Random Jottings of a Book and Opera Lover

Riddle of the Romanovs

This was the title of a programme on Channel 5 this evening which I have just finished watching.  I am currently reading Helen Rappaport's heartbreaking story about the final days of this family and their dreadful end.  Their deaths have been surrounded by conjecture and theories for 90 years, there must be very few people around who  have not heard of Anna Anderson, claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia.  She insisted she was the surviving daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra, an astonishing fiction which she steadfastly maintained to her dying day.  She persuaded people who actually knew the Russian royal family that she was who she claimed to be, she knew secrets, family secrets that nobody else could have known which gave credence to her claim.  I well remember reading all about her as a teenager and finding it all so romantic and interesting and have to confess I was bitterly disappointed to find that her DNA revealed after her death that she was the daughter of a factory worker without a drop of royal blood in her veins.

I have always found the Romanovs fascinating since I first read Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie, originally published in the 1960s and have read various biographies about them, read some of the wilder theories about their death and/or escape and also a wonderful selection of letters between Nicholas and his wife which reveal that they loved each other till they died.  I am one third of the way through Helen Rappaport's book and it is clear that, despite all the trappings of royalty and the etiquette and court life surrounding them, they were essentially a family unit happy with ordinary every day family life.

This programme dealt with the recent findings of remains some little way away from the graves uncovered in the 1990's containing the bones of the Tsar and Tsarina and three of their children.  But where were the other two?  Did they escape and what happened to them? 

Well, we had a DNA specialist and a forensic scientist looking at the discovered remnants.  This was programme making of the most portentious kind.  The usual blurred, black and white fake action shots of the Romanovs being shot, close ups of Russian peasant faces distorted with hate, endless questions:  Did they shoot them all?  Did some of them escape?  What happened to them? Will the team be able to put and end to the mystery? blah blah blah repeated ad nauseam.  The fact that the DNA was so small that it might not be possible to identify the bodies was presented as a tragedy of huge proportions and meant to keep the viewer in suspense (it didn't).  We actually had a farcical test of using a replica of the gun which killed the Tsar to shoot at a bodice with precious stones sewn onto it, to see if a bullet would ricochet off thus proving certain of the reports of the murderers that some of the children could have survived as they had sewn jewels into their underclothes.  I thought this was totally unnecessary as I have never come across anybody that seriously denied this was an option. 

Endless questions about the possibility of a Romanov heir and then we learn that the Kremlin had given the scientists top level clearance to view the reports of the killers sealed in Lenin's Secret Archive (cue film of descent into a bunker sealed with doors which would withstand a nuclear attack), close ups of the documents and gasps of awe from the scientist.  If I hadn't wanted to find out what was happening I would have switched off as I was becoming increasingly irritated by the presentation and the droning voice of the commentator.  It was padding pure and simple as really the heart of the programme and the result would have taken up five minutes on a news bulletin but this was an hour long, so we had to wait.....

Then at the end the solution was given and yes, it was proved beyond doubt that these bones were the bones of the missing two children, one a girl and one a boy, so that we knew that here were the last remains of Alexis and one of his sisters.  It was deeply sad and made the way the programme was presented even more tawdry and commercial, but at least we now know that these bones will be interred with their parents and siblings and the family will be together again. Film of the children playing together and on board the imperial yacht and laughing and looking so happy was very moving, here were these innocent children totally unaware of the awful fate awaiting them.

A pretty poor programme but the subject matter transcended the trite presentation. Nobody could fail to be moved when contemplating this tragedy and, once more, I wondered how George V who decided not to give sanctuary to his cousin and his family, lived with his conscience the rest of his life.

Farewell Foyle's War - Hello Foyle's Peace?

Well, Foyle's Peace has been mentioned in several articles I have recently read about the totally stupid decision to bring Foyle's War to an end.  According to the creator and writer, Anthony Horowitz, who is foaming at the mouth at this decision, was told by a brand new head of drama at ITV that this series was being decommissioned. Why?  No reason was given and six months after this stunning piece of idiocy the aforementioned Head of Drama left.

