This is a Journal entry by Hypatia

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Post 1

Hypatia

My first season DVDs of Endeavour arrived. Yay!!! Loved the pilot, so ordered season one as soon as it was available. I like the way it is referencing some things in the original series, like the broken love affair with Susan, his relationship with his father, step-mother and step-sister, the injury leading to the limp, the classical music, crosswords and booze.


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Post 2

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

Wait... what? There's a Morse prequel? smiley - bigeyes


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Post 3

Hypatia

Yep. It is set in the 60s in Oxford, of course. Shaun Evans plays Morse and Roger Allam is DI Fred Thursday, Morse's mentor. Morse is a DC in the pilot and first season, which is 4 episodes. Strange is there as a young PC. And Max, the pathologist from the first Morse episodes, is there. Oh, and John Thaw's daughter Abigail has a recurring role as a newspaper editor or reporter, not sure which. Need to pay closer attention. Anyway, I think that's rather smiley - cool

I was a bit skeptical at first that the young Morse would be believable, but truthfully, Sean Evans captures him absolutely perfectly, even though he looks nothing like John Thaw. The scripts are intelligent and it's great being back in Oxford again.

Oh, Alexander Reese, the Master from one of the Morse episodes who is a real sh*t and gets bumped off, deservedly, is a young Don in the pilot. It's a kick to watch, wondering who is going to show up out of Morse's past.


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Post 4

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

I think I'm going to have to look out for these, especially if Roger Allam is in it. He played Robin Janvrin, the obsequious but efficient private secretary in The Queen, but more recently I've been listening to him as the sarcastic, biting and very funny first officer in Radio 4's Cabin Pressure, which I can't recommend highly enough.


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Post 5

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

And Netflix has the Endeavour Pilot, which is sitting very comfortably about half way down my queue now smiley - biggrin


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Post 6

Hypatia

I loved the Colin Dexter novels so was a fan before I ever saw the Morse series. I still think it's the best television detective series ever made. Then I got hooked on Lewis. It was a quality show. I was sad when they ended the series. Having Endeavor will help, a lot. It will be on PBS eventually. They showed the pilot on Masterpiece, ages after it was available from Amazon.uk.


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Post 7

Websailor

Gosho, I would second everything Hypatia has said. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has the added interest of highlighting just how far communication and technology has come, and how much more difficult it must have been then. Or was itsmiley - huh

Has technology just made things more complicated and time consuming? I am not sure. Perhaps observation, communication and experience counted ore then?
m
Either way the new series is brilliant apart from one mistake you will notice Hyp, confusing Digoxin as a derivative of Deadly Nightshade rather than Foxglove.. Watch out for it.

Websailor smiley - dragon


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Post 8

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

I know what you mean about communication. I recently worked my way though every episode of The Sweeney, John Thaw's other most well known series. There were no mobile phones, no computers, very basic police radios (compared to today's, at least) and very different attitudes to policing. Along the back of the office where Regan and Carter worked there was a row of phones, and if they were out on a job and had to call the office, a phone box or using someone else's phone was the only way. Most of the phone boxes probably would have been vandalised.

And now there's a new film of The Sweeney with Ray Winstone and an interesting set of names, including Alan Ford, probably best known as Brick Top in Snatch, but who was also in a certain BBC radio series some years ago http://nbotti.free.fr/essai/img/radio/radiothumbs.jpg

Y'know, if they ever want to make a biopic of Reggie Kray's later years they couldn't go far wrong with Alan Ford:
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNDQxODkwNDQxNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjQxNjUzOA@@._V1._SX214_CR0,0,214,314_.jpg
http://www.thekrays.co.uk/images/ripreg.jpg
http://www.dvdactive.com/images/reviews/screenshot/2001/10/k1.jpg


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Post 9

Websailor

I don't think I could face a remake of The Sweeney, I am too much of a fan of the late John Thaw, and even Dennis Waterman has a cetain somethng. I enjoy 'New Tricks' but even that appears to be on its way out. Though I did hear a whisper they were bringing someone else in to replace some of the missing characters.

