the nation sees.

The second station here is all about what I call the Handwork station - cooking, sewing, quilt making, house building, woodwork, gardening, painting (art), with some travel shows thrown in.

Then the third station repeats the Newshour an hour later starting at 7:00, does all kinds of specials and does repeat some of the shows we've seen on the main station however, we have not seen a repeat of Wolf Hall or Downton - we do see on Friday night a movie that a half hour show precedes explaining how the movie was made, what was special about the making of the movie, almost like a class in film making, and we see a lot of history shows as well as, every late night we see a show of what we call country music but today is a combo of country, blue grass, blues, Cajun, rock and Gospel.

The fourth station is in Spanish and they have good shows, some are dubbed American or English shows but mostly movies and sitcoms from Mexico and one from Spain. Their sitcoms are not so much comedy as they remind me of our soaps that are no longer popular as mainstream fare.

They are talking about yet, one more station that will be all science - from outer space to genetics and the intricacies of technology - since we have a huge High Tech community this kind of regular programing would be a plus in addition the city has attracted the medical industry with a new medical school being built on the grounds of UT and Dell medical facilities, also a teaching hospital where the old airport was located.

And so I am thinking the second PBS station you are receiving is probably happening all over the nation where there are good donations to maintain a second station with programing that is scheduled to appeal to local interests. 

The stations that are part of our local PBS is where I spend my TV viewing time so that the big problem for me with cable or U-verse was they only bring in the main station and not the secondary stations. I liked Discovery channel but not enough to miss the secondary stations on KLRU.

[ginny]

We have DISH, and we get 4 University of North Carolina  PBS channels here in South Carolina, but I think they have more.  We haven't gotten this EX before. I didn't know if it were new or what it was.

This is what they say about it:

UNC-EX is UNC-TV’s Explorer Channel! Available over the air, via cable or satellite, UNC-EX is the best in travel, culture, science, nature, history, and outdoor adventure programming. UNC-EX brings viewers programs that are exhilarating, intriguing, and fun: a public television alternative for adults who seek engaging and stimulating programming. You’ll experience North Carolina and beyond!

It's cool. Last night they did Cairo. It's called Egypt Beyond the Pyramids (which is not a new show and may be on youtube or the History Channel) this one is Cairo Undercover Education. You don't want to watch it if you're an animal rights activist, either.   And that program pretty much shut the lid on that Bucket List item for me for good. My gosh the garbage. They went on about the garbage problem, showing the film as they went,  who is hired to fix it, why it's not working, how the lack of recycling has filled the landfills, and the flies, the flies, over everything. How visitors are not welcome (showing footage of same's cars being not nicely treated) and how the people live in such abject poverty they build up on top of a roof, not adding a roof for themselves till the next group wants to build on top, how the buildings have no windows, that one is amazingly  frank and an eye opener. I wish I could have seen all of it but I'm looking for it now to tape it....In Edit: found it. They are rerunning it Sunday at 4:30 pm.

[mabel1015j]

PBS and NatGeo are both replaying their programs on the National Parks to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the national park idea. They are so beautiful to watch, both the geography and the animals.

I'm watching The Great Smokey Mountains one on NatGeo which gets the most visitors of all the parks. I suppose that is because they are closest to the most population. NatGeo does a great job of showing the symbiosis of the plants and animals.

Jean

[ginny]

"I Miss Downton Abbey

Revisit your favorite moments and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from the British series that took America by storm! Watch Thursday, August 25 at 9:00 p.m. on ETV; Friday, August 26 at 3:00 a.m. on ETV; Sunday, August 28 at 9:00 p.m. on ETV; 10:00 p.m. on ETVW. Watch preview. "

This is for SC but I'm sure your local channels will have this program!

[BarbStAubrey]

This Indian Summer thing - have any of you been watching? Something about the series makes me feel so uncomfortable - it is like to many sleazy things happening and looking at the issues from an outsider's viewpoint both groups have their problems.

India did not like British Rule nor those who instilled the rule in their country and the Brits were not only homesick but had no recourse but to do what the Crown expected of them along with the usual drive to get ahead within whatever system your life experience puts you.

To me it is as if both groups are talking and looking past each other with no compassion for the other's experience. I guess it is all the secrets and the bits of mean behavior - hate secrets - make me so uncomfortable and hate meanness which has a sleazy aspect rather than all out war that is brutal but folks know that is part of war.

I am watching because I just cannot - it is Sunday night - but I am watching out of the corner of my eye - I feel like a kid wanting to bury my face in my mother's arm when the uncomfortable parts happen. 

[rosemarykaye]

Barb - I haven't seen that series, it did not get good reviews here but I believe they are still making another series. I will stick with my beloved Jewel in the Crown.

The British did a lot of damage with their ideas of Empire, as did the French, Dutch, Portuguese, etc in their various colonies. What were we thinking of? It's hard to put yourself in the place of those early Empire builders. And now so many problems are coming home to roost.

