The Secret of Crickley Hall (BBC1)

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  • kate36kate36 Posts: 13,715
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    I'm just watching it again from the beginning as i havent seen it in its entirety...it sounds like there are a fair few inconsistencies:o
    the book is excellent though; i have since borrowed two more by james herbert from the library:D [nobody true and haunted]
    :eek::D
  • Z StardustZ Stardust Posts: 430
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    I'm sure the flood came up through the well. The modern-day vicar tells the Caleighs this at the church and mentions that a storm drain was later built so it couldn't happen again.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 257
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    junipaire wrote: »
    ahh thanks for that, must be seeing things, that clears that up then

    yeah I get the dog was scared but why didn't he tell them he would look after him instead of give them something else to worry about.

    Probably because it fitted in better with the plot making it more creepy.

    I thought it was a great watch and will keep an eye out for the book now.
  • Wench02Wench02 Posts: 2,790
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    They didn't seem to care much that the dog had vanished...!

    It did annoy me the way Mum idolized little Cam and thought he was perfect, yet didn't seem to really care that much about her other two children (although this may be the way the book is read). If I was that 12 year old girl, I would be pretty peeved mother had virtually abandoned me due to her being obsessed with missing brother.

    I would suspect that Stefen "kept" his real name, and would have used it for the census, official documentation etc, but would have gone under the name of the "adoptive" families boy.
  • filmfan7filmfan7 Posts: 3,429
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    I see the actor (cant remember his name ) who played the evil Cribben was the Scottish tattoo guy in the film " This Years Love " ..great acting and very diverse from his role in this excellent drama !
  • the_lostprophetthe_lostprophet Posts: 4,173
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    I watched the series but wasn't impressed. Am amazed nearly everyone on DS seemed to enjoy it - opinion is split with professional reviewers and the wider public elsewhere.

    This about sums it up:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9714947/The-Secret-of-Crickley-Hall-BBC-One-review.html

    I thought the series was quite dull - 30mins into the final episode I couldn't believe there was another 30 to go. The whole thing was too drawn out - it could've been done in two eps.

    There was a lack of suitably creepy atmosphere with too much of it shot in the light - actually nearly all of it. The music was wrong too - didn't create suspense or spookiness the way the European subtitled shows on BBC4 manage to do so well. Even the characterisation here was bland - I just didn't care about the central Caleigh family. A typical case of dull BBC drama - they need to learn from the Nordics (Forbrydelsen etc) and fast. The Danes' acting is superb compared to this - it's just so subtle and realistic.
  • DavetheScotDavetheScot Posts: 16,623
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    I watched the series but wasn't impressed. Am amazed nearly everyone on DS seemed to enjoy it - opinion is split with professional reviewers and the wider public elsewhere.

    This about sums it up:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9714947/The-Secret-of-Crickley-Hall-BBC-One-review.html

    I thought the series was quite dull - 30mins into the final episode I couldn't believe there was another 30 to go. The whole thing was too drawn out - it could've been done in two eps.

    There was a lack of suitably creepy atmosphere with too much of it shot in the light - actually nearly all of it. The music was wrong too - didn't create suspense or spookiness the way the European subtitled shows on BBC4 manage to do so well. Even the characterisation here was bland - I just didn't care about the central Caleigh family. A typical case of dull BBC drama - they need to learn from the Nordics (Forbrydelsen etc) and fast. The Danes' acting is superb compared to this - it's just so subtle and realistic.

    I can only say that I did care about the Caleigh family. That girl and her scared wee face in the well...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 261
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    filmfan7 wrote: »
    I see the actor (cant remember his name ) who played the evil Cribben was the Scottish tattoo guy in the film " This Years Love " ..great acting and very diverse from his role in this excellent drama !

    Douglas Henshall - terrific actor. He's done so much and is a bit underrated. Try to catch Psychos (it's still somewhere on 4OD) if you look for it. Other side of the fence to this. He played a bi-polar NHS psychiatrist!!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 261
    Forum Member
    I watched the series but wasn't impressed. Am amazed nearly everyone on DS seemed to enjoy it - opinion is split with professional reviewers and the wider public elsewhere.

    This about sums it up:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9714947/The-Secret-of-Crickley-Hall-BBC-One-review.html

    I thought the series was quite dull - 30mins into the final episode I couldn't believe there was another 30 to go. The whole thing was too drawn out - it could've been done in two eps.

    There was a lack of suitably creepy atmosphere with too much of it shot in the light - actually nearly all of it. The music was wrong too - didn't create suspense or spookiness the way the European subtitled shows on BBC4 manage to do so well. Even the characterisation here was bland - I just didn't care about the central Caleigh family. A typical case of dull BBC drama - they need to learn from the Nordics (Forbrydelsen etc) and fast. The Danes' acting is superb compared to this - it's just so subtle and realistic.