How many programmes are there in the ITV canon have the following attributes:

• beautifully acted
• have high production values
• consistently brilliant
• the entire family can watch

Yes, exactly.

Over the last few months I have been collecting the entire series on DVD.  HMV seem to be selling them off half price and as I pass a branch on my way to work each day, I nip in and see what is on offer.  So far I have series 1-4 and over the last week have watched the entire first series once more.  It is staggering to see how the high standard has been maintained.  One particular episode, The White Feathers, tells the story of a Mosely-like group whose charismatic leader is played quite wonderfully, by Charles Dance. One scene in this particular episode which reduced me to tears, was played out on the beach at Hastings where boats were returning from Dunkirk and Foyle goes to greet a fisherman whose son has been killed while trying to save soldiers in the sea.  The father was played by one of those English 'jobbing' actors who appear regularly on the television and in the theatre, no household names here, but his quiet narrative of what happened at Dunkirk and then his crumpling into heartbroken weeping, though it will never win an Oscar, was deserving of one.  Michael Kitchen, as Foyle who had just seen his son off to join the RAF, watched and listened and by the slightest movement of his lips and flicker of his eyes, we knew he was thinking that one day this could be him, weeping at the loss of his son. 

You may remember that when watching Cranford some months ago, I raved at a simply stunning piece of acting with Michael Gambon and Judi Dench that left me totally overwhelmed, well this did the same, and so have other episodes that I have been rewatching.

Last night's episode was, once more, superb with acting of the highest order. ITV must be stark staring mad to allow this series to finish and I can only hope and pray that somebody, somewhere, will take up the mooted idea of Foyle's Peace (preferably NOT the commercial channels) and will move pretty quick to bring this series and the wondrous Micheal Kitchen back.

Mark you, most television companies have a track record of not taking a blind bit of notice of what the public think, so I am not holding my breath.

Coronation Street

I was a fan of Coronation Street and watched it religiously since its first episode back in 1960.  However, I finally gave up on it a few years ago as the antics of the younger members of The Street, became ever more boring and tedious and the story lines began to get more far fetched.  I can understand that fresh blood was needed to keep the ratings up and not let the ghastly Eastenders beat them, but Coronation Street has always excelled in strong, mature characters, some witty, some wise, some downright hilarious, and the preening and posing of dim young things made me decide to forgo my allegiance.

I have dropped in every now and then however, when there has been a strong story or big event involving characters who I know and love, though these are gradually dwindling.  Last night was such an occasion, Vera Duckworth had died and it was her funeral.  The Jack and Vera show had lasted for over 30 years, a pair who fought, shouted, were vulgar, loud and obnoxious, could also be loving, kind hearted and sensitive.  Jack rather fancied himself as a man about town and had a roving eye and in one glorious week back in the 70s he posed as Vincent St Clair after sneakily joining a video dating agency and arranging to meet with Caroline, a glamorous rich widow.  Sensing that he was onto a good thing, he arranged to meet her in the Rovers (always felt that was a bit daft, in front of the entire neighbourhood) and then when the 'widow' turned round to face him, it was Vera who had found out what was going on.

Outraged Jack yelled 'You're no widow' to which she replied 'I will be ten minutes after getting you home'

Wonderful stuff.

And now after 50 years together of fighting and feuding, yesterdayy was Vera's funeral and, as I know from experience, when a member of a soap such as this is given the opportunity and a great script, they can turn in a performance worthy of an Oscar.  One such happened also many years ago, when Hilda Ogden, with her hair permanently in curlers and a fag in her mouth (pre-non smoking ban) brought home the belongings of her feckless husband Stan, who had just died, and sat at her table looking at them.  Her husband was bone idle, had never done a day's work in his life and drove her mad, and yet when she sat there and talked and reminisced about him, quietly in a monologue to the camera, it was superb and heartbreaking and acting of the highest. That year, Jean Alexander, who played Hilda won an award for this scene and it has always remained in the pantheon of great moments from The Street.

