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A Christmas Carol

W

Williamstreeter

master brummie
Has any forum member been watching the Stephen Knight adaptation of the above, over the last three evenings. I can't remember the last time I saw such drivel . Stephen Knight of Peaky Blinders fame , I only hope the BBC doesn't intend to show it again next Christmas .
 
Williamstreeter said:
Has any forum member been watching the Stephen Knight adaptation of the above, over the last three evenings. I can't remember the last time I saw such drivel . Stephen Knight of Peaky Blinders fame , I only hope the BBC doesn't intend to show it again next Christmas .
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It was an adaptation and I think done very well. It will not replace the traditional Christmas carol but it was, in my opinion, brilliant. Even if they do show it again we all have the choice to watch or not. Merry Christmas.
 
Has to be one of the best things on TV for a very long time, well written, well acted, beautifully shot and a brilliant adaptation. It has been described as a play for our times.

With reference to our own City it should teach us to appreciate the benevolence and vision of the early founders and reject the greed and single mindedness of current developers and speculators. It really is people that should come first, not monetary profit.

Have a good and thoughtful Christmas.
 
I was really looking forward to this production despite the negative comments by the previewing critics. Having watched the first episode I was somewhat disappointed. Not with the filming or acting but by the use of gratuitous foul language, the relationship between Scrooge and Cratchit and the absence of several of the Cratchit family. I persevered and watched the second episode but was appalled at the liberties the scriptwriter had taken with the story. Where did Dickens ever infer that Scrooge was the subject of child sexual abuse? Where did he mention the blackmailing of Mrs Cratchit into prostituting herself to pay for Tiny Tim's operations? I understood that Scrooge himself, after his conversion paid for Tiny Tim's cure.
I couldn't be bothered to watch the third and final episode.
The BBC seem to have a talent for destroying classic tales. First they did it with their War of the Worlds travesty and now they've done it again with the mangling and misinterpretation of Britain's finest story teller and novelist Charles Dickens.
They've got a new version of Dracula coming up shortly, I wonder if they can make it their Hat Trick?
 
Grea said:
It was an adaptation and I think done very well. It will not replace the traditional Christmas carol but it was, in my opinion, brilliant. Even if they do show it again we all have the choice to watch or not. Merry Christmas.
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I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 episodes.

Well done to Stephen Knight.

williamjukes
 
I thought it was brilliant, it was not pure Dickens but Stephen Knights adaptation of his story.
Guy Pearce and Stephen Graham were perfect for their parts.
Much better than some of the wishy-washy rubbish that we are going to be treated to all this Christmas
Alberta.
 
I didn't see this particular item, but my feeling about all the remakes and so-called modern productions is that they always fall far short of the original. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was just one case where both re-makes were nowhere near as good as the black and white original. War of the Worlds was another. My other half went out to see a streaming from the National Theatre of Shakespeare's King Lear a couple of weeks ago and was bitterly disappointed with its transposition into a modern setting and large chunks of the text were simply missing. A bit like going to see a performance of a piano concerto with one of the movements missing.

The use of bad language does nothing for such adaptions and is totally inappropriate. I just put it down to a lack of original talent amongst the writers and producers. It will no doubt eventually find its way onto YouTube, but I will do my best to avoid it.

Maurice :cool:
 
sospiri said:
I didn't see this particular item, but my feeling about all the remakes and so-called modern productions is that they always fall far short of the original. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was just one case where both re-makes were nowhere near as good as the black and white original. War of the Worlds was another. My other half went out to see a streaming from the National Theatre of Shakespeare's King Lear a couple of weeks ago and was bitterly disappointed with its transposition into a modern setting and large chunks of the text were simply missing. A bit like going to see a performance of a piano concerto with one of the movements missing.

The use of bad language does nothing for such adaptions and is totally inappropriate. I just put it down to a lack of original talent amongst the writers and producers. It will no doubt eventually find its way onto YouTube, but I will do my best to avoid it.

