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I believe Ehle might have been in SUNSHINE with Ralph Fiennes.

I've been through all the Midsummer Murders series and all the Morse and several others. Morse, however, is a favorite.

I watched about 13-14 of the Midsomer Murders, but I began to be disturbed at the inordinantly high body count in that one English county. Like Murder She Wrote--wherever Jessica Fletcher went, bodies turned up. If you see Jessica Fletcher coming your way, flee for your life.

Linda and I are big fans of MIDSOMER MURDERS , and British TV detectives in general, but I have always thought the last Midsomer should end with John Nettles and his wife waking up one morning and discovering that they are the last people left in Midsomer County, and then his wife tries to murder him. Sorta like Inspector Morse, where Oxford had a high death count when, in fact, there had only been something like a small handful of real murders there in decades

And of course with Hercule Poirot, who always shows up somewhere and then there's a murder. It's obvious that he is a psychopathic serial killer who commits these crimes and uses his cover as a detective to frame some seeming innocent person with a frequently contrived theory that the police happen to believe,but of course, a British psycho-detective has a good chance of getting away with it because the suspect will usually do the British thing and kill themselves before going to trial.

Ah, if only those rich upper class twit families really did off each other off like flies, things might improve around there.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Ehle is starring in THE KING'S SPEECH, which will be released here in the US shortly. Colin Firth is supposedly an Academy Award contender in this film about Queen Elizabeth's father overcoming a stuttering problem. Geoffrey Rush also stars in it. Ehle also starred in POSSESSION about 8 years ago.

Ehle is starring in THE KING'S SPEECH, which will be released here in the US shortly. Colin Firth is supposedly an Academy Award contender in this film about Queen Elizabeth's father overcoming a stuttering problem. Geoffrey Rush also stars in it. Ehle also starred in POSSESSION about 8 years ago.

Is she ?!...that's a clincher for me paying my fiver to go and see that then. It's always been a subject that fascinated me; I have a theory that the advent of a King with a severe speech impediment was the actual reason - as opposed to the excuses - why the Von Sternberg/Laughton I Claudius was abandoned.

Ah, if only those rich upper class twit families really did off each other off like flies, things might improve around there.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

It isn't very often that I agree with you Mr Roberts, but this time....

That's Helena Bonham-Carter as the female star in The King's Speech, playing Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mum).

Jennifer Ehle has a supporting role as Myrtle Logue, the wife of Geoffrey Rush's speech therapist.

Claire Bloom plays Queen Mary. :)

Actuallly, the two women are both support to the two men, as the story's about them.
:D

No idea if this has been screened in the US as yet, but I can recommend it; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477131/ ...Garrow was a historic figure, a criminal lawyer operating in the late 18th C. The period detail is impressive, and it's a decent legal procedural to boot.

I kind of like this show, but not the bodice-rippery crossing social boundaries love story they inexplicably felt they had to tag on. It is so clichéd and unnecessary. The court cases are fascinating nevertheless.

Normally, Arndt, I would agree with you; but in this case I think the character in question is a fictionalisation of the historical character who would become his wife. Seems the real Mr Garrow ripped a few bodices in his time too....from Wikipedia;
Garrow had an irregular relationship with Sarah Dore, who had previously borne a son by Viscount Fairford. Thomas Hague has suggested that Dore was an Irish noblewoman Garrow had seduced, but the only intent of his writings was to disparage Garrow, and there is no evidence to support his claim.[66] Their first child, David William Garrow, was born on 15 April 1781, and their second, Eliza Sophia Garrow, was born on 18 June 1784. Garrow and Dore finally married on 17 March 1793.

No idea if this has been screened in the US as yet, but I can recommend it; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477131/ ...Garrow was a historic figure, a criminal lawyer operating in the late 18th C. The period detail is impressive, and it's a decent legal procedural to boot.

Damn, not on Netflix.

