I want to love this as I am morbidly obsessed with the Titanic but the trailer really is awful.
I also have to agree with the scepticism towards ITV Drama. I have given many a go and have to admit I haven't been thoroughly satisfied with one since The Forsyte Saga remake.
I want to love this as I am morbidly obsessed with the Titanic but the trailer really is awful.
I also have to agree with the scepticism towards ITV Drama. I have given many a go and have to admit I haven't been thoroughly satisfied with one since The Forsyte Saga remake.
I remember even being bitterly disappointed with the Forsyte Saga, which I seem to remember being very flat and lacking the life and energy of the original.
I very much doubt it - the Titanic anniversary is an unmoveable date, it will be remembered and marked by a number of programmes no doubt. And importantly, the ITV drama is not going to air in the near future.
Are people just slating it because 1. this is DS and thats what people have to do... and 2. its an ITV drama so it must automatically be awful even though ITV produces some amazing drama?!
I'm looking forward to it myself.
Yes and yes - oh if we all had your hope and faith in ITV and Fellows.
In addition to the 'steerage passengers being locked behind bars' myth being peddled again, I was right in my prediction about the gun-toting officer. This trailer includes a scene which looks very much like an officer shooting someone (I wonder if the family of William Murdoch will demand another apology). Has Fellowes actually read anything about the Titanic or has he just watched all the films about it and picked up as many myths and cliches as possible?
Another minor matter - I do hope he doesn't have characters refer to the ship simply as 'Titanic' like they did in the Cameron film. Brits in 1912 would have referred to it as 'THE Titanic'. *Pedant alert, I know*
It looks awful. As bad as the dreadful Catherine Zeta Jones starring version from a few years back. ('98?)
I just don't see the point. From the (admittedly short) trailer it looks exactly the same as every other Titanic adaption, why recycle the same old cliches whilst bringing nothing new to the story?
It looks awful. As bad as the dreadful Catherine Zeta Jones starring version from a few years back. ('98?)
I just don't see the point. From the (admittedly short) trailer it looks exactly the same as every other Titanic adaption, why recycle the same old cliches whilst bringing nothing new to the story?
I agree - as much as I adore anything Titanic related (I even have a soft spot for Raise the Titanic!), dramatic retellings of the voyage have been done to death. Nonetheless, if ITV think that the best way of marking the centenary of the sinking is another drama, then why not, as you say, try and add something new to the story? There were thousands of people on that ship, any one or group of whom could provide great material for a factual drama (along the lines of the superlative A Night to Remember). Why is it always Margaret Brown, J. J. Astor, Ismay et alia? I am interested to note that Dorothy Gibson is being included (an interesting figure, she was in the first Titanic silent movie released shortly after the disaster, and later worked for the Nazis), however, I'm sick to death of seeing fictional characters strolling the decks.
I have to add, I also have a soft spot for the incredibly melodramatic Barbara Stanwyck movie about the Titanic. With everything from a siren going off as the ship sank to the entire doomed 1500 left on board calmly standing shoulder to shoulder singing 'Nearer My God to Thee' as the waves lapped around them, it made Cameron's movie look like an excerise in accuracy. Nevertheless, Stanwyck and Clifton Webb were brilliant as the warring couple, and much more affecting than Rose 'n' Jack!
Not sure if this is already known but just read an article in TV times about Titanic and apparently each of the four episodes will focus on a different set of characters in the build up to the sinking and each episode will fearure the sinking so the titanic will sink four times during the series. Julian Fellows says in the article:-
"We have many stories and we have them between stewards, servents, first and second class, officers and boilermen. They are all thrown in together and we have this structure where we sink the ship every time so you gradually get to meet more and more characters."
So is this an interesting angle to take or would it have been better as a straight story with the sinking at the end of the series?