Lat night we had another one.  Jack, played by the wonderful, William Tarmey, wearing his awful Del boy type camel coat that he has had for years, broke down but managed to recover himself to say a few words about Vera at her funeral.  I swear that the tears shed by the actors playing their parts in the congregation were real, I know mine were.  As he sat and watched her coffin disappearing through the curtains at the end of the funeral, to the strains of Ray Charles and I can't stop loving you, his face was riven with misery.

A truly wonderful wonderful performance.

Jeeves and Wooster

Now that I have a new digital TV with inclusive box so that I don't have one of those little digithingys on the top of my set, the reception is so much better and I am watching assorted channels and surfing through what is available.  Of course, the answer is not much, with the exception of the repeats of all those wonderful series of moons ago.  I am talking about the perennial showing of the Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett as the man himself (for me he is the quintessential Holmes though others may disagree), David Suchet as Hercule Poirot which I could watch over and over again and do (still some I find to my delight I have not seen), Peter Wimsey series with lovely lovely Edward Petherdige (DVD's still shockingly expensive on Amazon otherwise I would buy the lot), Miss Marple (NOT the Geraldine McEwan series I hasten to add) and, finally, my discovery the other night of Jeeves and Wooster with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.

How did I miss watching this before?  WHY did I miss watching it before?  I think, on looking back, that this was a time when this pair were fairly ubiquitous with their series Fry and Laurie, and non stop appearances on quiz shows, talk shows etc etc and I probably thought enough was enough already. Always the same with TV, find something/somebody you like and then do them to death until public is fed up with them (as with recent costume drama, see post Too Much of a Good Thing?)

Mem;  really must stop all these parentheses I am bunging in, trouble is my mind operates at a tanget and I wander along little byways which have been brought to my notice by what I have just said and I am burbling so will stop now.

Back to Jeeves and Wooster. Found an episode on one of the digital channels and sat and watched it with ever increasing delight. I know absolutely nothing about the works of PG Wodehouse except they are many and various, though I had heard of the dreaded Aunt Agatha, but I now feel that I must seek them out.  This episode was peopled by young men about town rejoicing in the names of Steggles, Bingo and Piggy who exclaimed What Ho! at regular intervals and when spotting a glamorous young lady said What a Corker.  I was in heaven and I now intend to catch up with this series.  Better late than never say I.

While googling I came across this article by Stephen Fry written some time ago and attach it for your amusement.  I very much enjoyed reading it.

http://www.hatsharpening.com/j&w/savedlife.php

Now I need help from all those Woosterians or Jeevesonians out there.  What is the title of the first book in this series?  Do I need to read them in order or can I just dip in and out?  Also, I gather there are others, not Jeeves, in PG output and I need to know what they are as well.

So help please..

Toodle pip!

Marple or Miss Marple?

That Geraldine McEwan is to make no more Marple (whatever happened to the Miss?) episodes is the big news story of the day it would appear (OK Peter Hain has just resigned tee hee so perhaps not), but great debate has arisen about the next actress to play her with rumours of the Christie estate going for a 'younger' version.  The mind boggles. 

The only thing that would reconcile me to a future Miss Marple series, where I hope the storylines will not be mucked about, identity of the murderer will not be changed and characters from other Christie novels do not appear (Tommy and Tuppence anyone?), is the fact that the names of two wonderful Dames, ie Atkins and Dench are being mentioned.

Judi Dench as Miss Marple - now how stunning would that be?

Here is a link below to an article today which you might find interesting:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3241131.ece?Submitted=true

I still think Joan Hickson is the only one though.

Crinoline Rep

STOP PRESS:  another member of the Crinoline Rep Company has been spotted in Lark Rise to Candleford.  Step forward Brendan Coyle who as well as appearing in this, was also in North and South.  I have spent the last two weeks racking my brains trying to think Where have I seen Him Before?  So many thanks to Susan who mentioned him in a comment and enabled me to make the connection.