Rosemary

[Dana]

Oh well, human beings do incredible damage over and over again given half a chance it seems to me.  Look at the American settlers and the native Indians.  The Turks and the Armenians.  Stalin and the purges.  The Japanese in China.  Chairman Mao and the cultural revolution.  The Jews and the Palestinians.  The Germans and the Jews.  The Spaniards and the Incas. Pol Pot and the Cambodians. I am going to stop thinking about it now.  Won't even go into how we treat animals.
 

[nlhome]

The Durrells in Corfu? Anyone watching this?

[CallieOK]

nlhome,  I'm trying to watch The Durrells in Corfu but the characters are beginning to annoy me!   At the end of tonight's episode there was a "Behind The Scenes" feature.   The actors talked about their characters.  They see much more in them than I do.

Your thoughts?

[nlhome]

That's just it, I couldn't see a reason to watch it, just wondered if I was missing something. I have had the flu, so I find my appetite for all things, including TV, is not up to par, so just thought I'd ask if I was missing something. Thanks.

[evergreen]

The Durrells were a sort of weird but interesting family.  Lawrence, the eldest son, is most famous for writing The Alexandria Quartet, and the youngest son is credited with redefining the modern zoo.  He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

They were such weird kids.  It's interesting to learn how they turned out to be rather productive adults.  If you'd like to learn more about the family, there's quite a lot of information in Wikipedia.

[CallieOK]

I had not realized the series was based on a real family.   Thanks for the information.

[rosemarykaye]

Yes the Durrells were indeed real. The books on which the series was based were written by Gerald Durrell. I've only read the first one, My Family & Other Animals, which is immensely popular - in fact I think it was a set book when I was at school. Gerald went on to work in nature conservation all his life, and was associated with people like David Attenborough.

I haven't seen the TV series - it did not get good ratings her. I had been wondering about buying the DVD but I don't think I'll bother. I've recently acquired the DVD of Alexander McCall Smith's No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and I'm looking forward to that.

Rosemary

[CallieOK]

Thanks for all the comments on the Durrells.    I'm not quite sure what is seen as "interesting" about the characters.  So far, I'm just finding them annoying.

Rosemary,  I love McCall-Smith's series.  Have you read the ones set in Scotland?

[rosemarykaye]

Yes I have Callie! I love the Scotland Street ones because the characters are so funny - and so Edinburgh (which is where I live). I think McCall Smith has dropped the name of just about every Edinburgh Personage into those books (including that of the then headmistress at the school his daughters attended - I wonder if he got a fee discount?!)

I've also read the Isobel Dalhousie ones (also set in Edinburgh) but I don't like those so much - I find Isobel annoying, she is far too perfect, rich, happy for my liking!

One of the non-series books he's written is La's Orchestra Saves the World, which I did enjoy.

He's absolutely prolific - I don't know how he does it, as he has his finger in so many pies and is always turning up at Edinburgh functions.

Rosemary

[CallieOK]

Rosemary,  I've enjoyed almost all of the McCall-Smith books.   Interesting that he dropped Personage names into the books.  Dorothea Benton Frank usually mentions the "real names" she's given characters in her books - but they're friends, not VIPs.

I'd love to know how he sees the character of Isobel!

I knew you lived in Edinburgh.  I've been there once - on a tour - and enjoyed a "free afternoon" exploring streets near the castle.  Wish I could go back there - and to the rest of Scotland (particularly across the northern part) without being on a time schedule.  Unfortunately,  aging infirmities have taken their toll and I can't do that kind of traveling any more.
However, I love hearing "tid-bits" about areas and authors from those who live in places where books are set.

[marcie]

I too have found it difficult to get into the DURRELLS series. I think that the actors are good and parts of some of the episodes I've seen are interesting but something just isn't clicking for me.

[BarbStAubrey]

I think the issues they are confronting are same ol same ol - we are not being challenged to think nor is there any adventure - no real bad guys like there are in the Poldark story - it is like a quirky family sitcom with kids pouting over the silliest things and the mom being silly in her flirtations - with the culture differences not being so much a clash but rather 'ah yes, seen that played out in such and such movie or TV series'

Yes, good actors and well shot with beautiful scenery but blah after that...

Seems to me this series is a second time around - sorta remember it from a few years ago when the story line may have been fresh. Is this a re-make do you think?

[BarbStAubrey]

aha found it - first the run down

    Gerald Durrell's Corfu trilogy books:
        My Family and Other Animals (1956)
        Birds, Beasts, and Relatives (1969)
        The Garden of the Gods (1978)
    My Family and Other Animals, a 1987 BBC series based on the Corfu trilogy by Durrell
    My Family and Other Animals, a 2005 BBC telemovie based on the 1956 book by Durrell
 
And here we go - it was Masterpiece theater in 2005 as My Family and Other Animals - the link even shows a photo with all the actors in their parts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Family_and_Other_Animals_(film)

[ginny]

For those of you who like The Great British Bake Off, this Wednesday at 10 pm the PBS EX channel, the Explorer Channel will be showing Master Class, a Christmas show on baking  with Paul and Mary. I don't know if it's on regular PBS. But they are running Rosemary and Thyme this week on regular PBS, check your local  schedules but you MAY get EX, it's new. I know DISH has two channels of it 27 and 8187.