Not sure if this is already known but just read an article in TV times about Titanic and apparently each of the four episodes will focus on a different set of characters in the build up to the sinking and each episode will fearure the sinking so the titanic will sink four times during the series. Julian Fellows says in the article:-
"We have many stories and we have them between stewards, servents, first and second class, officers and boilermen. They are all thrown in together and we have this structure where we sink the ship every time so you gradually get to meet more and more characters."
So is this an interesting angle to take or would it have been better as a straight story with the sinking at the end of the series?
I had heard this, but I'm unsure about how it will work. It's certainly a more original way of approaching the story, but it will all hinge on how long each episode is. If each is only, say, an hour or an hour and a half (with ad breaks, of course), then how will it be possible to tell a stand-alone story culminating in the sinking (which took 2 hours and 40 minutes!)? Will the set of characters focused on in each episode actually have time to develop and make us care about them within one episode?
Couldn't agree more...ITV has quite a good record when it comes to quality drama-
Unforgiven
Collision
Bouquet of Barbed Wire
Marchlands
Place of Execution
The Children
Whitechapel
I have only heard of Bouquet of Barbed Wire and that was over forty years ago so six in forty two years is hardly "quite a good record".
It looks awful. As bad as the dreadful Catherine Zeta Jones starring version from a few years back. ('98?)
I just don't see the point. From the (admittedly short) trailer it looks exactly the same as every other Titanic adaption, why recycle the same old cliches whilst bringing nothing new to the story?
The Catherine Zeta Jones version was 1996 I believe.
Not sure if this is already known but just read an article in TV times about Titanic and apparently each of the four episodes will focus on a different set of characters in the build up to the sinking and each episode will fearure the sinking so the titanic will sink four times during the series. Julian Fellows says in the article:-
"We have many stories and we have them between stewards, servents, first and second class, officers and boilermen. They are all thrown in together and we have this structure where we sink the ship every time so you gradually get to meet more and more characters."
So is this an interesting angle to take or would it have been better as a straight story with the sinking at the end of the series?[/QUOTE]
Yes, I agree that it's an interesting way to structure the story, but I feel confident that,under the guiding hand of Julian Fellowes, it will still turn out to be derivitive, cliched, tripe. They're not going to release the worst bits on the trailers, and what I've seen suggests that it will be as bad and boring as DA.
It might be interesting to see how they handle the mechanics of the sinking.
And anyone who thinks that it won't be shown this year because of the Costa Concordia tragedy, think again!
I had heard this, but I'm unsure about how it will work. It's certainly a more original way of approaching the story, but it will all hinge on how long each episode is. If each is only, say, an hour or an hour and a half (with ad breaks, of course), then how will it be possible to tell a stand-alone story culminating in the sinking (which took 2 hours and 40 minutes!)? Will the set of characters focused on in each episode actually have time to develop and make us care about them within one episode?[/QUOTE]
Good point.
Although.............the Cameron film had twice as long to try to generate some feelings for Rose and Jack, and succeeded only in making me hate them! :rolleyes:
Not sure if this is already known but just read an article in TV times about Titanic and apparently each of the four episodes will focus on a different set of characters in the build up to the sinking and each episode will fearure the sinking so the titanic will sink four times during the series. Julian Fellows says in the article:-
"We have many stories and we have them between stewards, servents, first and second class, officers and boilermen. They are all thrown in together and we have this structure where we sink the ship every time so you gradually get to meet more and more characters."
So is this an interesting angle to take or would it have been better as a straight story with the sinking at the end of the series?[/QUOTE]
Yes, I agree that it's an interesting way to structure the story, but I feel confident that,under the guiding hand of Julian Fellowes, it will still turn out to be derivitive, cliched, tripe. They're not going to release the worst bits on the trailers, and what I've seen suggests that it will be as bad and boring as DA.
It might be interesting to see how they handle the mechanics of the sinking.
And anyone who thinks that it won't be shown this year because of the Costa Concordia tragedy, think again!
It's the structure of the narrative with a wide mix of characters that has got me intrigued although a lot of members on here so far have been pretty scathing.