Here is a picture of him and, just in case you have forgotten, when he appeared in North and South he was of course also appearing with the utterly lovely divine gorgeouslysexytotallyunderusedbytheBeeb Richard Armitage, and I have put a little pic in of him as well...

Have to say I simply loved last night's episode.  Nothing to do with the books, Dawn French playing the Vicar of Lark Rise as a broad canvas to put it mildly and, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, such clean streets, such a clean smithy.

Oh and the chap playing the landlord in Candleford turned up as a police inspector in Kingdom on ITV one hour later.  Talk about a quick change.  He must have legged it from Candleford in Suffolk (?) across to Norfolk, whipped off his apron and bunged on the suit and jumped into his striped police car pretty quick, just in time to make an arrest.

Sunday night television is such fun at the moment....

Too much of a good thing?

Please don't misunderstand me, I love crinolines, boots, bonnets and knee breeches as much as the next girl and when Colin Firth is involved, even better, but I cannot help but think we are suffering from a surfeit of same at the moment. 

We have had the wondrous Cranford, then hot on its heels the semi-wondrous Sense and Sensibility and now we have a ten part serialisation of Lark Rise to Candleford.  This is on the BBC.  Over on the commercial channel we have had a very lacklustre Oliver Twist and also The Old Curiosity Shop (which I have taped and not watched yet so will reserve judgment) and I am beginning to feel that it is about time we give Dickens and Austen, much though I love them, a bit of a rest.  No need for a new Sense and Sensibility when the simply excellent Emma/Alan/Hugh/Kate et al version is still around.  There was no real need for a new Room with a View either but that was done and, as in the latest S&S, liberties taken with the characterisation and script and, in the case of Room, a totally different ending.  Why do they bother?

Anyway, back to Lark Rise to Candleford and while watching the first episode last week, not totally sure if I will be giving those in the future my close attention, I played Spot the Actor who Appears in all Costume Adaptations.   I cannot remember all names so you will have to forgive me if I identify them by which part they played

• First off, we had Julia Sawalha who was in Cranford playing the postmistress in Lark Rise
• Then Miss Matty's maid in Cranford turned up as the mother of the heroine in Lark Rise (She also appeared in the film of Pride and Prejudice as Charlotte Lucas)
• The actress playing Mrs Jennings in Sense and Sensibility then turns up in Lark Rise
• The actress playing the ghastly Fanny in Sense and Sensibility also turns up in Lark Rise
• The actor playing Sir John in Sense and Sensibility also popped up in the new Room with a View (he also plays Ron's dad in Harry Potter)
• Then playing a snooty owner of the local drapers is an actress who played Julia in the film of Mansfield Park (I have a feeling some actresses must spend all their time in bodices and shifts)
• Dawn French plays The Vicar of Dibley, albeit with a all purpose mummerset accent in Lark Rise. Much though I love Dawn, we had her in La Fille du Regiment over Christmas, then the two part final episode of Dibley, then a programme on the making of the Vicar of Dibley, and then after Lark Rise episode one, we had another showing of a Vicar of Dibley from the first series. ENOUGH
• Oh and Liz Smith who played Mrs Cropley in Vicar of D also turns up in Lark Rise as a gobby servant. I shall be watching out for the rest of the cast to arrive in weeks to come

What I want to know is - where was the incrediblygorgeoussexydivine Richard Armitage?  They had nearly everyone else there so why leave him out. Of course, he also was in the Vicar of Dibley over Christmas, but I might stretch a point where he is concerned and not complain that I am seeing too much of him (as if!).  Just in case any of you have forgotten exactly who he is and what he looks like, I am inserting a little pic here to remind you....

   

There were plenty of other examples with smaller parts played by incredibly familiar faces who pop up in various costume guises all over the place and I wonder if the BBC/ITV have a book with all these names in who they just allocate parts to when planning these adaptations.  Almost like a Crinoline Rep Company.

While I am not decrying costume drama and love it dearly, I have posted earlier about the BBC and its dumbing down policy and its lack of modern drama and series that are not featuring maverick cops/spies/mistresses/spooks/spies et al, and I cannot help but feel that when they run out of ideas they just pull the nearest Dickens or Austen down from a shelf and say 'Let's do this again'.