There's suddenly an awful lot of British programming on EX, including Penelope Keith's English Villages and a special on English castles.

[rosemarykaye]

Re The Durrells, it is indeed a remake. I have today picked up a DVD in a charity shop of My Family & Other Animals, made in 2006. Hannah Gordon played the mother and Brian Blessed was also in it.

I could just do with a week (or several) in Corfu right now. In Edinburgh it is cold, and dark by 4pm. The winter is long.

Rosemary x

[Frybabe]

The new PBS schedule for 2017 is out and I am excited.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/features/must-knows/2017-masterpiece-schedule/?elqTrackId=161CA46E7E3480E285028F0F63FB5555&elq=67ed9501343e454fa70ba4d59bd5a230&elqaid=3730&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=1897

Sherlock looks sensational in this very adrenaline pumping trailer.


This month, starting December 11.
I don't recall seeing or hearing anything about the first of The Hollow Crown series. Maybe YouTube will have it. The latest in the series is about Henry VI (in two parts) and Richard III. A must see for Richard III followers, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Richard III. The trailer is somewhat uninspiring, so I hope the program is better overall.

[BarbStAubrey]

Thanks Frybabe - have you seen the Pollyanna - what did you think? It will be interesting to see what happened to some of the characters in Home Fires.  From the Sherlock photo how much older Martin Freeman looks.

[mabel1015j]

Somebody mentioned that you are now getting Rosemary and Thyme reruns. One of our PBS stations has been running them on Friday nights for a coiple years. I think I've seen all of them twice. And it is now followed by Midsomer Murders. Do any of you get those two on Fri night?

Jean

[marcie]

Frybabe, thanks for the link to the 2017 Masterpiece schedule. Sherlock does look good!

I too don't remember the 2012 Hollow Crown episodes. It looks like some of them ARE on youtube. I'll be watching the new series starting December 11 on Great Performances.

mabel, I'm not seeing Rosemary & Thyme or Midsomer Murders. We have had them before. On Thursdays our PBS has been running Vera and Shetland, both of which I enjoy.

[BarbStAubrey]

Finally the soliciting for funds ends and then we have Henry VI - but oh oh oh - I sure hope they repeat this later next Spring - it sounds wonderful but I just cannot get into all this rancor and quibbling - I could care less that the king is after funds rather than love or or or - I can get enough of all this drama on Facebook after the election that won't quit - I want something light and heartfelt - with all our music for the past couple of weeks I could even take music over all this Fifteenth century austere surroundings and verbal battle.

A program of St. Olaf Choir would have been nice or even, what is it in Utah - not the friends but the ones who believed for so long in multiple wives - huge choir and orchestra with a monster pipe organ - anyhow that is the kind of programing I am yearning for - so I think I will pass on Shakespeare's Henry VI this time. If nothing else it may be on the PBS site so that I can see it after the New Year online. 

[Frybabe]

Well, Barb, I was all set to watch last night, but at the last minute, I pretty much decided as you did to skip it for now. I did catch the last half hour because, it turned out that my station replayed it very early this morning. Amazon prime has the series listed so I can start at the beginning if I want. Unfortunately, I think they want a fee for every episode except the first.

[ginny]

I taped it on my new Hopper and am very excited about viewing it. I have NEVER been strong on the Henry's, or the War of the Roses, never, but we read Richard III here some time ago, and that was great fun.

What a CAST!  I would watch Michael Gambon read the phone book.  With  this cast I am thinking that drought in my mind about the Henrys  will come to an end, and I may finally get this period known. I am so looking forward to watching it. Love the ability to tape something and watch it later on when you're in the mood.

But hark, they are saying  The Hollow Crown continues... What do they mean? Is this a series I have missed?

It might be a fun thing to read the first play  in connection, like Barbara did with the poems,  we might enjoy that.

[Frybabe]

Apparently so, Ginny. The first year began with Richard II, and continued with Henry IV and Henry V. No wonder I don't remember it. The first series was aired in Britain in 2012; I don't think it ever aired here. The first season is also on Amazon Prime Video and on DVD.

[ginny]

Well no wonder I don't remember it.

Well darn.  Thank you!

Maybe some day I'll watch the prequel but this cast is enough for me to start here. After all, for years I've started with Henry VIII and then moved back to Richard, it will be good to get some of the Henry's straight, anyway.

[Frybabe]

In preparation for our coming discussion of Cranford I have started watching the first season episodes on my Amazon Prime. Enjoying it very much.

[marcie]

Let's talk about PBS programs and the new Masterpiece 2017 season in a new PBS discussion at http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=5035.0