Case Histories - isn't Cambridge photogenic enough?

[Lilymaid]

Somewhat baffled with the BBC version of Kate Atkinson's book. Book is about Cambridge, TV is set in Edinburgh. Jackson Brodie was no hunk in the book ...

Thanks Kitty - did you recognise it straight away? Am impressed!

I'm so glad other people were outraged surprised. I watched the first 20 minutes going: "Arthur's Seat! I don't remember that in Cambridge. Where have they put Cambridge".

Was surprised at how right they'd got the casting of Jackson - I was finding it hard to imagine in the book why so many women were flinging themselves at him. Not any more

I was less impressed with the second two episodes though, just too many coincidences. Better than the book however.

you see, I liked that book. My friend is just ploughing through it and she is really struggling yet she loved the first one. I feel bad for getting her onto them now!!

Oh, I always knew he would be good looking

I can hardly remember anything about the second book (still catching up with the adaptation on iplayer) - lots of running around the Edinburgh festival being hit over the head? It was nothing like as good as One Good Turn IMO and When Will There Be Good News? was best of all. I loved the Dr Hunter/Reggie/Baby/The Dog grouping.

My friends that havent read the books arent enjoying it at all they say there is too much going on and no proper ending.

Its good to hear it from people who arent familiar with the work. I take it this must be half the country?

I liked the books. Having watched all four episodes so far, have concluded it's just a pity they are so compressed.

Giving each book only two episodes doesn't allow the adaptation to do justice to the complexity, quirks and, in particular, characterisation which make the books so enjoyable.

They haven't suffered as badly as South Riding, which was squeezed into far too few episodes by the Beeb, but it is a shame, none the less.

Too many coincidences - did make Angela Lansbury look a bit more credible - but loved the black humour, and the twist with the crappy businessman's wife. Just trying to remember where else the hero has been duped like that (sorry for vagueness trying not to give away too much.

It's been a while since I read One Good Turn. I don't remember Brodie visiting his brother, Francis. In fact didn't he kill himself?

I've loved Jason Isaacs since I watched the Patriot years ago...he always seems to play the baddie though so this makes a change!

Yes sparkly, he did in the book.

Am sooo loving this series. Very surprised as is always tricky when you love the books. Thought they got the Martin Canning, Richard Moat casting just right.

Yes, Canning and Moat were spot on. I felt more empathy with Brodie than I got from the book, he kept getting arrested in the book, which really weakened his character.

I feel bereft now this has finished - When will there be good news has been my favourite so far. I haven't read the books, but will now. From the perspective of prior unfamiliarity I thought the TV adaptation extremely well-cast and brilliantly executed. I can't agree at all with the criticism that there was too much going on and no proper endings. I'm bored of predictable stories and having our dramas spoon-fed to us and the challenges of keeping pace and trying to work out who fits where are exactly why DH and I have enjoyed this short series so much.

Yes the brother Francis did kill himself in the books - though I vaguely remember Jackson visiting some older relative in a nursing home, maybe it was his father?

I think it's been generally good, but agree with others that it suffered a bit from being 'compressed'. Some things were over-explained and wrapped up a bit too neatly that were left open-ended in the book - e.g. in Case Histories I don't think we're actually told explicitly that the homeless girl is Tanya, though obviously we assume she is, we don't see what happens to Caroline/Michelle after she rocks up at the vicarage in her little sports car and can imagine for ourselves. And don't think we needed to be constantly reminded that yes, Jackson's sister was killed when he was young and that in some ways shaped the way he is now, yes those earrings do look quite a lot like the ones on the dead girl etc.

Noticed Honda Man had no rottweiler! Is it my imagination or is there always a dog, at least in a minor role, in every Kate Atkinson book?

Yes, Dr Hunter had a dog that trailed Reggie everywhere. I missed him/her.

Was it Reggie's brother in the coffin at the end? That was a bit odd, the way she put the drugs in the coffin I assumed it had to be, but she didn't seem upset or distressed, just matter-of-fact!

I assumed so, but didn't notice him actually die, I was MNing at the same time though, so might have missed something.

I thought it was her teacher...the one that caused the train crash. I thought she was hiding the drugs there because obviously noone would ever find them. That's why she said sorry. I may have got the completely wrong end of the stick though...

I'd forgotten about the teacher, that would make sense.

Ah! Yes, that does make more sense.

DH and I thought that it was superb. We were both misty eyed at the end of 'When will there be good news?'

at Jason Isaacs. That's me, not DH