The Widower...Thanks for the Spoiler

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  • Cg_EvansCg_Evans Posts: 2,039
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    This was a very good mini series. Off topic, but does anyone know where can I watch the Reckoning part 1? Sky's on demand ITV player is a bit of a dog's dinner most of the time, whoever is running that seems to not know what threy are doing, or do not care.
  • cuzacuza Posts: 1,739
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    maggie_07 wrote: »
    I watched League of Gentlemen and both Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton were great in that but I somehow missed Psychoville. Thanks for reminding me. After reading the reviews though this will be the next DVD I get - it looks like my sort of thing.

    I agree with everyone on here - Reece Shearsmith's acting was brilliant in depicting a psychopath who could appear to be quite normal, even getting 3 women to fall in love with him, whilst at the same time planning their deaths.

    I absolutely loved The League Of Gentlemen and bought all the series on DVD.

    I loved Psychoville too and bought that. All quite mad and I think I'm going to have to watch them all over again now.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 372
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    eviled2010 wrote: »
    So Coronation Street finishes and the bloody annoying announcer tells us "The Widower" is next: "A man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants".
    Ok, maybe I am wrong but everything I saw up to now suggested this was a whodunit/thriller type thing.
    So I know it's him already!

    What? Did you watch episode 1 & 2?
  • Leicester_HunkLeicester_Hunk Posts: 18,316
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    I am amazed that Malcolm got one intelligent woman to go out with him / marry him let alone 3. He was odious and bizarre. Extraordinary character.
  • Mommie DearestMommie Dearest Posts: 412
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    Really enjoyed the series, Reece is a great actor.

    I'm a huge fan of League of Gentlemen and Psychoville and I thought Inside no 9 was pretty good too.

    Saw RS in "Ghost Stories" at the Duke of York's nearly 4 years ago - absolutely terrifying. Waited for him by StageDoor and can attest he is a thoroughly nice bloke, in fact out of all the celebs I've met he's my favourite (along with Emma Thompson)
  • nw0307nw0307 Posts: 10,882
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    duncann wrote: »
    I just caught up with Part 3. I thought this was a very good drama on all levels - it was beautifully shot, well-written and directed, it was tense and emotionally compelling, while being based solidly in reality - it was all very credible and all the more chilling for that. I didn't recognise the true story until he showed up in New Zealand and then the newspaper reports came back to me. But I had no idea he had quite so much time back in the UK after NZ and was on a third serious relationship.

    I thought all the performances were excellent, Reece Shearsmith creeped me out! It's very difficult to play creepy to the viewer while being convincingly charming to the other characters. He got that spot on. The leukaemia scenes were deeply disturbing. And the actress who played his potential third wife had 2 or 3 really outstanding moments of confusion and betrayal without any overacting.

    Fantastic. More quality true crime drama made like this, ITV!

    Archie Panjabi. She's a great actress and has been in The Good Wife for all its run and received an Emmy award for her role a couple of years ago.
  • BellaRosaBellaRosa Posts: 36,483
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    I really want to read this book! Many posters have made a passing reference to it - what's the exact title? My daughter works at the local library, so if I ask her she'll see if they have it in and borrow it for me!

    Absolutely gripped by this from beginning to end, all of us in this house. We'd missed it originally when it was broadcast the first two Mondays, so caught up with both the first two episodes on Friday night on demand, and couldn't wait to see episode three last night. From what I've read in news reports, and online, essentially this story has been presented with very little 'augmentation' of the basic facts.

    But that's why I'd like to read the book, just to see what was added in or adapted, although they clearly didn't need to augment how psychopathic Malcolm Webster is (and psychopaths can't ever be 'cured') who killed without any feelings of guilt, with clear justifications which made sense perfectly to him, and would doubtless have gone on to do it again if he hadn't eventually been stopped.

