I don't recall what the critics said about Heimat and Das Boot at the time, they probably praised them both to the skies.
Both, in particular Das Boot, were unmissable IMO.
I don't know about Heimat but yes, Das Boot was quite rightly hailed as the masterpiece it is. I was lucky enough to have seen it at the cinema, if this show is half as good, it'll be well worth the time to watch.
I do have sympathy for your position, especially if, like me, you are a devotee (in the loosest sense) of BBC2 and BBC4. How the BBC feels it can justify the blanket repeats on the latter I really don't know.
Sadly (or is it happily?), I now spend far more time watching box sets and downloads than I do watching live TV. While the BBC can only take so much of the blame, it is very irksome to see so much of my money being taken from me when the BBC produce so little of what I am actually interested in. The odd BBC2 or BBC4 gem really doesn't excuse its extortionate annual fee.
It would be great to be sitting here typing a long list of British programmes I love, but whenever I try I know that nothing stands up to American shows like Breaking Bad, Homeland, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, etc. Doctor Who aside, TV companies in this country seem unwilling to risk financing anything that costs a bit of money and is therefore a risk.
I welcome this German show as, amongst the usual dross, it really ought to be something decent.
I record a lot of stuff, I may even record this, But much of it I delete before watching, if I hear a poor report of it. But the rest I'll give ten minutes before deciding whether to watch it all. I base this on the fact that the producers will try to "engage" an audience in the first few minutes, if that fails, I know that I'll think the rest isn't much cop.
It's a sad world that we have to constantly read the subtitles on a weekly basis, to enjoy a half-decent drama.
It amuses me that so many people on DS are enured to the failings of the BBC with our near £4,000,000,000 each year and don't like anyone to criticise them. "You'd think they were Sainsbury's."
My philosophy is that "you get the standard of service you deserve."
i.e. if no one complains, it isn't going to get better.
It amuses me that so many people on DS are enured to the failings of the BBC with our near £4,000,000,000 each year and don't like anyone to criticise them.
It amuses me how many people on DS rarely have a good word to say about the BBC and don't like to have anyone praising them
Well if it's as good as "Das Boot" then its going to be worth a watch. Wonder what theatre of war they will show, I assume 'Eastern Front" so it doesn't upset western viewers.
Totally agree, am very much looking forward to seeing this. Das Boot is one of the best war films made imo. It says the action mostly takes place on the Eastern Front.
It would be great to be sitting here typing a long list of British programmes I love, but whenever I try I know that nothing stands up to American shows like Breaking Bad, Homeland, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, etc. Doctor Who aside, TV companies in this country seem unwilling to risk financing anything that costs a bit of money and is therefore a risk.
You are aware that, as an example, the budget per episode for Game of Thrones is $6m, rising to almost $10m for big scenario ones like Blackwater in S2? The BBC simply does not have the money to compete at that level for one television show.
I base this on the fact that the producers will try to "engage" an audience in the first few minutes,
.
I'm thinking this applies to to an American "drama-comedy" I've watched a few episodes of recently, Orange is the New Black. The fist half of the first episode set up an interesting scenario/premise, but for a "comedy-drama" it is short on laughs, as in not having any. This makes me think the whole pilot episode concept is flawed.
I'm thinking TV companies (and viewers) on both sides of the Atlantic get duped by pilot episodes that are way better than the series we end up getting.
You are aware that, as an example, the budget per episode for Game of Thrones is $6m, rising to almost $10m for big scenario ones like Blackwater in S2? The BBC simply does not have the money to compete at that level for one television show.
I was referring to every TV company in the UK, not just the BBC. But money clearly can buy quality, when used properly, because GoT is one of the best things to have emerged since the Sopranos.
I was referring to every TV company in the UK, not just the BBC. But money clearly can buy quality, when used properly, because GoT is one of the best things to have emerged since the Sopranos.
