I read up on the story on Wiki, I've seen the film the BBC or the writer has gone more in depth this time the film didn't explain how Christie was found & why he just happened to be near the embankment when a copper spotted him so I think this one on balance is better, Richard Attenborough though was very good at playing him on film.

Not all, no but most. I prefer TV to film anyway but appreciate that's personal preference. I do find styles of acting change and TV usually better reflects the current mode.

You need to watch On The Waterfront, Godfather, French Connection, The Boston Strangler, All The Presidents Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, The Miracle Worker, Marty, Network, The China Syndrome, The Deer Hunter and many many more films.

Good list, not a duffer among them, never seen Alice DLHA on TV for ages.

I think suburbanqueen will find that TV shows today just copy what these films and many others did many years before.

Don't dispute that. There are only 6 basic stories anyway which everyone replicates in Films, books, TV.

I have seen most of those films and I tend not to re-watch. They were good at the time. After all, I know what's coming. If you're interested in the way films are made, the cinematography etc then I understand why people watch and re-watch. I'm not. I prefer to watch new things or new takes on things. Same reason I rarely re-read books.

I know what you mean. I only watch a film maybe twice, three times max over my lifetime. Which is why I don't get why people collect a whole library of DVD's, Blu Rays or books because I wonder how many times they actually re-watch or re-read these films and books in their vast collections gathering dust.

And can I add: Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, Capricorn One, Defence of the Realm, The Man who Never Was, The Exorcist, Jaws, Local Hero, The Blue Lamp, Towering Inferno, Vertigo, Rear Window, early Woody Allen and too many more to name! An eclectic mix but films pre the 1990's were far superior to the superhero stuff churned out these days.

(Oh, forgot 10 Rillington Place with darling Dickie!)

The last of these three is up against the Royal Variety Show, but Radio Times says stick with it, it is very much worth it. RT is normally very good at filtering the good from the turkeys.

I've just finished trawling through this enormously long thread and I must say I'm totally sick and tired of all the respondents who keep banging on about the 1971 cinema release of a similar title.

First up, how can so many people not know that it was Richard Attenborough who was the actor and director? His younger brother David Attenborough is the naturalist and TV presenter, whilst their youngest brother, John Attenborough, was a senior executive in the motor industry. There were no twins - as someone appeared to say - and only Richard ('Dickie') trod the boards.

Secondly, this is a thread about the current three-part TV drama production, so it would be good to see most comments aimed at that, rather than keep making comparisons with a 45 year-old film!

So far so good with the show. My initial thought was 'Oh no, here we go again, this is another Jamaica Inn with whispered dialogue that no-one is going to be able to hear', but apparently Christie really did speak like that, it's on record. I confess we did resort to the subtitle button whenever Christie was on screen, which of course was a good deal of the time.

I congratulate the properties people for locating and presenting No.10 Rillington Place as it was, suitably dingy and uncared for. It really added to the underlying menace of the piece which is already starting to come out.

Next week we hear the story through Ethel's eyes and finish off in week three with poor Timothy's viewpoint. I predict unmissable gripping drama to come .. and that's in spite of the fact that we all know what happened!

Compare and contrast is one of the enjoyable aspects of tv (and all forms of art ) criticism and analysis. I think posters have already corrected the slips made.

Just to correct you this time. Episode 1 was from Ethel's perspective, Episode 2 from that of Timothy Evans and the final, that of Christie himself.

Thanks for posting that because I didn't want to correct the poster who thought the 2nd episode would focus on Ethels story.

I stand corrected .. my silly mistake, thanks for pointing it out.

I love old films - particularly from the 1940s - 1960s.

It's actually refreshing to be able to hear all the dialogue delivered clearly and for there not to be intrusive sound effects delivered at excessive volume.

It's also rather nice that there wasn't gratuitous sex and nudity all the time either.

On the negative side however, looking back at old films certainly reminds you of the enormous prevalence of smoking in the earlier decades of the 20th century - and the fact that people regularly drove cars whilst under the influence of alcohol with no disapproval or depiction of apparent mishap...

Richard Fleischer directed the 1971 film not Dickie, Fleischer had directed the excellent The Boston Strangler a few years earlier and got an excellent performance out of Curtis, as he did Attenborough.

I'm taking a guess that Magic [ with Anthony Hopkins ] was Dickie's directorial debut.

I think that was Oh! What A Lovely War.

I'm almost flabbergasted, but not quite. You've completely dismissed 70 year's worth of cinema, including the 70s which was a peak and second golden period of film.

Is the French Connection wooden? Have you even seen it? Is Badlands wooden? Jules et Jim? I think rather that too many modern films (not all) are dumbed-down for daydreaming and impatient audiences.

The themes films (and plays and TV) cover have not changed. When you see Spencer Tracy making his speech in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, you can wind forward forty years and see the same scenario being played out, but the performance and writing generally isn't up to scratch.

I don't know you, so I don't know how old you are or what you've seen in terms of films, but a friend of mine (aged 46) turns his nose up at the idea of a black and white film and it's because he's never bothered to properly watch one.

I love old black and white films - Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Lady Killers, Brief Encounter, etc, etc. Real classics. I have to watch Scrooge in black and white - the colourised version is an abomination. My youngest daughter is a fan of Laurel and Hardy - she started watching them last year when she was 10

I love Brief Encounter, by complete contrast, I've always liked the 60s film Up the Junction.
Both depict their era very well, as does Rillington Place.

Check out Seance On A Wet Afternoon, Attenborough as the doting husband of an unhinged wife, this is the kind of role he does well, I never found him that frightening as Pinkie or that chilling as Christie . It's sometime shown on Talking Pictures TV on 306 Freesat, they show some good but lesser known British 50/60s titles

Bunny Lake Is Missing is another good 1960s mystery/thriller.

In this day of recording devices and catch up services, is that even a problem now in 2016?
Chose one, watch the other later.

I wonder if people realise the importance of this case in the ending of capital punishment in this country. Ludovic Kennedy, who wrote a book about the case, was very active in campaigning to end the death penalty. Mistakes were, and are, made and if an innocent person has been executed there's no way back.

Great film depicting the ridiculous tragic horror of the Great War.

Don't forget Sydney Silverman, M.P. for Nelson and Colne.