    A few people have commented on how amazing it is - looking back now, at the bigger picture, and knowing what is now known - that he got away with so many huge deceptions and harming people for so long. And that's the thing - the fact that it all seems so unbelievable, when you look at what he got away with for so long, is what partly what made it so doable for Webster - people never want to consider the 'unbelievable' when it's easier to believe something simpler; essentially, us humans are trusting beings, seeing what we expect to see in any given situation, and with a kind of 'over ride' system that makes us ignore 'awkward' things when they don't seem to fit what's easiest for us to believe.

    Psychopaths understand that perfectly and, if one could call it a 'strength', it's the one they are often able to exploit to perfection. (Sadly I found out more than I wanted to about the subject after a friend of mine was the victim of one :() That, and the fact he was presumably banking on no one joining the dots between Scotland and New Zealand, and different hospitals - and, even if they did, believing arrogantly that he could convince people he was being accused unfairly and talk his way out of it.

    In essence, one of the best TV adaptations I've seen in years - Reece Shearsmith (who I didn't know either - don't want any of the programmes others have mentioned he's been in) was amazing as Malcolm, but everyone was cast well - they'd made a real effort to get 'the look' right across the board. Excellent.


    BIB Have seen that someone has given you the title and look forward to hearing what you think about it.

    I am now struggling with the 2nd half of the book and have skipped a few pages as they keep repeating the same thing over and over again. Blooming annoying! I feel the 2nd half is mainly filler.

    I really do not know how Malcolm got away with this for so long but this is a section from the book where it is mentioned that Chief Inspector Phil Chapman says about 'losing' the initial accident statement ....

    A junior staff member had been cleaning an outer office, less than six feet from where Chapman sat throughout the probe, and walked into his office to ask if he needed 'the Webster crash statement'.

    Assuming, the officer meant the updated, more recent paperwork, Chapman, busy co-ordinating efforts to snare Webster, replied he had all he needed without looking up.

    Then when he did glance up, he caught sight of a dusty old folder, saw the officer blow the dust off the top of it, and punched the air in delight.

    The folder contained the original statement. They had been sitting less than six feet away from Chapman, in a forgotten desk draw, for all those years That paperwork contained the truth of what happened the night Claire Morris died.




    Now to me that is a massive police blunder and can see why it took so long to catch Webster. I am quite shocked that something like that could happen!
  • Mr SirsMr Sirs Posts: 4,823
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    Watched all 3 episodes - excellent drama all round in terms of acting and storyline/pace. Webster was/is one evil man. Hope he rots in jail - sadly he won't, but might be released as an old incontinent codger to be laughed at and pushed over in the street...
  • LoolabelleLoolabelle Posts: 552
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    I'm clearly in the minority on the portrayal of Malcolm which I didn't think was particularly believable, but more a caricature of a 'villain'. I felt it also lacked the charm which we are led to believe the real Malcolm possessed. And although he did come across as rather creepy, for me the character really lacked any depth. Having said that I did enjoy the drama, but that was really due to the fact that it was a true story and it was quite unthinkable that he got away with so much before he was caught.
  • gomezzgomezz Posts: 44,474
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    I can only think Shearsmith's portrayal was to show us the inner creep behind the gloss of charm which is all his victims could see. Emperor's New Clothes and all that.
  • BellaRosaBellaRosa Posts: 36,483
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    In The Black Widower book they mention a book and a mini drama that is very much like Malcolm Webster's story called The Crow Road by Iain Banks.

    I have ordered this from the library as it sounds an interesting read.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,274
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    BellaRosa wrote: »
    In The Black Widower book they mention a book and a mini drama that is very much like Malcolm Webster's story called The Crow Road by Iain Banks.

    I have ordered this from the library as it sounds an interesting read.

    Have you seen the tv adaptation of The Crow Road? It was repeated on BBC4 last year and I recommend it, although I've never read the book so I don't know how true the tv version stays to the book.
  • dd68dd68 Posts: 17,828
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    I watched all three episodes this week, not bad, but I somehow expected more after the hype around it
  • Pop PrincessPop Princess Posts: 2,872
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    Just thought I'd bump this as I read today that Malcolm Webster is appealing his convictions again. http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/local/wife-killer-malcolm-webster-in-new-bid-to-clear-his-name-1.562208
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