I actually think Dawn French can act very well, her strength is her sense of pathos. Sure a lot of the time, she's running around shouting and being Dawn French - Jennifer Saunders Comedy Partner, but Friday's episode of Roger & Val was very moving as was the episode of Jam and Jerusalem which focused on French's character.
This show definitely polarizes opinion it seems. I did struggle through the first episode but stuck with it and feel rewarded now. The last 5 minutes of Friday's episode were heartbreaking. Great acting from both. Agree with previous posts that this really was promoted incorrectly. It's not a comedy at all.
This show definitely polarizes opinion it seems. I did struggle through the first episode but stuck with it and feel rewarded now. The last 5 minutes of Friday's episode were heartbreaking. Great acting from both. Agree with previous posts that this really was promoted incorrectly. It's not a comedy at all.
I completely agree.
It's turned out to be a gem of a programme (in my opinion), and hasn't been billed or promoted in the right way.
Friday's episode had me in tears at the end and was superbly and subtly acted by both of them.
I completely agree.
It's turned out to be a gem of a programme (in my opinion), and hasn't been billed or promoted in the right way.
Friday's episode had me in tears at the end and was superbly and subtly acted by both of them.
I like this, cant really understand the criticism. its not supposed to be laugh out loud comedy & thank god for the abscence of canned laughter.
Along with Getting On...2 little gems amongst a load of cr*p.
I spotted the photo of them with Val holding a baby in the second episode & then understood the underlying sadness in their lives.
Absolutely agree. But sadly most people in this country have the attention span of a nanosecond. Patience is a non existent concept in their lives. So progs like Getting On and this one will be lost on them. By the way who says RAVHJGI is supposed to be a comedy? It's far more kitchen-sink drama, and so far it's been bleak, but reallistic Getting On (which has been brilliant) on the other hand is more like black comedy.
Good to see Dawn French doing something completely different to her usual I'm fat, funny and love chocolate roles.
I think the BBC marketed it as a sit-com when it doesn't seem to be, including it in adverts for other comedy shows, i.e sitcoms and sketch shows. Also the reviews of it seemed to consider it a comedy, possibly because the reviewers either had only been shown the first or second episode, they seemed to suggest it was a funny sit-com about the things we all do/have, like the big drawer.
I think the BBC marketed it as a sit-com when it doesn't seem to be, including it in adverts for other comedy shows, i.e sitcoms and sketch shows. Also the reviews of it seemed to consider it a comedy, possibly because the reviewers either had only been shown the first or second episode, they seemed to suggest it was a funny sit-com about the things we all do/have, like the big drawer.
I didn't see any trailer s for it, so just watched purely out of curiosity mainly because of Alfred Molina whose a very good actor. It's certainly not a sitcom or has any comedy feel about it at all. If people prefer to believe it's comedy because the Beeb said so, that's sad. Surely some people still have the capacity to think for themselves, rather than be told what to think.
I didn't see any trailer s for it, so just watched purely out of curiosity mainly because of Alfred Molina whose a very good actor. It's certainly not a sitcom or has any comedy feel about it at all. If people prefer to believe it's comedy because the Beeb said so, that's sad. Surely some people still have the capacity to think for themselves, rather than be told what to think.
The BBC should have 'marketed' the programme properly. If you tell people it is a comedy and what you find is not a comedy but a bitter/sweet drama then people will complain. The BBC shoots itself in the foot on occasion by wrongly offering programmes as one thing when they clearly aren't.
I'm thinking that Roger somehow blames himself for the loss of their child. Notice in Ep 4 where he panicked about not being able to hear the phone through the coat hood, then went on about it to Val? He kept saying things about not being able to hear, makes me wonder if he hadn't heard his child crying or something on the night he died, therefore blames himself for not being able to stop it happening?
I love the way that neither of them make huge speeches stuffed with exposition so that know exactly what's gone on in the past - nobody in real life speaks like that but we often see it on TV.
I'm thinking that Roger somehow blames himself for the loss of their child. Notice in Ep 4 where he panicked about not being able to hear the phone through the coat hood, then went on about it to Val? He kept saying things about not being able to hear, makes me wonder if he hadn't heard his child crying or something on the night he died, therefore blames himself for not being able to stop it happening?
I didn't think of that. Good thinking.
Why this is billed as a comedy is beyond me :eek: The BBC have got it wrong there. It is a bittersweet story which is just very gentle.
I love Roger and Val. My husband hated the first episode but admits its grown on him. I think people were just expecting something laugh a minute, and obviously R&V would be a disappointment if that was what you were after, but it is so worth persevering with.
Not as huge a fan of tonights episode. I mean it was still good, but certainly didn't top last weeks emotional drama. I finally got around to reading the "What Roger and Val is really about" (which they mention at the end of each episode) on the BBC Comedy site and its quite an interesting read about the background for the show and how episode 3 was the turning point for the series.
Just happened to stumble across this when it was up to episode 3. It's so good! Its power is in its subltety. It takes a while to get into and needs the viewer to invest a bit of effort/patience but it is so worth it. Quality TV - I could almost forgive them for The Deep if they also show this sort of thing ;-)
Very moving again tonight. I really think the dialogue is excellent...fantastically true to life. There are some beautiful little touches, like when Val was calling Roger an idiot re the email thing and she qualified it with "Not generally..." That's so well observed, and very subtle.