I know, I was just stating the obvious, that US cable channels have access to far higher budgets than the BBC. As a comparison the recent The White Queen, a lavish costume drama based on the same historical period which influenced GRRM to write A Song of Ice and Fire, had a total budget of £25m for all 10 episodes.
Money also doesn't guarantee quality either, Starz spent millions ($7m per episode) on their Arthurian adaptation Camelot but it utterly tanked because the casting was wrong, the scripts were dreadful and the production values were utter crap.
I'm thinking this applies to to an American "drama-comedy" I've watched a few episodes of recently, Orange is the New Black. The fist half of the first episode set up an interesting scenario/premise, but for a "comedy-drama" it is short on laughs, as in not having any. This makes me think the whole pilot episode concept is flawed.
I'm thinking TV companies (and viewers) on both sides of the Atlantic get duped by pilot episodes that are way better than the series we end up getting.
But then there are other imports that can sustain my attention for a number of weeks. Like; "Justified," "Suits," Nashville," "The Glades," The Americans." "Homeland," "Elementary," "Castle," "Revenge."
From that list you wouldn't think I was hard to please, but the BBC often fail to do so.
However, I do start threads on BBC programmes that I think others might also find interesting, but sadly, I've not seen anything I've thought worth starting one on since May, although I have commented positively on threads of other BBC programmes people have started.
I know, I was just stating the obvious, that US cable channels have access to far higher budgets than the BBC. As a comparison the recent The White Queen, a lavish costume drama based on the same historical period which influenced GRRM to write A Song of Ice and Fire, had a total budget of £25m for all 10 episodes.
Money also doesn't guarantee quality either, Starz spent millions ($7m per episode) on their Arthurian adaptation Camelot but it utterly tanked because the casting was wrong, the scripts were dreadful and the production values were utter crap.
£2.5 million per episode of The White Queen and they can't hide hand rails and concrete steps from the viewer? Now that is a waste of money. And that's before we get to the scripts and cast.
But then there are other imports that can sustain my attention for a number of weeks. Like; "Justified," "Suits," Nashville," "The Glades," The Americans." "Homeland," "Elementary," "Castle," "Revenge."
From that list you wouldn't think I was hard to please, but the BBC often fail to do so.
If I could produce a list of things I enjoy as long as that I'd be a happy viewer! While shows such as those I mentioned earlier are always watchable, there is probably far too much I grin and bear - and that's when I start thinking longingly about when I was younger and had an evening-based social life.
there should be more forigen tv in the uk.heres probably loads of good stuff over the years that would have been popular here.theres a lot of good merican stuf but to much is shown in britan.they could also show more australia/new Zealand stuff.
£2.5 million per episode of The White Queen and they can't hide hand rails and concrete steps from the viewer? Now that is a waste of money. And that's before we get to the scripts and cast.
Fairly impossible to remove all 21st century aspects from a TV production which is being filmed on location. That didn't really bother me, the poor adaptation itself however, did.
there should be more forigen tv in the uk.heres probably loads of good stuff over the years that would have been popular here.theres a lot of good merican stuf but to much is shown in britan.they could also show more australia/new Zealand stuff.
Top Of The Lake (New Zealand) BBC2
Wentworth (Australia) Channel 5
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Australia) Alibi
The Doctor Blake Mysteries (Australia) BBC1
Plenty of Canadian shows broadcast over here as well
£2.5 million per episode of The White Queen and they can't hide hand rails and concrete steps from the viewer? Now that is a waste of money. And that's before we get to the scripts and cast.
Dunno where that figure has come from but The Telegraph has an estimated figure of £10 million, £1 million per episode (and remember that it is a co-production with Starz)
Meanwhile, in the other corner, the Daily Mail has a figure of £25 million .....
Frain’s latest role is as conniving ‘kingmaker’ the Earl of Warwick in The White Queen, a £25 million costume drama based on three of author Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novels about the Wars of the Roses.
