portobellolinda

This sounded promising and so I began watching the first episode. I say 'began' because 15 minutes later, I'd switched off. Its truly one of the worst things I've seen aired. The characterization is hollow and, whilst Jimmy is a good earthy writer, his style of prosaic musings doesn't work here. The dialogue is stilted and the acting truly bad. Its miscast as one can see when a 20 something with highlights drifts past in her gown as though getting ready for a commercial for shampoo. The flogging scene was utter tosh. Badly scripted and offering no realism. Actually, its almost an insult to the intelligence of the viewer to air nonsense like this.

Lets leave the historical accounts of this episode of history to those who know something about casting, filming, direction et cetera. The script is not worthy of a first year creative writing student ( they'd get a D...) its contrived and sheer unadulterated hogwash of the most boring kind.

Faultless. I have been watching this series recently on YouTube and I cannot find one single aspect of it to whinge about. The portrayal of Elizabeth 1 is utterly breathtaking. The costumes perfect, lighting ditto, direction magnificent. The entire series is, for me, a sign that when everything is in place and knows its place - its been done with such skill that the expertise doesn't show, like a dancer on pointe, its seemingly effortless and yet, therein is its craft. The script is magnificent and one feels that the characters would approve of their portrayal. This character has been portrayed countless times yet, this series from the 1970's though showing its slip of age just a little, remains absolutely THE best.

When the actress went into politics, I felt like shouting 'No...she's the queen!' Glenda Jackson is stunning, her face precisely shot from varying angles to accentuate her authority, her voice marvelous as she bellows out and acts the churlish girl when confronted by the possibilities of marriage. A wonderful cast. This is probably, for me, the most perfect historical drama ever made for television.

How can it be that we have moved from pre suffragette to 1920's London and yet the actors haven't aged a day? I love the London store and this should have been a really enthralling series but it lacked authenticity to the point of being ludicrous and now we have another series of the same...with all the doings, comings and goings, surely one frown line wouldn't have gone amiss from the makeup department? I also thought the dialogue stilted and contrived and the narrative itself sounded second-hand,a thrift shop sort of series where the actors are primed and primped and off they go...has anyone actually been realistically served in this shop since the series began? I've looked but not seen one purchase and how sad as Selfridges has such lovely things...

No, its a boo-boo. The American accent and drawling on and on about the woes of being rich are just too trite and contrived for me. There seems to be only one layer of narrative here with no layering whatsoever. I will not be watching another series of this.