I will reserve judgment.

Websailor smiley - dragon


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Post 10

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

I agree. The Sweeney was of its time and couldn't be made again like that, but my interest in the film is definitely piqued, mostly because I'm a fan of Ray Winstone, and partly because I'm intrigued to see how someone as young as Damian Lewis is going to play Haskins.

Dennis Waterman. It's gotta be said, the bloke's not a great actor. He managed to pull it off throughout The Sweeney and Minder, just about, but some of his scenes in New Tricks are pretty wooden. Even as far back as Up The Junction it was pretty clear that he wasn't all that, and didn't he play Richmal Crompton's William as a child actor? I don't think I've ever seen any of those.

And yeah, the show has started to get very tired. I'm just getting towards the end of series 7.


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Post 11

Websailor

Yes, I think he did. He is just a jobbing actor I suppose, handy to have around!

With so many people choosing to leave New Tricks it was inevitable it would fade I suspect. Losing Amanda Redman is a pity though. I think she is leaving.

Websailor smiley - dragon


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Post 12

Santragenius V

-.-. --- --- .-..

Well, you did say More Morse, didn't you? smiley - run


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Post 13

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

<--. .-. --- .- -.>


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Post 14

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

Well, The Sweeney was every bit as bad as it could have been smiley - headhurts The exact opposite of the original series - not plausible, not even remotely believable, made both Regan and Carter unlikeable... and nowhere enough Alan Ford screentime for my liking smiley - tongueout


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Post 15

Hypatia

The Sweeney is one I've read about but have never seen. I was going to check it out, but after the Bergerac debacle, I changed my mind.

I do realize that no one program is going to appeal to everyone and just because I like or dislike a program doesn't mean anyone else will agree. But some programs are just so bad that I have no idea how they get made in the first place. American television reality programming is so bad it's embarrassing to think that a foreigner might watch some of it and think that's the best we can do. I sincerely hope, for Websailor's benefit, that this garbage isn't exported to the UK.

It's my understanding that Waterman is the only original cast member of New Tricks left. I really liked the first few seasons of it, but the last couple weren't as interesting.

Lots of programs lose steam over time, which brings me to Midsomer Murders. I think I've seen every episode so far broadcast. The last one I got was recently and is the final one with Jason Hughes. Anyway, I seriously doubt if I'll ever invest in another episode. I don't dislike Neil Dudgeon, but the writing just isn't fresh any longer. Also, the chemistry just isn't there.

The latest season of George Gently is being released this week in the US and is pre-ordered. I'm hoping it is as good as the earlier ones.


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Post 16

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

The Sweeney is a very fine programme indeed, but in most respects it's the polar opposite of Morse. Everything that Morse is and stands for is 180° apart from George Regan, although they're both flawed characters. Whereas Morse will go to an opera, symphony concert or recital to relax, Regan would rather get drunk and have a one-night stand. Instead of the rarefied and gentile surroundings of 1980s Oxford, you've got grimy 1970s London in The Sweeney. Regan is perfectly happy to beat seven bells out of anyone he considers to be a villain.

Give it a try - you might like it, but don't expect anything like Morse. Or Bergerac. It's probably a lot easier to have seen The Sweeney first and then Morse rather than the other way round. The way things were done in The Sweeney don't really exist any more, which is both against it and in its favour.


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Post 17

Hypatia

$152 from Amazon.com or 45 pounds from Amazon.uk. So that's a no brainer. Still a bit pricey. But it's for 14 discs, 44+ hours. I've put it on my wish list.


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Post 18

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

George Regan smiley - rolleyessmiley - facepalm Jack Regan and George Carter.

The first two series (out of four) are listed on Netflix as 'Save' so I guess they haven't seen fit to invest in a set or two yet (and I'm sure they pay far less than retail for their DVDs), but maybe if enough people add it to their queue (which I've just done) they'll change their mind smiley - ok


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