As already mentioned above, it's refreshing to see characters who talk like real people do instead of delivering speeches. Roger and Val really do come across as real people.
Dawn French is a revelation in this; it's shown a whole new depth to her acting....who knew she was capable of such sensitive and heartwrenching drama? Why doesn't she do this kind of thing more often?
There are so many things to think about in the show. It's so true that new grief can trigger feelings about past losses. And the way we all worry about becoming our parents...the painful memories that come to the fore when we're going through something tragic....it's all so well portrayed. I hope the ending brings some happiness and healing to the couple.
I'm seriously wanting to rewatch the first three episodes now, after the line in tonights episode about "everything in our lives revolves around it" (or similar).
I picked up on it in last weeks episode - that the whole "sorting out the spare room" was about the dead baby, but I missed it in the other three episodes (which i guess was the idea).
I seem to remember talk about the rock from episode 1 being sentimental and around 18 years ago he gave it to her.
But I can't remember the details about hanging the curtains in the living room, or putting food in the plant fridge.
Wasn't there something about the kids at school making lots of dishes of food for Val to bring home for the week, in one episode?
I must admit that I sort of overlooked the actual topic at hand and was concentrating on the dialogue - seeing the topic as a MacGuffin.
I said after the first one I liked it and would stick with it, but if you had asked me then if i would want to go back and watch the first few episodes, I would have said "Thought i enjoyed them, i wouldn't watch them again".
How amzing that this show - in just 5 weeks - has changed my mind!
Think the BBC have done this show a disservice by billing it as a comedy - it's far too subtle. Don't usually get blubby over a tv show but on Alfred Molina's delivery of the line "I was a dad for 5 1/2 weeks" I burst into tears. They have taken their time in letting this story tell itself and after initially being disappointed in it I now think it's a little gem.
I love this programme. And once again I have been moved to tears while watching it. Top marks to everyone involved with it, especially Dawn French and Alfred Molina.
Comments
I watched episode 4 last night and it also moved me to tears, I thought they both acted it very well. Its nice to watch something a bit different.
I completely agree.
It's turned out to be a gem of a programme (in my opinion), and hasn't been billed or promoted in the right way.
Friday's episode had me in tears at the end and was superbly and subtly acted by both of them.
Quite agree, just watched, sad and touching
Good to see Dawn French doing something completely different to her usual I'm fat, funny and love chocolate roles.
The BBC should have 'marketed' the programme properly. If you tell people it is a comedy and what you find is not a comedy but a bitter/sweet drama then people will complain. The BBC shoots itself in the foot on occasion by wrongly offering programmes as one thing when they clearly aren't.
I love the way that neither of them make huge speeches stuffed with exposition so that know exactly what's gone on in the past - nobody in real life speaks like that but we often see it on TV.
I didn't think of that. Good thinking.
Why this is billed as a comedy is beyond me :eek: The BBC have got it wrong there. It is a bittersweet story which is just very gentle.
the last episode was very moving
Word. I'm watching Roger & Val, but it doesn't hold a candle to the brilliant & vastly under-rated Sensitive Skin.
If ever a series was due a repeat, it is Sensitive Skin. Sublime TV.
Its a really sweet show which I look forward to everyweek.
I wonder if it will have a second series and carry on the baby storyline
Worth checking out, no spoilers in there really except a possible tiny one about episode 6 (not its content, but the message it provides): http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2010/09/roger-and-val-beyond-the-curtain-hooks.shtml
As already mentioned above, it's refreshing to see characters who talk like real people do instead of delivering speeches. Roger and Val really do come across as real people.
Dawn French is a revelation in this; it's shown a whole new depth to her acting....who knew she was capable of such sensitive and heartwrenching drama? Why doesn't she do this kind of thing more often?
There are so many things to think about in the show. It's so true that new grief can trigger feelings about past losses. And the way we all worry about becoming our parents...the painful memories that come to the fore when we're going through something tragic....it's all so well portrayed. I hope the ending brings some happiness and healing to the couple.
I picked up on it in last weeks episode - that the whole "sorting out the spare room" was about the dead baby, but I missed it in the other three episodes (which i guess was the idea).
I seem to remember talk about the rock from episode 1 being sentimental and around 18 years ago he gave it to her.
But I can't remember the details about hanging the curtains in the living room, or putting food in the plant fridge.
Wasn't there something about the kids at school making lots of dishes of food for Val to bring home for the week, in one episode?
I must admit that I sort of overlooked the actual topic at hand and was concentrating on the dialogue - seeing the topic as a MacGuffin.
I said after the first one I liked it and would stick with it, but if you had asked me then if i would want to go back and watch the first few episodes, I would have said "Thought i enjoyed them, i wouldn't watch them again".
How amzing that this show - in just 5 weeks - has changed my mind!
Some of the lines tonight really had me blinking back the tears, especially Val's 'I don't want to have to think about the pans.'