Last Tango in Halifax: The Aftermath of Series Three

Last Tango in Halifax cast series 3
image credit Red Production Co/BBC Photographer – Ben Blackall

Don’t let the happy family photo above fool you. Last Tango in Halifax: Series Three was laden with tragedy, family clashes and secrets kept hidden away for years.

As you may or may not know, I wrote recaps for all the episodes from the most recent series for a PBS affiliate. According to comments we received on social media and the website for the channel, series three was notably polarizing. Some viewers felt it was the best series yet specifically praising the performance of Sarah Lancashire who plays Caroline.

However, complaints were many and varied. Therefore, I wanted to look at why this latest series rubbed folks the wrong way. In a nutshell, some of the main criticisms and pet peeves people expressed were as follows…

Editing of the British version by (or for) PBS: Some who have seen both the UK and US broadcasts were not pleased about what the American edits left out. Sexually suggestive scenes and shots of texts and notes that might have contained profanity were the most common things cut from episodes. Was PBS trying to be more family friendly (Last Tango did air in the 8 pm ET time slot) or were episodes just being trimmed for time? I don’t have the answer to that question, but some felt the network should be more forthcoming about the fact the installments were edited for US television and why.

 

Caroline (SARAH LANCASHIRE), Kate (NINA SOSANYA)
image credit Red Productions, BBC

Kate’s death – The mother-to-be’s demise eliminated two of the few diverse elements of the show. Kate was the only person of color who was a cast regular. It also ended the only same sex relationship of the series.

 

 

Celia Buttershaw (ANNE REID)   image credit Red Productions, Photographer: Rachel Joseph

Celia emerging unscathed after her bad behavior: Whether she was making snide remarks about her daughter’s sexual orientation and life partner or behaving like a spoiled child when she found out her new husband had had a one night stand decades before he married her, the first half of the series was punctuated with Celia’s brooding and self-pity. After the sudden loss of Kate, Celia’s unkindness is forgiven which is understandable in the circumstances perhaps, but we don’t really see her grow from the experience. She continues to assert she is broadminded, an example to her family and “the bigger person” but we know that’s never going to be the case.

 

Alan (DEREK JACOBI), Gary (RUPERT GRAVES)
image credit Red Production Co., BBC

Gary’s paranoia and insecurity got on a lot of people’s nerves: Alan’s new-found son Gary seems perfect at first – handsome, wealthy, successful. But the family is soon concerned with his fixation on them. Gary throws his money and influence around to impress and win them over and sulks when they politely reject his excessive overtures. He’s easily agitated when things don’t go his way and has the bad habit of pestering his new family until they surrender to his will. How else do you think he got so far in business?

 

 

GILLIAN (Nicola Walker) and JOHN (Tony Gardner)
image credit Red Production Co., BBC

Gillian’s slutty ways: In the course of this series, Gillian slept with three men that I can recall and she was only engaged to one of them at the time. An abusive marriage has made her cautious but economic factors have made a new union a virtual life-line. Gillian’s  constant attempts to sabotage her own happiness as punishment for what she did to her first husband, however, were getting a bit stale by the end of the series.

 

Tipping over the edge from drama into melodrama: This sentiment was repeated again and again. Last Tango in Halifax used to be a good quality drama/romance about an adorable old couple who found one another after fifty years and now it’s become a soap opera.

As I wrote up my recaps for this series, I too felt some of the same frustrations.  My biggest complaint concerned what I felt was excessive repetition. Must we hear the same bit of news or gossip passed on from one character to another three or four times per episode? This is the way we pass information among our friends and family in real life, but it makes for boring television.

I think the problem many fans had with series three was actually the degree to which the characters’ behaved in realistic ways. People say petty, thoughtless things to one another. They can have racist or other prejudicial attitudes. They don’t think they are deserving of happiness so they do things to prove their unworthiness. In the middle of chaos and grief, people forgive their loved ones when in normal conditions they might hold a grudge much longer.

Show creator Sally Wainwright has given viewers a world that is simultaneously authentic in its human interactions, but rather extreme in the number of  tumultuous situations in which the characters find themselves. I surmise that the people who really enjoyed this past series prefer their characters flawed and their lives full of uncertainty. Those who don’t, probably gave up on the show already or will not tune in when it returns for series four next year. I’m still not sure which camp I’m in at the moment, but I know I wish these characters well no matter whether I decide to return to Halifax or not.

 

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Bye Bye, BBC America!

It’s official. I have cancelled my cable subscription to BBC America! No more Kitchen Nightmares, Top Gear or Star Trek: the Next Generation marathons. No longer must I roll my eyes when the featured movies have little or no connection to the UK. The Terminator, Weird Science, and Escape from New York, really?

I will not feel nostalgic about the abundance of commercials; blocks of adverts so long that by the time the show comes back you’ve already started to forget what just happened. I was bombarded so often during Broadchurch that I usually drifted off to sleep from the boredom.

The BBC original programming was rarely ever engaging for me. I probably wouldn’t have chosen to watch a Canadian sci-fi series or an American post Civil War police drama on any other cable network so I certainly wouldn’t seek it out on BBC America. Orphan Black held my attention for awhile, but Copper was never something I was going to get interested in. Even Intruders which starred John Simm, one of my favorite British TV actors, failed to impress. None of it was British enough for my expectations.

