The BBC Four Thread

Hotblack Desiato · 30-11-2022 1:24pm

Never really watched it but are they risking ripping the arse out of it completely with these specials like what happened to Only Fools and Horses?

ArmaniJeanss · 30-11-2022 2:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119939217#Comment_119939217

Firstly, you should watch it, it's really good. It's a gem.

There's always a risk with these specials though the fact that's it still only 'BBC2 budget' would lead me to hope that they don't try anything too outlandish. And Mackenzie Crook seems a level-headed guy who wouldn't do it unless he had an idea he felt would work. There hasn't been any tabloid pressure for more Detectorists the way there was pressure on John Sullivan for more OFAH. Although increasing from 30 minutes to 75 minutes means they are likely going to have to leave their established zone (though hopefully not to Miami and an 'hilarious' meeting with a lookalike Mafia don etc)

edit:

Trying to think back to the last episode, so minor spoilers. Everyone had found some peace - a house had been bought after a long search, a father/daughter estranged relationship reconciled, previous enmities resolved. It would be a shame if they feel the need to spend the first half of the ep destroying that just to build it up again. We'll see I guess.

cobham · 06-12-2022 2:29pm

Just binged on the previous episodes of Detectorists = all now available on Youtube...( the last scene of last episode was the nest shedding its overflow...) Great to find the old episodes again as otherwise thought needed BBC iplayer. It used to be on Netflix when we first got same but no longer.

06-12-2022 9:08pm

Will miss Diana Rigg in it though! Like all ‘specials’ it will probably involve going abroad maybe for metal detecting on an archeological dig somewhere!

peteeeed · 06-12-2022 10:53pm

its been confirmed for stephen's day at 9pm on bbc 2 with the Danebury metal detecting club in threat of closure

Hangdogroad · 28-12-2022 6:23pm

Whats happening with the scheduling of the final two episodes of the Crow Road?

ArmaniJeanss · 29-12-2022 5:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120041338#Comment_120041338

Didn't they show all 4 episodes, but in 'omnibus' form. It was originally 4 x 1 hour but they showed it as 2 x 2 hour. I think.

Sardonicat · 29-12-2022 6:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120044110#Comment_120044110

Then that was a strange ending! Surely that's not it?!

Hangdogroad · 29-12-2022 7:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120044110#Comment_120044110

Did they not just show the first two episodes?

ArmaniJeanss · 29-12-2022 7:24pm

Looks like they showed episode 3 and 4 on Thursday 15th which is annoying for anyone who got into expecting the classic season slot to be Wednesday.

BBC Four - The Crow Road, Omnibus, Fergus/Rory

I can't comment on the ending as decided to skip this one as I always get an overloading of recordings over Christmas.

Sardonicat · 29-12-2022 8:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120044396#Comment_120044396

Feck it! I missed it so. Hopefully they'll show it again sometime.

Hangdogroad · 30-12-2022 7:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120044396#Comment_120044396

Feck, missed that. I did think it was going to be concluded the following Wednesday, hadn't checked the next days schedules.

Eod100 · 01-01-2023 6:56pm

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy the series being shown from Monday to Wednesday.

Eod100 · 01-01-2023 6:57pm

New series of Mysyery Road, an Australian crime series starting on Saturday at 9pm.

Alun · 01-01-2023 7:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120053142#Comment_120053142

Yes, it's called Mystery Road: Origin, a prequel, the equivalent of Endeavour for Morse, or Young Montalbano, with a different actor, of course. Should be interesting.

odyssey06 · 01-01-2023 7:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120053134#Comment_120053134

I watched it and Smileys People not that long ago... top drawer stuff.

I will watch the intro from Michael Jayston.

cdgalwegian · 01-01-2023 9:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120053166#Comment_120053166

Yeah, rewatched TTSS a couple of months ago. Absolute classic of the genre.

ArmaniJeanss · 06-01-2023 8:41pm

The first two episodes of Early Doors are on BBC4 are on Saturday evening (I guess the remaining 10 will follow on subsequent Saturdays).

It's not too well known but is, in my humble opinion, the best comedy that the BBC have come up with this century. Co-written by Craig Cash, it has a similar look/structure/grit as his Royle Family but managed to avoid that programmes flaws.

Early Doors - Wikipedia

cdgalwegian · 06-01-2023 8:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120075672#Comment_120075672

Yeah, it is brilliant. Observational comedy in the same vein as Royle Family, but being set in a pub, it has completely different dynamics. Excellent characters, but with longer and arguably better set-ups for comedy than the Royle family. Early outing for James McEvoy as well.

ShamNNspace · 06-01-2023 9:10pm

Loved the two coppers sneakin in the back door for a pint, an the govner humming 🎶will nature make a man of you yet🎶from the Smiths

cdgalwegian · 06-01-2023 10:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120075876#Comment_120075876

The scenes with the two coppers are comedy gold:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtH87QNcFJg

JimBurnley · 07-01-2023 12:02am

+1 for Early Doors. Absolute gem of a show

Redsoxfan · 07-01-2023 8:18pm

Early Doors is absolutely brilliant. Looking forward to watching it all again.

robbiezero · 10-01-2023 11:47pm

Love Early Doors. Watching the recording here now.

"Turn off that nonsense Nige" about the police radio.

To the regiment!!!

Arthur Daley · 15-01-2023 12:36am

Forgot how good it was.

