Funny how praise doesn’t have a quantitive limitation on it but criticism apparently does.

To say it’s crap would be an insult to crap shows. Montalbano is like some weird time-warp throwback to the eighties. Scenery-gazing aside I can’t think of any reason why anyone (particularly the refined audience accustomed to Borgen, Wallander and The Killing) would slum it watching this.

It seems BBC4 think we can only tolerate one Euro-import at a time. Why else would they ramp up expectations by giving this the coveted Saturday night slot? Put this somewhere else and maintain Saturday as the destination for quality Nordic drama. Perhaps they’re still terrified of being bashed in the press for too many imports and think they have to ration them (Icelandic season aside).

Can’t believe Saturday is now blighted for the next 10 weeks! It’ll be nearly May before there’s even a chance of something decent on (assuming the rationing thesis holds true).

You've got "Those Who Kill" (OK, it's going to have ad breaks) on iTV3 to keep you "Scandi-ed" in the interim, though.

K

What does BIB mean? Seen it on DS but nowhere else.

Bit In Bold

Thanks. People don't talk English any more (or should that be PDTEAM?)

Think I'm with Straker on this one. I love my subtitled drama but will stick to Nordic ones (and Spiral!)
The earlier showings of IM didn't do it for me at all... will maybe try tonight but not holding my breath!
So sad as we both enjoy looking forward to the Saturday night slot.

These sort of abbreviations have been around for decades, check out your coins, the old ones had FID DEF on them which was the equivalent txt spk, for Fidei Defensor.
Now the coins are so small it just says F.D.

They might have done better if they'd made it as a musical.
I thought it had "that sort of acting."

Not seen any of these yet, so here goes......

Here we go

Oh Catarello right from the start!!

I bet the guy in the lift was killed by the security guard

I started to watch this...

"What-a mistake-a to make-a!"

Some laugh out loud moments in this......... a bit dated, but on the whole I enjoyed it.

Watched my daughter on ITV instead - did I miss much??

Couldn't agree more.......9 more weeks of this rubbish.

One thing that did disappoint me about last night's episode was the quality of the subtitling - I counted at least 3 occasions where there was dialogue but no text and one occasion when the wrong text flashed up briefly before being replaced by the correct text.

I wonder who did the subtitling?

On more positive notes, Livia's are rather nice!

K

This confused me as I heard this reviewed on Radio 4 last week with the slant of the review being that it had been bought in on the strength of The killing, but it has already been on BBC4 before? Strange they'd get that one wrong.

Felt a bit like watching an old Bergerac.

BBC4 have shown two epsiodes of Montalbano before so I'm assuming the Radio 4 bit meant that BBC4 had decided to buy a lot more episodes after the success of The Killing

How old was it? The money was lira!

BIB is an acronym. FID DEF is not an acronym, it's an abbreviation (as was IND IMP - Indiae Imperator - on George VI coins and earlier). I am aware of many acronyms and their meanings, but if I come across one I don't know, I'm sure you don't mind me asking?

Why should I mind you asking?
My point is that abbreviations are now so commonplace in every day life, where so few people have "any time."
As a joke, I compared FID DEF to txt spk. which also does creep into some messages on this board.

But we still use forms of abbreviations on here.

When a few years ago I started using "a heads up" for
"Here's a programme that others might find interesting that will be on soon" there were some criticisms of its use.

But it's commonplace now.

Probably not as you didn't seem to like it last time. I just approach it as if it's an Italian version of Bergerac - on that kind of level - and don't take it too seriously. I don't really compare it to the Nordic stuff.

I did notice the bad subbing though and someone on Twitter said that the Austrian actress who plays Livia was dubbed.

@ LondonKiwi - Apparently that particular ep was 1999.

She's appeared on British tv back in the early 80s in a Swiss/German TV version of Heidi

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2116851200/tt0423667

How bad must the unseen Lassgard Wallanders be I wonder? The BBC say they look ''dated'' and are not worth buying. They must be horrendous if Montalbano are better value for money. I've now watched 3 of these dramas and can safely say not my cup of tea. Thankfully ITV3(and FX- Braquo is getting a repeat showing) will fill the breach until BBC finishes the Insp Monti run.

I'll leave the thread to those who enjoy these Italian mysteries.

Regards

BK