Cast of Intruders image credit BBC America

 

When they did acquire actual British shows, BBC programmers rarely found anything in my genre wheelhouse. Fantasy like Merlin and Atlantis; paranormal tales such as In the Flesh and Bedlam; or espionage “thrillers” like Spies of Warsaw left me cold. I’m sort of ashamed to admit I’m not a fan of nature programs either so Earth Night Tuesdays were no good to me.

Reading this may make you wonder if I really like British television at all. (I really do by the way.)  For example, I will miss watching Doctor Who episodes only hours after they air in the UK which is the main reason I got the channel in the first place. But for $40 less a month on my cable bill I can live with the wait for Netflix or whatever streaming service has rights at the moment. Or perhaps I can find some “timey wimey” method of watching it sooner…

 

Some other fine dramas have made it to BBC America – The Hour, the aforementioned Broadchurch and currently they are airing Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. But these series are few and far between.

I’m sure from time to time I will pine for The Graham Norton Show, but I’ll get over it, especially since the couch has about a three Americans to one Brit guest ratio these days. Graham grovels at the feet of stars like Meryl Streep and George Clooney and the obligatory British comedians are ignored until a joke is required. The fact that BBC America seemed to abandon any dedicated comedy programming (once called The Ministry of Laughs) and felt Graham Norton was enough was a very grave miscalculation in my opinion.

Besides, there’s barely time for classic Red Chair stories anymore!

 

I wish BBC America well and if you are a satisfied customer, more power to you! It just wasn’t a good fit for me. I am at peace with my decision to break-up with this channel. It didn’t fulfill my British TV needs and so it had to go. I look it as more money for my trip to the UK where the truly good telly is!!!

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Even SNL Can’t Escape British Influences

Tonight NBC observed the forty year run of the comic institution that is Saturday Night Live. They celebrated with a televised reunion that lasted four and a half hours when you factor in the red carpet arrivals. Granted, how often does any show run continuously for decades? I found that true to its reputation, this SNL special had hits and misses. Nonetheless, my husband and I chuckled here and there especially during the Weekend Update segment.

As happens in the course of such a long and self-congratulatory broadcast, my mind and my remote began to wander. It’s Sunday night so we couldn’t miss the Great British Baking Show after all (though I fear our detour to the English countryside and fancy fruity breads may have caused us to miss some of the best bits this anniversary special had to offer.)

Nevertheless, it occurred to me that this breeding ground for distinctly American comic talent which has existed for most of my life has certainly welcomed some Brits into the fold over the years – at least for a guest appearance or two. And being the way I am, I felt it my duty to bring those influences to light.

Here are some of the UK performers who have made their own small but unique mark on this bastion of US comedy.

Oscar award winning British actors. Many respected thespians have served as SNL guest hosts over the years including Jeremy Irons, Colin Firth, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate Winslet and Dame Helen Mirren.

 

Helen Mirren hosted SNL in April 2011
image credit NBC Universal Television

 

Two Pythons. Eric Idle and Michael Palin both hosted the show more than once. Palin  notably resorted to bringing his mum on stage during his monologue.

A mother and son appearance on SNL in 1984
image credit NBC Universal Television

 

Most of the Beatles. Paul, George and Ringo all appeared at one time or another. Of course, there’s that famous story that Paul and John almost reunited on SNL back in 1976 after the show’s producer Lorne Michaels offered to pay them $3000 for performing three tunes live on air. Alas, a Beatles reunion was not to be. The best Saturday Night Live could manage was a skit featuring a Fab Four tribute band, Hey Dude!

September 2012 SNL sketch featuring a rather confused Beatles tribute band.
image credit NBC Universal Television

 

The ultimate British mash-up. When Martin Freeman hosted Saturday Night Live a few months ago, he did a great job. Like most well-trained British actors, he impressed me with the fact that he never once appeared to be looking at the compulsory cue cards. But the best part of his performance was undoubtedly the pre-recorded segment which married two British classics, The Hobbit and The Office.

 

I don’t believe there’s a live television sketch comedy show in the United Kingdom nor am I convinced they have need of one. I like what the British actors bring to the SNL table when they visit. They might even buck up the permanent cast’s game while they’re there. British readers, how familiar are you the show that is our comic actor training ground and do you think it would be popular there on your side of the pond?

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House of Fools: A Sitcom Beyond Classification

I’ve considered myself a British comedy enthusiast ever since I saw my first Monty Python sketch in middle school.  From the distinct absurdity of Green Wing to the mundanity of The Office, I enjoy the entire comedy gamut. Therefore, it threw me for a bit of a loop when I watched the first episode of House of Fools mainly because this sitcom is all over the spectrum.

Starring comedy double act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer (who would fit well into my British Celebrities I Still Don’t Know series) I was a bit befuddled right from the start. Based on the retro opening and the buttoned down appearance of the lead actors, I first pegged House of Fools as a nostalgic sitcom in the vein of Open All Hours or Only Fools and Horses. Obviously I was expecting David Jason.