It's a tonic nowadays these repeats

ShamNNspace · 15-01-2023 2:50pm

It's funny the nostalgia those pub scenes invoke in me anyway, the ashtrays, plumes of smoke rising,the between table conversation, nobody staring into a phone,even the travel agency catalogue, the politically incorrect views and interactions that probably wouldn't appear in a show nowadays though Early doors is Less than 20 years old

apache · 23-02-2023 9:52pm

On BBC 4 on a Saturday night usually makes for good tv. Just catching up on North Sea Connection which was on the last few weeks. Usually foreign dramas but surprised to see this time its Irish.

odyssey06 · 23-02-2023 10:04pm

I think they showed Hidden Assets in that slot also.

The second season of Paris Police will air in the Saturday night slot when North Sea Connection finishes.

Up to 1905 now.

odyssey06 · 06-04-2023 9:13am

The Saturday Night scandi-crime slot will be taken next by a new season of "Those Who Kill"

And starting Wednesday 19th April BBC4 will re-air the 1998 miniseries Amongst Women, an adaptation of the John McGahern novel set in 1950s Ireland starring the late Tony Doyle.

apache · 06-04-2023 9:18am

I'm about half way through Paris Police and liking it allright. Looking forward to 'Those Who Kill'. I usually record them all and watch it when I have all the episodes.

techman1 · 06-04-2023 9:31am

I love Dan cruickshank the historian, the documentary he does. Last night there was on "The fairytale castles of Ludwig II" about the castles built by ludwigII of bavaria. His presentation style and voice is really something

odyssey06 · 06-04-2023 9:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120446770#Comment_120446770

Yes I like his stuff.

That was a repeat actually - originally aired in 2012.

He doesn't seem to be doing much of late, his last output was from 2018 Dan Cruickshank's Monuments of Remembrance

ShamNNspace · 26-04-2023 11:01pm

Was looking forward to continuing watching "amongst women" but the oul snooker has pushed it out 2 hours starting at midnight, too late I'll give it a miss 😔

ArmaniJeanss · 06-05-2023 11:35am

Some 'new' stuff in the Wednesday classic spot again. Obviously not new as such, but seems to be a selection of once-off programs that for whatever reason haven't been seen much since their initial broadcast. Might have been licensing/music, might have been the recording needed upgrading, might have been that the story wasn't particularly good in the first place.

Includes the final acting performances of Peggy Ashcroft and Alec Guinness, some Wood and Walters, and a little-known Bowie play.

BBC Four season to celebrate the BBCs rich history of feature-length dramas - Media Centre

odyssey06 · 06-05-2023 12:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120561987#Comment_120561987

I still remember Eskimo Day with Alec Guinness, think that was one of the last ones in that strand. Alec Guinness has an important role in it but it is an ensemble piece.

I look forward to checking out Baal (David Bowie), Hope and the Glory (Maurice Denham), Food for Ravens (Brian Cox)

odyssey06 · 25-06-2023 10:53am

Beck is back... series 9 starts next Saturday on BBC4.

odyssey06 · 30-07-2023 5:01pm

Tuesday 1st August some clever scheduling from BBC4:

Storyville — The Trials Of Oppenheimer tells the extraordinary story of the rise and fall of J Robert Oppenheimer as he began to make enemies among establishment figures. Oscar nominee David Strathairn plays Oppenheimer in the drama documentary.

ArmaniJeanss · 15-08-2023 10:23pm

I'm not planning to re-watch it myself as 12 hours is a commitment. But posters here might be interested that "I, Claudius" is getting a re-run on BBC4 starting late tomorrow with the first 4 hours, and continuing over the next two Wednesdays.

I, Claudius (TV series) - Wikipedia

brian_t · 17-08-2023 10:07am

https://thekillingtimestv.wordpress.com/2023/08/16/bbc-four-confirms-transmission-date-for-season-2-of-dna/

Saturday 26th August

T

brian_t · 17-08-2023 10:09am

https://thekillingtimestv.wordpress.com/2023/08/16/bbc-four-confirms-transmission-date-for-season-2-of-dna/

Saturday 26th August

Hotblack Desiato · 18-08-2023 2:49pm

Can you fix that post for the love of jaysus, please...

cdgalwegian · 18-08-2023 3:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120996007#Comment_120996007

that's weird - what the hell is going on with it?

brian_t · 18-08-2023 8:44pm

Sorry but I can't edit it. And I have no idea why or how that happened.

Hotblack Desiato · 19-08-2023 6:55pm

New boards moves in mysterious ways...

cml387 · 21-08-2023 5:03pm

It's interesting to note that I, Claudius is an art form that is now completely extinct; the multi-camera studio bound drama series.

Whether younger viewers would tolerate the simple sets and artificial lighting, and concentrate on the drama and the acting (of a stellar group of actors absolutely on top of their game) remains to be seen.

odyssey06 · 21-08-2023 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008298#Comment_121008298

Possibly showing my age but the studio bound aspect doesn't bother me... the whole focus is on the actors.

What has aged badly for me is the 'bookend' scenes with the dodgy makeup on Derek Jacobi.

Brian Blessed and Ian Ogilvy have impressed me the most so far, but am only a couple of episodes in. I'd usually associated them more with lighter far, and Brian Blessed for being Brian Blessed :)

cml387 · 24-08-2023 9:52pm

Since I mentioned the lost art of multi-camera drama productions, here's a Youtube video describing it exactly with reference to I Claudius, with added Patrick Stewart as Sejanus and Brian Blessed in full flight as Augustus asking senators how many of them had slept with his daughter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roI56_c_E6o&t=314s