I am awaiting a 'new'  TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, bound to happen sooner or later, though that will be a tough act to follow.  I mean, who could recreate that glorious Colin Firth Wet Shirt moment that had us all palpitating ten years ago?

Actually I may have answered my own question here - Richard Armitage anyone?

Answers on a postcard please.....

Sense and Sensibility

I have just finished watching the final episode of Andrew Davies' adaptation of Sense and Sensibility and I really enjoyed it very much.  Yes, he mucked about with it a bit, and yes some of the script was really a bit too modern, but the acting was excellent.

The last scene in the cottage when Edmund comes to tell Eleanor he loves her was very touching.  Very difficult here, not to think of Emma Thompson's reaction to Edmund aka Hugh Grant which divided opinion.  I know some people who laughed at it, but I found it made me cry.  In the last episode of the Vicar of Dibley I am afraid dear Geraldine Grainger made mock of it, but then admitted that she cried too.  Same thing happened tonight, I find myself very tearful watching it and thank goodness, this time we did not have the obligatory wedding with flowers being thrown and cheering and dancing on the lawn.  We did see Colonel Brandon carry Marianne across the threshold but as that was merely a recreation of the Willoughby scene when he did the same, I thought it was allowed..

I found the two Misses Steeles delightfully vulgar, Mrs Ferrers the elder played superbly by Jean Marsh, a nasty spiteful creature, Mrs Dashwood quite charming and Marianne not so annoying as usual.  However, for me the star of the show was Hattie Morahan as Elinor.  I thought she was quite wonderful.  Sense and Sensibility has always been for me, one of my least favourite Austens, but I am beginning to change my mind.  I find Elinor a character of great depth and integrity and steadfast and true.  I think a reread is due.

Oh and a piece of trivia.  Apparently, her boyfriend is the gentleman who played Edward in Mansfield Park last year, in which he was the only one worth watching. 

As I said, trivia but just nice to finish the post with that little thought.

Foyle's War

Last night I settled down to watch the episode of Foyle's War which I had taped on Sunday.  There are so few good series on TV with the high quality of acting and production values so when they do come along they need to be cherished.  This programme is such an one.

Not quite sure how long it has been going, probably three or four years, but because each series is no longer than six episodes and time and care is taken, it feels as if it has been round for longer than that.  I have seen many of the episodes more than once and each time it is a pleasure to see them again as they are cast from strength from the magnificent pool of British actors who may not be Hollywood superstars, but are the goods, the real thing.

Last night's episode centered around the apparent suicide of a young, troubled map maker who had struggles with his conscience as he knew that the maps he was helping produce were going to the RAF bombers who were strafing German cities in the last year of the war in order to bring Hitler to admit defeat and surrender.  Not a story that galloped along, no need to, but gradually unfolded and so well acted that I forgot it was acting, the players inhabit their characters with such total commitment.

Michael Kitchen - difficult to explain really what is so magical about him.  At first sight, he is a fairly short undistinguished, balding, middle aged actor with very little allure, and yet once you start to watch him, it is difficult to leave off. Every quiet sentence, every raised eyebrow, every little twitch or move met of his eye, totally fascinating. He also has a beguiling speaking voice.  In last night's episode, he was joined in a few scenes by another Michael, Michael Jayston who I remember first seeing in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy over thirty years ago, another actor with a beautiful speaking voice.

This series has raised the issue time and time again of the importance and attitude towards crime during the War, that there were bigger things to fight for and domestic offenses, even murder, were somehow obliterated in the greater need.  Chief Inspector Foyle thought otherwise so often clashed with authority which is, of course, a standard ploy for all good detectives on the television.  I well remember in an early episode how a murderer was exposed who Foyle was forced to let go back to the US as he was an extremely important person involved in intelligence work, and as this man headed for his plane Foyle stopped him.