Meanwhile, this is where that money seems to have gone:
Production facts
250 sets in 120 days including: every season, three weddings, two coronations and 12 state banquets. Horses, carriages, swords, daggers, shields and spears, boats, beds, dogs, dungeons, castles, palaces, parliament, battles - it was all there.
Production made sure that in episode one, Grafton Manor looked home spun and simple, so when the series arrives at court the audience is suddenly aware of richness and power.
Nic Ede (Costume Designer) dressed the men in tight padded trousers, not tights as “these days tights are associated with Robin Hood movies and bad jokes.” They wanted the men to be masculine and did not want their clothes to be distracting.
Whilst filming in an around Bruges production were able to shoot in some exact locations that historically the characters had visited 500 years earlier. When Edward IV fled from England to Flanders during the War of the Roses he attended mass at the medieval cathedral in the heart of Bruges. Also King Edward’s sister Margaret stayed overnight in a house in the village of Damme, on her way to be married to Charles of Burgundy, which production used as Margaret Beaufort and Thomas Stanley’s country home.
Elizabeth Woodville’s (Rebecca Ferguson) hair was the longest real hair wig that Ray Marston Wig Studio had ever made. In medieval times no one cut their hair, so finding a real hair wig that long was quite the challenge.
Costume designer Nic Ede’s most memorable costume was Elizabeth’s coronation gown. The thrill of finding the gold crochet fabric destined for such a costume and seeing the team at Angels cut it, stitch hundreds of pearls and make it into the Byzantium confection that it was – and with Rebecca’s poise and beauty it was a gown that would be magical.
To make the actors age the make-up and hair is ‘dulled’ down to make their faces look almost tired on camera - rather than what is usually applied to ‘brighten’ faces for TV.
Production used an old abbey in Gent for a number of locations. One of scenes shot was when Richard (later Richard III) asked for Anne's hand in marriage. During the filming, a local, said that one of Richard and Anne's children was actually born in the abbey. It was an extraordinary coincidence and after a bit of research, production discovered that Richard spent time in exile in the area so, it could possibly be true!
Production Designer Martyn John’s highlight was designing and building the Palace of Westminster – when do you ever get to design a palace?!
To celebrate Edward’s 15 years on the throne there was a masque ball. It was a winter solstice party and would have taken place in the forest. But as it was the middle of February production weren’t able to film it in a forest at night. So Martyn John (Production Designer) created a forest inside the set of the Palace of Westminster. He dressed the set using 200 coppiced silver birch trees from local foresters (having just been felled and were supplied totally free). A frozen river was created down the central corridor and the floor dressed with 24 x 1 tonne bags of dried leaves. The production made it snow - it was total magic.
£2.5 million per episode of The White Queen and they can't hide hand rails and concrete steps from the viewer? Now that is a waste of money. And that's before we get to the scripts and cast.
Thirty years ago they aired Das Boot, a critically acclaimed German WWII drama mini-series. If this is anything like as good it will be money well spent.
Was your post just an excuse to do some BBC bashing?
My only problem with Das Boot was that I wasn't sure whether I should be supporting them or not.
I didn't want them to sink any of our ships but I didn't want them to be killed.
Comments
I record a lot of stuff, I may even record this, But much of it I delete before watching, if I hear a poor report of it. But the rest I'll give ten minutes before deciding whether to watch it all. I base this on the fact that the producers will try to "engage" an audience in the first few minutes, if that fails, I know that I'll think the rest isn't much cop.
It's a sad world that we have to constantly read the subtitles on a weekly basis, to enjoy a half-decent drama.
It amuses me that so many people on DS are enured to the failings of the BBC with our near £4,000,000,000 each year and don't like anyone to criticise them. "You'd think they were Sainsbury's."
My philosophy is that "you get the standard of service you deserve."
i.e. if no one complains, it isn't going to get better.