I know Julian Fellows is good but my reservation of this drama is that it will just be another of a couple (and likely more) before it. I mean, what new and fresh angle can we give to the story? However I will try and hold final judgement until I watched at least the first epiosde.
What with this coming out and then the film being re-released, maybe they will serve as interesting contrast to one another, who knows!? lol
Comments
I'm looking forward to it but I am keeping an open mind
I also have to agree with the scepticism towards ITV Drama. I have given many a go and have to admit I haven't been thoroughly satisfied with one since The Forsyte Saga remake.
I remember even being bitterly disappointed with the Forsyte Saga, which I seem to remember being very flat and lacking the life and energy of the original.
The Titanic crew will be speaking in German ?
Well, they did here.
No it doesn't.
Just have to bump this thread to offer my opinion that there is no way this series will be shown this year. (Would be disgraceful if it was)
Yes and yes - oh if we all had your hope and faith in ITV and Fellows.
http://www.tvnz2012.co.nz/detail.php?id=105
In addition to the 'steerage passengers being locked behind bars' myth being peddled again, I was right in my prediction about the gun-toting officer. This trailer includes a scene which looks very much like an officer shooting someone (I wonder if the family of William Murdoch will demand another apology). Has Fellowes actually read anything about the Titanic or has he just watched all the films about it and picked up as many myths and cliches as possible?
Another minor matter - I do hope he doesn't have characters refer to the ship simply as 'Titanic' like they did in the Cameron film. Brits in 1912 would have referred to it as 'THE Titanic'. *Pedant alert, I know*
I just don't see the point. From the (admittedly short) trailer it looks exactly the same as every other Titanic adaption, why recycle the same old cliches whilst bringing nothing new to the story?
I agree - as much as I adore anything Titanic related (I even have a soft spot for Raise the Titanic!), dramatic retellings of the voyage have been done to death. Nonetheless, if ITV think that the best way of marking the centenary of the sinking is another drama, then why not, as you say, try and add something new to the story? There were thousands of people on that ship, any one or group of whom could provide great material for a factual drama (along the lines of the superlative A Night to Remember). Why is it always Margaret Brown, J. J. Astor, Ismay et alia? I am interested to note that Dorothy Gibson is being included (an interesting figure, she was in the first Titanic silent movie released shortly after the disaster, and later worked for the Nazis), however, I'm sick to death of seeing fictional characters strolling the decks.
I have to add, I also have a soft spot for the incredibly melodramatic Barbara Stanwyck movie about the Titanic. With everything from a siren going off as the ship sank to the entire doomed 1500 left on board calmly standing shoulder to shoulder singing 'Nearer My God to Thee' as the waves lapped around them, it made Cameron's movie look like an excerise in accuracy. Nevertheless, Stanwyck and Clifton Webb were brilliant as the warring couple, and much more affecting than Rose 'n' Jack!
"We have many stories and we have them between stewards, servents, first and second class, officers and boilermen. They are all thrown in together and we have this structure where we sink the ship every time so you gradually get to meet more and more characters."
So is this an interesting angle to take or would it have been better as a straight story with the sinking at the end of the series?
I had heard this, but I'm unsure about how it will work. It's certainly a more original way of approaching the story, but it will all hinge on how long each episode is. If each is only, say, an hour or an hour and a half (with ad breaks, of course), then how will it be possible to tell a stand-alone story culminating in the sinking (which took 2 hours and 40 minutes!)? Will the set of characters focused on in each episode actually have time to develop and make us care about them within one episode?
I have only heard of Bouquet of Barbed Wire and that was over forty years ago so six in forty two years is hardly "quite a good record".
The Catherine Zeta Jones version was 1996 I believe.
No, it was remade by ITV in 2010. It starred Trevor Eve and Imogen Poots.
Interesting angle.
What with this coming out and then the film being re-released, maybe they will serve as interesting contrast to one another, who knows!? lol