Noughts + Crosses - BBC1 Thurs 9pm

[stumbledin]

Am wondering if this is going to be totally cringe making.

What if the British Isles had been invaded by people from Africa, and they were now the rulling class.

If any one watches let me know whether I should catch up.

(In saying cringe making just wondered if it is going to be so woke it will just be silly, or whether it will be thought provoking)

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p082w992

I've really enjoyed episode one.

DH is black and we had to pause it a lot to discuss certain elements. For him, the emphasis on the word blankers was overpowering the cases of subtle racism that he encounters daily, the microaggressions and the stereotypes such as just because he is black he is automatically cool and a good dancer and sportsman. And certainly in his lifetime (32) he has been told many times by girls/women that they could not have a black boyfriend, the first time he remembers this he was 7.

I think it would have been good if the band at the post party were white and the black guests enjoyed the music and reduced the white performers to "entertainers" with no intellectual merit as this is something we see a lot today in reversal.

Posh party * 🙄

Yaro is the live child of sephy's father and a white woman. I can't remember if it was in the books but I don't think it was.

Love not live

How far along is everyone else? I've just got Episode 6 to watch....

In the books - Kamal had an affair with another woman after he married Jasmine but before Minerva and Sephy were born. Yaro was born from that affair. He was mentioned in a conversation between Sephy and Minerva during the 1st book (but not named, we were just told that they had older brother) and then again in the most recent book (Crossfire) but he has never otherwise appeared in the books. I don't remember it being mentioned if his mother was a nought or cross.

I’ve just watched ep 4. I find my heart racing when I watch, so I need a break between each one to process.

Callum's sister is missing. Her storyline in the book was heartbreaking

Yes. I wouldn't have cut that.

I've watched them all now.....

I’m loving this. Have watched 4 and yes @SegregateMumBev my heart races too. I haven’t read the books so don’t know what’s going to happen but suspect it won’t end well. It’s so Romeo and Julietesque that I fear the worst. I love Sephy and Callum. In fact it’s a great cast, only her ex is a bit of a pantomime villain.

Is there any significance to all the wee blue tattoos that some of the noughts have?

Haven't worked out the significance of the facial tattoos. Took me a while to 'get' the Noughts clothing style; all the heavily influenced Aprica look and Meggie having curly hair as the closest a Nought can get to an afro. The cast and acting has been great all round. I've read the books so it's interesting seeing the changes made for TV.

Just watched ep 6. Cried so much!

Oh no! I’m going to watch the final episode this evening. I don’t want to cry but the end of episode 5 indicated that I probably will! Might have to set up a spoiler thread so we can discuss!

I am only up to episode 3 and really enjoying(?) it. I mean I feel very engaged. Although I wish we could have a series where young people weren't always having these cliched male adolescent outbursts.

I want more of the politics / history!

Does anyone know where it is filmed or is it all sets.

Am also really appreciating the costume design, and how they have sort of reversed fashion influences.

Should have googled! South Africa inews.co.uk/culture/noughts-and-crosses-filming-locations-where-filmed-tv-series-bbc-cape-town-south-africa-2079989

Aaah I read these books as a kid, and loved them, broke my heart then and I fear they’ll do the same again this time around. I’m so far very pleasantly surprised by the adaptation (up to ep 5) altho I think it was a big mistake to leave out Jude and Callum’s sister, Lynette, as that storyline definitely added to everyone else’s character development imo.
Lekan verges on being a bit comic, he’s almost so evil and could do with a couple more flashes of being human iyswim. Also, I don’t know what it is about him, but he’s not quite threatening enough.
Kamal and jasmine are fantastic, altho jasmine is significantly more likeable than in the books imo. Kamal is brilliantly unsettling.

I am still appreciating this - and think it is good at spotlighting the day to day racism of our society.

Just wish the two young male rivals weren't quite so predictable. I dont like the way so many dramas depict young men as being like this. Sort of enforcing stereotypical behaviour.

I haven't read the books and I am not even trying to think where the plot is going. Willingly to watch it work itself out.

Didnt really enjoy it, once you understood the premise, sort of like apartheid, but the other way round, watched episode 1 but not sure if i will watch any more

Well I got to the end last night, and on one level I liked it, but think it was let down by the plot line and the characters were all a bit predictable.

But certianly felt it was better than a lot of things shown in the 9pm slot.