Call The Midwife

[Daffodilly]

I'm sure after the Christmas special they said a new series would be starting in the New Year. So where is it?? [impatient]

I'm digressing hugely from CtM here, sorry!

the whole point of the book/diary was to show how much she loved working as a midwife

That wasn't the impression I got from the books though. Jenny in the books came over as shocked, straight and out of her depth to me, which explained why she didn't stay a midwife/nurse for long.

She wrote it because there were so many books about doctors/vets but none about midwives, who probably have more stories as they see so many people (and often in nicer circumstances than doctors!).

shouldnthave- which era are you talking about in your last post?
I'm a bit confused:)
I was born in the 50s, and my parents in the 1920s. The NHS was in full swing by the 50s- the era in which the current series is now set.
I'm just saying I don't 'get' the point you are making!

I started watching 'An Adventure in Space and Time' all about how Doctor Who started (must get round to watching the rest) and Jessica Raine played Verity Lambert in exactly the same way. I think it's the only way she knows how to 'act'. I certainly agree with the comparison with Keira Knightley! I usually avoid anything with her in.

Damn that Alec for dying, now I'm supposed to feel sorry for Jenny, when five minutes before I was ranting about how unreasonable she was jumping to conclusions about the hotel booking!

Getting away from the topic of her poor acting, it's rather odd that in series one, she was 'seeing' a married man ( though we never knew exactly what they got up to) yet with her single boyfriend she gets all prissy at the idea of maybe having to share a room.
It was the mid 50s- women did have sex before marriage though not without some stigma if you were 'caught' or worse still were up the duff.

I think that was the point though wasn't it, she knew she'd been unreasonable but it was too late :(

josephine we do know. In the book she says he'd never take advantage of her, he pretty much sent her away. I think it was probably what we'd call an emotional affair.

I went to school with the double of Cynthia, so can see that there are genuinely be people like her in real life.

Cynthia is Mary-Lou from Mallory Towers. Just all grown-up. Mary-Lou left to be a children's nurse, there's a definite 'type' of person like that.

As for RADA training- all actors train somewhere and RADA doesn't mean you come out as a certain 'type' of actor!

No they don't.

And not all the RADA grads are 'the same' but there is a prevelant 'type' and there are visible tells.

Okay- just to be precise not ALL actors train at drama school but many do.

I know someone who is on the auditioning panel for RADA , teaches there and is also an actress and quite a good one at that! She does not appear the 'same' in everything she's in (TV, stage and film) so I beg to differ :)

Digressing from any intellectual discussion - the church that Alec's funeral was filmed at was the church I got married in

I'm absolutely not saying that they all act one character- that would be absurd!

And I'm a big fan of Jessica Raine I think she is very good and versatile.

But there are tells within her acting, techniques that have clearly been taught.

Fwiw I'm a drama teacher and I did quite extensive acting training myself. Without being a pretentious twat maybe I do see things slightly differently to the average viewer.

I love the young nun midwife who delivered Jewish lady's baby-I find her over compelling to watch and I think she has a lovely face.

The misunderstanding over the hotel room was a great example of getting the wrong
End of the stick, having a flounce and it having repercussions.

I was sobbing like a baby at the end!

Very compelling.

I heard Jessica Raine talking to Simon Mayo on R2 recently - she came across very well, but I was most surprised by her voice - flexible, warm, good to listen to - completely different from the clipped, rather monotonous tone she uses for Jenny. I know she's trying to reproduce 1950s RP, but I don't think it does her character, or the audience's perception of her acting, any favours - it makes her sound wooden.

I watch CTM every week, but since they've had to deviate from the books the storylines have become more and more sentimental and tenuous - I really didn't believe that Jenny would have reacted like that to the faintest whiff of a suggestion that a double room was in store. And the accident seemed a convenient way of getting rid of a character that had nowhere else to go - it limits the storylines for Jenny if she's constantly going out with someone. DH and I always have a joke when characters disappear for a while. On Sunday Chummy was obviously on tour (popping back for one shot at the funeral) whereas Jessica R has obviously got some other acting committment that requires a few weeks off...

Isn't it funny how we all perceive things differently? I saw JR being interviewed a while back- might have been 'The one show' or something similar ( which I never watch but somehow it was on) and she was just the same as in CTM! Same girly voice and seemed to be 'acting' all the time- not natural.

lottie nothing like pulling rank, eh?
I'm a former teacher of English to A level- well used to seeing lots of plays and analysing them and the acting.

"I watch CTM every week, but since they've had to deviate from the books the storylines have become more and more sentimental and tenuous."

I agree with that. I think the great merit of the first two series was that, although the storylines were often sentimental and cloying, they were forced to include some really hardhitting stuff worthy of Ken Loach at his grimmest. The books certainly pack a punch in that respect.

Pixel I also saw Jessica Raine in that Doctor Who thing and I agree, she was exactly the same.

Maybe she finds the radio less stressful! She didn't sound in the slightest bit girly and was very natural. In fact I turned the radio up to check it was really her!

lottie nothing like pulling rank, eh?

Not pulling rank at all. Was just putting forward an opinion, but I'll admit I got a bit snippy in my own defence after your attempt to tell me you were definitely right because of your 'friend' at RADA.

I dislike watching decent actors getting slammed online. It makes me twitchy and Jessica Raine seems like a nice person worth defending.

anyway, shall we move on?

shouldn'thavesaid

I was brought up in the same city as Laura Main too, and I have never met anyone who talks like her either!

Love CTM though, and I like both Jessica Raine and Jenny.

Every episode has me howling more each week.

I also don't understand the vitriol for Jessica Raine. When riding a bike, especially on your way to work, you don't necessarily grin like a loon! You do need to concentrate.

If it were only whilst on the bike it would be a different matter. She is dour and condescending all the time.

I think if you work in the acting business then you probably do see "styles" more than the average viewer. I think I prefer to be ignorant on this one as I find it distracting to think about the acting rather than enjoying the story.