    I'm a big fan of Scandinavian drama too, but I don't think "subtle and realistic" would have suited this lightweight gothic horror. Big and bold more the mark, I think?
  • SandgrownunSandgrownun Posts: 5,024
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    junipaire wrote: »
    Did I see though at the end the Suranne Jones character visiting Stafans grave and said 1943 died, I thought he survived, I maybe made a mistake but thought it said Stefan. Which I didn't get.
    I didn't understand that. Didn't Percy say that Stefan had changed his name, in which case why would the grave have his real name? Unless he wasn't buried there, but the Caleigh's paid for a headstone to commemorate him?
    junipaire wrote: »
    Didn't really understand the dognapping bit
    Percy took the dog to protect it from Cribben.
    kat180 wrote: »
    Why didn't Nancys ghost help the children? Why did she only pop up right at the end, and why discomposed?
    I guess because her body had only just been found, maybe?
    Locarno1 wrote: »
    3. How did the flood start and get into the house? a door open? Window?
    There was an underground river, that came up through the well and the foundations. Though I didn't understand why the ground floor appeared to be flooding before the cellar.
  • AbrielAbriel Posts: 8,525
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    we just caught up with this and were so engrossed we watched all three episodes. I know! Get Us! On a school night too. The atmosphere really built up well watching it like that and I think, helped you suspend disbelief.

    Agree there were some plotholes,but hey it was a ghost story!. the ages didn't quite work ( though just because David warner's 70 doesn't men he can't play and 80odd year old - he certainly looked more than 70, but it would have been better if Gordon hadn't looked younger than him) All in all great fun though. OH and I had read the book some time ago but it kept teen daughter and her boyfriend engaged too

    BTW I was convinced Nancy was played by Dr who's new assisant but it would seem not
  • Carla_Diana_EliCarla_Diana_Eli Posts: 2
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    katkim wrote: »
    I thought this brilliant. I'm not really a fan of ghost stories, but I caught this almost by accident and it sucked me right in.

    I'm glad Stefan fought back and survived and had a happy life after all his suffering. Normally I don't like deviation from the book, but in this case after reading what happened to book-Stefan , I'm glad. The TV ending seems more satisfying. I think it would have been too bleak otherwise with Cam being dead, all the other orphans and Nancy murdered, and Cribben and Magda more or less getting away with it.

    I'm not sure about Nancy asking Cribben to go with them as they leave the house and Cribben refusing. Part of me wanted him to go with them and find peace, leaving the house and other children safe from him, but the other part of me thought his forgiveness was too easy after all he had done. His ending was a bit conflicting for me.

    I'm not too sure about Magda's breakdown either. I mean, she enabled those children to be abused for years and she was personally involved with Nancy's murder. I'm not really buying that she feels guilt, grief or trauma. Or was she faking it to escape the consequences? It wasn't too clear.

    On a random note, the actor who's played the past-vicar had been bugging me from the beginning because I recognised his face but couldn't place me. Finaly twigged that he's the not bothered probabtion officer from Misfits right in the middle of his discovery of the punishment book. Took me right out of the scene for a moment, but so please I could put a name to a face :D

    No, I think the reason she had the breakdown was because it was such a shock to realise just how deranged her brother had become, I think she misjudged how ill he was. I reckon she knew he had come back as a ghost and pretended to be ill when she had really recovered in order to stay near him.
  • WillowFaeWillowFae Posts: 5,225
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    Gurgles wrote: »
    Stefan's happy ending was really touching. His fate is very different in the book.

    See I didn't like his ending. I preferred the ending in the book.
  • Elphie_LivesElphie_Lives Posts: 4,455
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    I finally caught up with the last episode. My mum told me it was emotional and I just sort of fobbed it off. I was close to crying when Gabe called Eve, the silence and her knowing from that was really well done. Cribbens hovering over Eve and 'They're mine.' was very chilling. I know some don't like Nancy saying 'They're mine' but it did make me smile.

    I took it to be that they the Caleighs put Stefan's headstone next to Cam so he could look after him in the next life.
  • ArcanaArcana Posts: 37,521
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    I've just caught up with my recording of this series at last.

    Whilst perhaps not as enthusiastic as most people here seemed to be, I found it enjoyable enough that I'm tempted to download the book.
  • Welsh-ladWelsh-lad Posts: 51,909
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    Just watched this for the first time on Drama - genuinely chilling, I was on the edge of my seat!
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