"You are a murderer and the war is on.  The war will end one day and things will change, but you will still be a murderer and I will come and find you"

I have paraphrased, but I remember well how he delivered these lines and it was compelling stuff.

Only two more episodes to go and then that is the end.  Apparently, the producer of the series was told rather abruptly that there will be no more and he is at a loss to know why.  Seems a shame but we can look forward to the complete Foyle on DVD in the future and I shall have great pleasure in buying these to savour for a long time to come.  As with the Tinker Tailor series this kind of acting does not date.

Strictly Elaine

OK a fair bit of jiggling has gone on over the last few days and the remote for the TV and video has come in for a lot of usage.  Quick tape on Christmas Day of a programme about the Bolshoi and then as soon as it was finished, sashayed across to BBC2 to press the button again for Romeo and Juliet with Acosta and Rojo.  Once they were safely whirring away I could relax until the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special that evening which I was determined to tape for all posterior and which has now been tagged onto the end of the Strictly Come Dancing final.  I tell you it has been all go here with me cha cha cha-ing in and out of the kitchen with remote controls in each hand, not sure Arlene would have liked my arm movement and my steps were definitely not synchronised but managed to get everything sorted.

The Strictly final was terrific, simply nothing to choose between Alesha and Matt until the show dance when I felt Alesha had the edge and that was enough to do it.  If Gethin could not win the title then Alesha was next on my list.  Daughter No 1 and I watched it cheering her on and then later on that night lying in bed we designed a fantasy list of who should be invited to appear next year.  We spotted Jeremy Paxman in the audience for the final which made us think - was he checking it out?  We have decided that he should take part, then the sporting husband and wife of the Logans this series could be Jamie and Louise Redknapp next time.  Jamie an erstwhile footballer and I believe his wife an erstwhile singer.  We both feel that David Beckham would be the star of the show and should defo agree to do it, then there is the seemingly obligatory member of the cast of Eastenders, but who?  After a quick mental two step we came up with Dot Cotton as the show is all about glitz and sparkle after all and she certainly has the personality to match... then a glam newsreader of some sort (I am excluding Jeremy P from this as he doesn't do glam) so perhaps Fiona Bruce.  She seems to have spent a lot of time recently prancing around in fishnet tights on the Children in Need show so there is obviously a dancer in there fighting to get out; Gary Lineker would be great or his pal on Match of the Day, Alan Hansen.   Kathryn suggested Wayne Rooney but I told her this was a serious conversation and was she trying to be funny?

Of course the real reason we all watch this show is not only for the dancing, but for trying to work out who fancies who.  First series, won by Natasha Kaplinski and Brendon Cole, ended the engagement between Brendon and Camilla Dallerup;  Lesley Garrett (the Diva from Doncaster) was seen kissing Anton du Becke but this was explained away as Lesley just being Lesley and she kisses EVERYONE... now there's a thought; last series Mark Ramprakash had to admit to an affair when his mistress flogged her story to a tabloid, now we hear that Matt fancies Flavia his partner of this year, Vincent, Flavia's long term partner both professional and personal has dumped her as he hated the closeness she had with Matt and has accused them of being an item; Matt in his turn has said, most ungallantly, that though he fancies Flavia she is 'too old for him' (he is 20, she 28) and then is strongly rumoured to fancy Alesha, the ultimate winner (she is nearly 30 by the way) and it seems they are more than just good friends....

So it is all good clean fun and family entertainment as you can see. 

' won't you change partners and dance with me...'

Delighted to see that the Christmas Special competition between Darren Gough who won in 2005, Mark Ramprakash who won in 2006, and four couples from this year, was won by Darren who has now won not only the title, but the Christmas special twice.  He came on with his partner Lilia, grinning from ear to ear and simply enchanted the audience with a stunning Amercan Smooth and engaging personality.  This bloke is well over six feet, is not exactly slim and yet he twinkle toed his way around the dance floor. Sheer delight from beginning to end.

Lovely day with Kathryn and though it sounds as if we spent the entire day watching TV, we didn't. Taped as much as we could to leave us free and nipped o