Also can I ask? Vic and Bob eerily resemble Morcambe and Wise, do they not?

Morcambe and Wise

 

Reeves and Mortimer

 

However, after watching a full episode, I began to understand that Vic and Bob are actually more like these fellows:

Vince and Howard aka Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt aka The Mighty Boosh

 

House of Fools features a combination of stop action animation sequences reminiscent of Robot Chicken. (Sorry, try as I might I could find no clips or even still images of the doll segments). Characters randomly break out in song as they did in musical films of old. And a definite Young Ones influence can be evidenced in the occasional act of violent slapstick…

 

It’s not that I don’t find parts of this programme amusing because I do. Matt Berry is funny as Vic and Bob’s lothario friend, Beef. Of course he plays essentially the same character in everything he does, but hey, I like him anyway.

Matt Berry as the IT Crowd’s Douglas Reynholm

 

I also learned that pork pies are huge! It’s almost like a work of architecture, a pork pie is.

 

Is House of Fools a test of my unswerving devotion to UK comedy? Am I being punished for scoffing at my fellow countrymen who just don’t “get” the British sense of humour? Am I incapable of accepting a mash-up of sub-genres in one sitcom?

Honestly, I’ve watched episodes of This is Jinsey and found them to be more coherent than House of Fools.

 

Hold on, just let me calm down a second here. Could it be that the range of British comedy is vast and varied and even amongst Brits themselves not every one thinks the same stuff is funny? Yeah, that’s probably it. Crisis averted.  Phew.

P.S. After an initial report that House of Fools might not be recommissioned and the resulting Twitter campaign initiated by Stephen Fry to save the show, BBC Two has given the sitcom the go ahead for a second series.  Congrats to Vic and Bob!

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Fortysomething: A Mediocre Series with a Lot of Potential Star Power

Not all TV shows lend themselves to what we call binge viewing. (Or is that #bingeviewing?) No matter. Such was the case for me with a British series called Fortysomething. After a bit of feet dragging on my part, I finally finished all six hours of this comedy/drama without dozing off.  It wasn’t painful to watch, but it wasn’t a joy by any means.

The Cast of ITV’s Fortysomething

 

If you’ve never heard of this short-lived or perhaps intentional one-off series, it’s about a man called Paul Slippery who is going through a mid-life crisis.  His wife is going back to work and his three young adult sons are having carnal knowledge of the Proek family girls on an alarmingly regular basis right on familial premises.  Does this bother Mr. Slippery or his good lady wife, Estelle? Apparently not too much because they’re having relationship issues of their own. And while we’re supposed to place the blame primarily on Paul, this couple’s troubles have just as much to do with Estelle’s “Don’t bother me, I’m finding myself” sort of vibe than any insensitive man-type thing Paul seems to be doing.  He’s trying very hard to make things work if you ask me.

That’s it, in a nutshell.  I found it all to be sort of “meh” to be honest.  So why am I bothering to talk about this show at all?  Because amongst the cast assembled for this fairly average decade-old series, a handful of really hot properties have emerged.

Hugh Laurie- Shortly after starring as Dr. Paul Slippery a compassionate yet distracted GP in Fortysomething…

Hugh Laurie as Dr. Slippery

 

Mr. Laurie went on to play another much more notorious physician named Dr. Gregory House.

Hugh Laurie as Dr. House

 

For eight seasons, House tortured medical students, staff and patients alike and Hugh Laurie got a lot of accolades for playing a cranky, drug-addicted genius – a far cry from our poor sex starved Mr. Slippery.

Benedict Cumberbatch – Yes, you read that right.  The thinking woman’s crumpet of the moment and an object of desire for geekettes everywhere, Mr. Cumberbatch once portrayed Hugh Laurie’s son.  On the surface, the Slipperys’ eldest child, Rory, is sensitive, intelligent and polite.  However, if you look deeper, you can see that Benedict is already preparing for the role that will make in him a star a mere seven years in the future.  Particularly note his extraordinary powers of deduction and sarcasm.

 

Remind you of anyone?

Cumberbatch as the revamped Sherlock

 

Peter Capaldi – And in another case of theatrical coincidence, Peter Capaldi plays Doctor Ronnie Pilfrey.  Not only is he Paul’s colleague and self-imaged nemesis but also a Beatles tribute singer.

 

I’ve seen a great deal of the excellent work Capaldi has done since he put himself out there as this particular over-the-top nutter.  I can only surmise that when when Peter finally assumes the mantle of THE Doctor this Christmas, we’ll see a similar degree of playfulness mixed with the emotion of his BAFTA- nominated performance from The Hour.

 

Give yourself a gold star if you noticed that Anna Chancellor starred with Peter Capaldi in both those scenes, first as Paul’s wife Estelle in Fortysomething and then as foreign correspondent Lix Storm in The Hour.

So if you’re a Cumberbunny or a rabid Whovian, you might want to check out Fortysomething just to see your favorite actors in a new and younger light. Otherwise, I’d suggest just giving it a pass. Of course if you’re a Fry and Laurie enthusiast (and who isn’t) you might want to check out this shining moment.

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