"Gunpowder" - BBC

[LurkingHusband]

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05j1bc9

Anyone looking forward ?

I have watched them all. I liked it and thought it was well made.

I think if teenagers or pre teens wanted to watch last night if the parent has watched it beforehand

Then fast forwarded as soon as you see her walking along in bare feet for however many minutes it is until the head dipping happened then again when he goes to collect the head

Then I think it would be OK

If they are interested in history and understand history and adult watches alongside them with remote in hand

It would have to be explained what had happened etc during the missed bit

It is basically celebrating the appalling persecution of Catholics I was always told as a child it was celebrating the fact the King and parliament weren't blown up. What direction would the country have taken if they had been successful?

Was it implying that King James was gay?

Er, King James was renowned at the time as enjoying the company of young men in a very unchaste way. But (despite what you might think) he was regarded as quite a good, competent King (read: Protestant). So who cared ?

(Compare and contrast with Edward II)

Guy Fawkes night is the celebration and thanksgiving of the loyal people for the saving of the Protestant monarch from the Catholic conspiracy.

At one point, it was an offence not to celebrate the crushing of the Catholic foe after the passing of an act of Parliament.

Lewes in East Sussex still goes to town with a 'carnival' of people in fancy dress, effigies of people who have been in the news (which are burnt at the climax of the festival) as well as Guy Fawkes and Pope Paul V (who was ordained in 1605).

The event has become conflated with a commemoration of 17 Protestant martyrs who were burned at the stake during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I.

It's a scary night for Catholics in some places....

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewes_Bonfire

There are 17 burning crosses to commemorate the 17 Martyrs....

And yes, that sign does indeed say NO POPERY

Gingernut if I didn't have your caption I would have assumed those pictures were from 12 July bonfires.

Despite being from just over the border of NI (or maybe because of it) I really struggle with understanding the hatred people have for other religions.

Watched them all. Shaun Dooley made it for me, proper understated menace. I usually love Gatiss but he had the knowing campery turned up a little too high this time.

On a side note, what has Liv Tyler done to her face?! She was so beautiful I hate what pressure does to women in film/tv.

When the woman was being crushed Liv Tyler looked like she was smirking. I don't rate her at all.

It's guaranteed to have a good plot....

We've just iPlayered the other episodes. Second episode definitely easier on the gore.

I can't believe how tense it was, even though everyone knows how it turns out!

I didnt even recognise Liv! She looks like a different person.

I also was told as a child that bonfire night was to do with celebrating the Parliament not being blown up by an anti monarchy person Guy Fawkes. Catholics were never mentioned. I only understood what had actually happened as an adult.

Not sure if I’m just being stupid (only watched episode 1 so far) but the spy who was sent to Flanders with the letter that was written by the priest. Both people he showed the letter to seemed to know instantly it was a set up. How did they know this? Did I miss something there?

No, I think the scene was put in to show that the Catholics were no pushover and Guy Fawkes was a badass.

I had wondered if 'Jon Snow' was a descendant of Robert Catesby so thank you Alberta for sharing. This has had a very gory start, I have watched GoT so ought to be used to gore but I was hiding my eyes. It is interesting to be shown the background to 'the gunpowder plot' from another perspective. I managed to get through GoT so I am sure I can manage this too. It

is a known story but somehow not having the 'shock' to numb my reaction to the gore ... Gosh I really am a snowflake aren't I?

Woah, I didn't realise hard as nails Guy Fawkes is played by drippy Tony from Downton Abbey (who always reminded me of Will from The Inbetweeners)!

Seems like Catesby is Jon Snow Mk II with his refusal to bow his head/bend the knee to someone he does not recognise as his King. It's a shame they couldn't have had a handy dragon to burn the HoP to the ground instead of faffing about with gunpowder .

My DP said he read people had been vomiting at the gory scenes!? One of the halls it was filmed in is literally two minutes away from me (Oakwell Hall in Birstall) I can't believe Kit Harington was so close and I didn't know about it.

Ooh, I thought I recognised it DenPerry. I have been there a few times.

The Daily Fail has its own Right Wing take on it.

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5006873/BBC1-s-Gunpowder-written-Corbyn-disciple-Ronan-Bennett.html

I thought it was excellent - gripping and gory.

It's always interesting when you're rooting for the so-called 'bad guys' isn't it? You absolutely know what's going to happen - yet....

Always liked the fact that Guy Fawkes managed to jump off the gallows and break his neck before they got the chance to draw and quarter him.

Lol at spoilers I've only watched the first two so I hope they blow the HOP up and get away with it.

Have you all seen KH's April Fool on Rose Leslie? When I saw it I thought, wow that's realistic, it must be a prop from GOT - but Jon Snow doesn't get his head cut off? Well now I guess it must be a prop from Gunpowder! Spoilers indeed!

When I first heard about the series I thought it was a cool coincidence that KH was descended from the character he plays

I absolutely love this series, going to watch the last episode tonight by candlelight! Was saying to dh as we watched the other eps that it would be so amazing if you could take holidays to the past. Without getting tortured obvs.

The Lewes fireworks remember the 17 protestant martyrs. Back then neither stand of Christianity have much to be proud of.