Banished on BBC 2
jojoeno
Posts: 1,842 Forum Member
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Did anybody see the great new series set in Van Daemons land in Australia in 1788, I tuned in and have to say I really enjoyed the first episode . Def one to watch over the next 7 weeks
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I hope Russell hasn't hanged himself.
I can't believe I'd missed any promos for this (if there were any) as I absolutely love Jimmy McGovern's work. I just happened upon it when looking at the TV guide tonight >:(
I'm really looking forward to watching it and I don't think I will be disappointed
What a refreshing change.
I haven't seen any promo either. Why has this been hidden away?
Having traced one side of our family, my cousin and I have an ancestor who was on the 1st or 2nd Fleet....plus a another ancestor who was married in the UK, transported to Australia a few years later and remarried another girl and had children. Also, have another ancestor, a great, great uncle who was with Captain Bligh, when Bligh was Governor of Australia.
It really was a very rough time for convicts, civilians and soldiers alike.
Might download it and try not browsing.
Reminded me a bit of that other series with Romola Garai, The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant, although if I remember rightly, a lot of that was set on the ship going out to Australia.
One of those period pieces where they've "modernised" the language to suit the audience of today.
Also found the incidental music incredibly intrusive.
Will stick with it to see where it goes.
Re Tommy & Elizabeth & their his insistence on having sex with her to the point of risking losing his life, well my OH & I have not had sex for over 2 years, this does not mean that our relationship is on the rocks - we are very much in love.
How times change, the term Godforsaken land was bandied about quite a bit, well I'm desperate to visit Australia & would book right now if I had the money!
I'm sure people cursed in those days.
It was a pretty godforsaken place from all I have seen and read. If the soldiers did not kill you, the lack of food, poisonous snakes, spiders and goodness know what else, probably would.
Apparently, because of the remote location where the filming took place the actors and crew were warned about being careful and try to avoid bumping into various venomous creatures....yuk, not for me....
You've got a writer who knows how to hook viewers in. Rather than spend time introducing an ensemble cast with a wandering 1st episode (like so many dramas of late) it stuck to a simple story. No doubt it will broaden out to include other characters in later episodes.
I laughed when reading this. I spotted that detail too and my husband said that I was probably the only picky soul to "complain" about that. Glad I am not alone, LOL!:D
Did anyone think he was going to put that spider in the blacksmiths bed? Or was that just me?
Well I'm glad I did as I've just watched it and it was excellent. A good drama in my eyes is when you care about the characters straight from the off.
Looking forward to next week already!
The acting was excellent with fascinating characters, even the baddies were good at being bad, the cinematography was breathtaking and storyline beguiling, that you want to know what happens next.
Well done Jimmy McGovern.
Life was pretty shit everywhere back then - if you were poor; I reckon 95% of the convicts sent to Australia were people who had to steal in order not to starve - not murderers/rapists & so on. When I've cleared my debts & can then get in to more debt by going on holiday to Australia, sleeping in hotels will hopefully protect me from creepy crawlies.
There was no plodding exposition, it just dropped you right into the story from the get-go.
I wasn't really intending to watch it, but it was on in the background, and I watched the first couple of minutes, and I was gripped until the end.
So yes, I thought it was very good.
I suppose if I looked for any criticism, I'd say that it might at times slip into melodrama and could potentially end up a bit soapy as it goes along. I think it might have made a bigger impact if they hanged the man, and perhaps it wasn't realistic that he was saved in the manner that he was. In a way I expected it was going to opt for a harsh and brutal conclusion. Maybe that might have made it seem more authentic with the times and been more hard hitting. But from this first episode I definitely intend to stick with it. I enjoyed what I saw, and the cinematography and production quality was excellent.