Here's an LA Times article on psychologically tortured British detectives:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 9707.story

Here's an LA Times article on psychologically tortured British detectives:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 9707.story

Decent article, though Wallander is from the Swedish miserabilist tradition - think of Midsomer Murders written by Ingmar Bergman - rather than British, though both the Swedish originals and the Branagh-led remake are right up the British taste street.
It also mentions the recent Marples; I would say avoid these, they are not a patch on the definitive 1980's Marple productions, those of the late, wonderful Joan Hickson; a lowly veteran of Ealing Comedies who finally became a star at age 78. Her Marple is a gentle soul, kind, and seemingly distracted at times; but her mind is like a steel trap. Breathtaking performances....utterly believable, which is not easy with the material.

Decent article, though Wallander is from the Swedish miserabilist tradition - think of Midsomer Murders written by Ingmar Bergman - rather than British, though both the Swedish originals and the Branagh-led remake are right up the British taste street.
It also mentions the recent Marples; I would say avoid these, they are not a patch on the definitive 1980's Marple productions, those of the late, wonderful Joan Hickson; a lowly veteran of Ealing Comedies who finally became a star at age 78. Her Marple is a gentle soul, kind, and seemingly distracted at times; but her mind is like a steel trap. Breathtaking performances....utterly believable, which is not easy with the material.

"The Swedish Miserabilist Tradition"...love that. I have to agree on the Marples, I find the new versions very disappointing and remain loyal to Joan Hickson. I haven't yet seen the Swedish versions of Wallander yet, but I do like Branagh's take on the character.

"The Swedish Miserabilist Tradition"...love that.

I agree. I'm going to steal that at my first opportunity, and sneak it into my conversation: "Um, well, yes, you have the French New Wave, and the Swedish Miserablists, of course."

I can't remember who I stole it from.....
But don't get the idea I use it in a perjorative sense; we like a bit of miserabilism in the UK. Particularly the scots...

Ehle is starring in THE KING'S SPEECH, which will be released here in the US shortly. [snip] Ehle also starred in POSSESSION about 8 years ago.

Is she ?!...that's a clincher for me paying my fiver to go and see that then.

============

True fans of the lovely Jennifer Ehle will want to check out (if they haven't already) THE CAMOMILE LAWN (1992 TV series), in which her gorgeous figure is on display au naturel, va-va-va-VOOOM!

True fans of the lovely Jennifer Ehle will want to check out (if they haven't already) THE CAMOMILE LAWN (1992 TV series), in which her gorgeous figure is on display au naturel, va-va-va-VOOOM!

She's also in a scene cut from Michael Clayton; the scene is on the dvd.

Ehle is starring in THE KING'S SPEECH, which will be released here in the US shortly. [snip] Ehle also starred in POSSESSION about 8 years ago.

Is she ?!...that's a clincher for me paying my fiver to go and see that then.

============

True fans of the lovely Jennifer Ehle will want to check out (if they haven't already) THE CAMOMILE LAWN (1992 TV series), in which her gorgeous figure is on display au naturel, va-va-va-VOOOM!

That is, indeed, the series that brought her to my attention.....ahem. All those old men saying the War Years were the best years of their lives suddenly made a lot of sense....Playing the same character, as an older woman, is her real mother, Rosemary Harris; and playing the young girl of the family is Rebecca Hall, now the latest New Star....she was Vicky in Vicky Christina Barcelona, for instance. She has her mother's looks too....hers being Maria Ewing.

A quick update on a show screened here on Christmas Day and not to be missed when it reaches the US; the David Suchet version of Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express. This is an older Poirot, as is Suchet, and his old certainties are being ....questioned. It's a dark, powerful version, a terrific performance from Suchet; his finest Poirot, and it knocks Albert Finney into a cocked hat.
The Upstais Downstairs sequel is looking very good too...and the Doctor Who Christmas one-off with Michael Gambon was delightful.

You neglected to mention the excellent Dirk Gently adaptation. I enjoyed that a lot. It seems only the BBC are capable of doing justice to Douglas Adams.