It amuses me how many people on DS rarely have a good word to say about the BBC and don't like to have anyone praising them
Totally agree, am very much looking forward to seeing this. Das Boot is one of the best war films made imo. It says the action mostly takes place on the Eastern Front.
it amuses me how many people on DS get so heated about something as trivial as TV
You are aware that, as an example, the budget per episode for Game of Thrones is $6m, rising to almost $10m for big scenario ones like Blackwater in S2? The BBC simply does not have the money to compete at that level for one television show.
I'm thinking this applies to to an American "drama-comedy" I've watched a few episodes of recently, Orange is the New Black. The fist half of the first episode set up an interesting scenario/premise, but for a "comedy-drama" it is short on laughs, as in not having any. This makes me think the whole pilot episode concept is flawed.
I'm thinking TV companies (and viewers) on both sides of the Atlantic get duped by pilot episodes that are way better than the series we end up getting.
This is true, but then I like to be amused and some on hear never fail to satisfy, though they seem oblivious to the situation.
I was referring to every TV company in the UK, not just the BBC. But money clearly can buy quality, when used properly, because GoT is one of the best things to have emerged since the Sopranos.
I know, I was just stating the obvious, that US cable channels have access to far higher budgets than the BBC. As a comparison the recent The White Queen, a lavish costume drama based on the same historical period which influenced GRRM to write A Song of Ice and Fire, had a total budget of £25m for all 10 episodes.
Money also doesn't guarantee quality either, Starz spent millions ($7m per episode) on their Arthurian adaptation Camelot but it utterly tanked because the casting was wrong, the scripts were dreadful and the production values were utter crap.
But then there are other imports that can sustain my attention for a number of weeks. Like; "Justified," "Suits," Nashville," "The Glades," The Americans." "Homeland," "Elementary," "Castle," "Revenge."
From that list you wouldn't think I was hard to please, but the BBC often fail to do so.
However, I do start threads on BBC programmes that I think others might also find interesting, but sadly, I've not seen anything I've thought worth starting one on since May, although I have commented positively on threads of other BBC programmes people have started.
£2.5 million per episode of The White Queen and they can't hide hand rails and concrete steps from the viewer? Now that is a waste of money. And that's before we get to the scripts and cast.
If I could produce a list of things I enjoy as long as that I'd be a happy viewer! While shows such as those I mentioned earlier are always watchable, there is probably far too much I grin and bear - and that's when I start thinking longingly about when I was younger and had an evening-based social life.
Fairly impossible to remove all 21st century aspects from a TV production which is being filmed on location. That didn't really bother me, the poor adaptation itself however, did.
Top Of The Lake (New Zealand) BBC2
Wentworth (Australia) Channel 5
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Australia) Alibi
The Doctor Blake Mysteries (Australia) BBC1
Plenty of Canadian shows broadcast over here as well
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10125616/The-White-Queen-brings-zips-bricks-and-manicures-to-the-15th-century.html
Meanwhile, in the other corner, the Daily Mail has a figure of £25 million .....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-2340362/BBCs-The-White-Queen-Battles-beddings-beheadings-Why-TV-event-summer.html
No, wait, they have a figure of £10 million ....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2346670/This-White-Queen-travesty-Your-Majesty-Why-howlers-like-concrete-steps-metal-railings-rubber-boots-turning-TVs-new-period-drama-laughing-stock.html
And to further muddy the waters, this site states
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=592241
Meanwhile, this is where that money seems to have gone:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/whitequeen/
You'd hope so give this is where Germany suffered around 85% of its pre-1945 losses.
From the person who started a thread titled "Why is the BBC obsessed with weather in the USA?" I take that as a complement.
Actually it was co-produced by the BBC (UK), UKTV Australia (owned by BBCW - UK), UKTV NZ (BBCW - UK) and Sundance Channel (US)....
If anything it's a British-American co-production shot in New Zealand...
My only problem with Das Boot was that I wasn't sure whether I should be supporting them or not.
I didn't want them to sink any of our ships but I didn't want them to be killed.
Go on, enlighten me as to why.