Maurice :cool:
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Every remake are never as good. i am far from a prude,but i hate bad language in films.unless it it Mrs Browns boys.
 
mw0njm. said:
Every remake are never as good. i am far from a prude,but i hate bad language in films.unless it it Mrs Browns boys.
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Pete, Now why would a god fearing woman like Agnes Brown want to be effing & blinding all the time. I just don`t get it. Time the Pope told her to shove a bar of soap in her yapper:innocent:. She must spend a lot of time in the confessional box asking Father Ted for forgiveness, for i have sinned with my filthy mouth Father. Remember back in the 70`s when Mrs Whitehouse was trying to clean up tv. She`d be pulling her hair out today. I just don`t understand why people use such bad language. Perhaps they`re stupid or badly educated & can`t think of any other way to express themselves. Here endeth the lesson, forgive me Father for waffling on.;)
 
Smudger said:
Pete, Now why would a god fearing woman like Agnes Brown want to be effing & blinding all the time. I just don`t get it. Time the Pope told her to shove a bar of soap in her yapper:innocent:. She must spend a lot of time in the confessional box asking Father Ted for forgiveness, for i have sinned with my filthy mouth Father. Remember back in the 70`s when Mrs Whitehouse was trying to clean up tv. She`d be pulling her hair out today. I just don`t understand why people use such bad language. Perhaps they`re stupid or badly educated & can`t think of any other way to express themselves. Here endeth the lesson, forgive me Father for waffling on.;)
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smudge. They think it is a way to get themselves noticed......
 
For many who read a book and then watch a production, it doesn’t come to scratch. Although the filming of Lord of the Rings was very good, the portrayal of the characters was not how I had imagined.
 
The BBC ought to be ashamed of themselves.They seem to think that swearing is the norm(well it is to modern day young family's).I can honestly say that I at 80 have never sworn once in front of my family( under my breath yes).Still it's only how you were bought up
 
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We never swore. if we did out come the soap. neither did my mom or dad.

Have a happy new Christmas.and a merry new year.
 
Edifi said:
The BBC ought to be ashamed of themselves.They seem to think that swearing is the norm(well it is to modern day young family's).I can honestly say that I at 80 have never sworn once in front of my family( under my breath yes).Still it's only how you were bought up
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It’s not just the BBC it’s every station.
 
AS a nipper growing up in Brum. We use some words like BUM and Arse etc. BUT I do not think I ever used or heard the word F---K this and that, a word that seems to be used so much with everyone these days and in the old days also, I once before said this about Peaky Blinders and got almost kicked off the BHF for saying this. BUT really did they use that word that much? I did Google the word and it has been in use since the 1600s????
 
They probably did use the word,but only in the rough areas of Brum.Living in Saltley with my Aunts & Uncles in the 40-50/s never heard them swear.
 
I think I heard the swear words, but I was struggling to see what was going on. I know the ghosts came at midnight but was everything dark even in the day for you too?
 
So many differing opinions, only to be expected I suppose. Like most, I thoroughly enjoy A Christmas Carol in it's classic form. A great tale with a wonderful message. I was concerned when I learned of this adaptation but I just had to watch it. I started a little sceptical but warmed to it eventually and then thought it was a triumph! Personally, I don't like gratuitous foul language on TV. But I remember being told years ago that such language was quite prevalent during the 19th century. As for the suggested child abuse and Ebenezer's own perversion, I think the screenwriter merely thought it may be more immediately relevant for a modern, younger audience. Unnecessary yes, because the original story is powerful enough. But I think it worked as a TV drama in it's own right. I'll still watch the earlier versions and I'll cherish them always, this new one is just different.
 
Williamstreeter said:
Has any forum member been watching the Stephen Knight adaptation of the above, over the last three evenings. I can't remember the last time I saw such drivel . Stephen Knight of Peaky Blinders fame , I only hope the BBC doesn't intend to show it again next Christmas .
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Sadly yes we did. Saw the RSC's version in Stratford with Phil Davis (Whitechapel) as Scrooge, no comparison!
 
Although I enjoyed it I know one person who certainly would not have even watched it, My sister,
She is an avid reader of anything classical, when she was a teenager, about 67 years ago, my Dad bought her a beautiful collection of all of Dickens books, which she treasures, she almost knows every word , can describe every character to you.
She will not watch any production because she doesn't think the actors will portray characters as Dickens describes them.
Sadly she feels the same way about Jane Austen and I have seen some beautiful dramas of Jane Austens works.
I think youngsters would have loved Stephen Knights production but it would be better if they also read the 'proper' story but sadly not many read Dickens at home or at school.
 
Alberta said:
Although I enjoyed it I know one person who certainly would not have even watched it, My sister,
She is an avid reader of anything classical, when she was a teenager, about 67 years ago, my Dad bought her a beautiful collection of all of Dickens books, which she treasures, she almost knows every word , can describe every character to you.
She will not watch any production because she doesn't think the actors will portray characters as Dickens describes them.
Sadly she feels the same way about Jane Austen and I have seen some beautiful dramas of Jane Austens works.
I think youngsters would have loved Stephen Knights production but it would be better if they also read the 'proper' story but sadly not many read Dickens at home or at school.
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There were still over 190 million books sold this year, not counting talking books for the blind and kindle books. (Googled)
 
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