Here's an LA Times article on psychologically tortured British detectives:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 9707.story

Decent article, though Wallander is from the Swedish miserabilist tradition - think of Midsomer Murders written by Ingmar Bergman - rather than British, though both the Swedish originals and the Branagh-led remake are right up the British taste street.
It also mentions the recent Marples; I would say avoid these, they are not a patch on the definitive 1980's Marple productions, those of the late, wonderful Joan Hickson; a lowly veteran of Ealing Comedies who finally became a star at age 78. Her Marple is a gentle soul, kind, and seemingly distracted at times; but her mind is like a steel trap. Breathtaking performances....utterly believable, which is not easy with the material.

A lot of the recent Marples are also Poirot mysteries with a sex change. The characterization irritated me too- in the earliest novels Miss Marple is rather a prying busybody but Christie smoothed her out a bit. The recent one Has a "Well, I could have told you THAT" attitude.

You neglected to mention the excellent Dirk Gently adaptation. I enjoyed that a lot. It seems only the BBC are capable of doing justice to Douglas Adams.

As Adams worked for the BBC as a writer and script editor (for DOCTOR WHO), doubtless he used a lot of the pacing techniques of tv for his writing.

Bob

Indeed.....the Dirk Gently programme was a hefty reworking of the themes of the first novel, itself a reworking of a Douglas Adams Doctor Who script that had been partially shot, but remained uncomplete due to industrial action at the tail end of the Tom Baker era.
It was good though....hopefully more will follow....but they will be 'Inspired By' rather than genuine Douglas Adams.

A quick update on a show screened here on Christmas Day and not to be missed when it reaches the US; the David Suchet version of Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express. This is an older Poirot, as is Suchet, and his old certainties are being ....questioned. It's a dark, powerful version, a terrific performance from Suchet; his finest Poirot, and it knocks Albert Finney into a cocked hat.

Seen it, liked it quite a bit, great performance by Suchet. Writing that one must have been a thankless task, knowing that whatever you did, it would always be compared to the film. I love the film lots, but this version didn't let you forget that the story is about the murder of a child.

No, Fred, the book is about puzzle-solving. Christie's story are marvels of construction of the English Problem-Solving school, but the murder is always incidental to the construction --- necessary but not sufficient.

Bob

That may be true Bob; I haven't read enough of the originals to venture an opinion.....but if so, then the new Suchet version is superior to the book for the reasons Fred gave. There the crime was central, as was, what could be described as, Poirot's crisis of faith.

No, Fred, the book is about puzzle-solving. Christie's story are marvels of construction of the English Problem-Solving school, but the murder is always incidental to the construction --- necessary but not sufficient.

Bob

We were in this case talking about the two filmed versions of the book, rather than the book itself, but you have just put your finger on the problem I have with Christie's book(s). I suspect that Anne Morrow Lindbergh may not have enjoyed that particular puzzle.

BTW, the first of the second set of three Sherlocks just aired on BBC........I'm watching it for a second time. Just to make sure. If anything, it's even better than the first three. A Scandal In Belgravia - and yes, Frank, Irene Adler....er....dominates the proceedings. It's also, after a fifty=plus year career on british TV, Una Stubbs' finest moment.
Enjoy when you get the chance......
Oh, and playing Watson's girlfriend in this one ??? A lady called Oona Chaplin......

BTW, the first of the second set of three Sherlocks just aired on BBC........I'm watching it for a second time. Just to make sure. If anything, it's even better than the first three. A Scandal In Belgravia - and yes, Frank, Irene Adler....er....dominates the proceedings. It's also, after a fifty=plus year career on british TV, Una Stubbs' finest moment.
Enjoy when you get the chance......
Oh, and playing Watson's girlfriend in this one ??? A lady called Oona Chaplin......

Squeeee! I hope these show up on Netflix soon, because I loooooved the first three.