The Pursuit of Love

[NurseButtercup]

Oh the absolute irony of the words of the character played by Dominic West in this trailer!! Wasn't he start shagging Lily James when he was filming this TV series???

This will be on BBC from 9th May - looks good.

@LaMarschallin

TracyBeakerSoYeah

Must have been when I popped out to put the kettle on 🤣

You need a new kettle.

Yes you can buy me one

Seems the Guardian was fishing also:-

Linda and her best friend, Fanny, played by Emily Beecham, have a quasi-sexual relationship in the show. Will that surprise a few people?
We never explicitly decided whether it was sexual or not. Instead, we talked about female friendship for hours over Zoom. We shared our own experiences of how they can be the most important, nourishing relationships in your life. Particularly as a young girl growing up, your hormones are going wild and you’re exploring your sexuality. Fanny’s mother has abandoned her, so she’s missing that connection. Linda’s locked in this house and refused an education. There’s so much longing within both of them. They’re figuring things out through each other. It felt so true. It’s an ode to female friendship.

Lily James interview^

OT Lily James picks some strange roles. (Pamela Anderson)

Fanny’s mother has abandoned her, so she’s missing that connection.

Fanny makes perfectly clear in the book that Aunt Emily (and Davey) were far more stable and better parents to her than her biological parents could ever have been. I don't think she was lacking in maternal love , it just didn't come from the Bolter. No need for titillating scenes (there was lots of kissing of the back of one hand I seem to remember but don't know if that was in The Pursuit of Love or Hons and Rebels)

I've watched them all now and even though I knew what would happen (though I think it's been 25 years since I read it) I still wept at Plon Plon 😞

His wee face

My memory is clearly off as I thought it was all pretty faithful to my memory of the book - I assume if I reread it now that Lily James et al would just take up residence as the characters in my head ?

@TracyBeakerSoYeah

Though to be serious teenage experimentation especially in that period & class with a lack of males to practise on does not make them all lesbians. That's why I didn't view it as having lesbian undertones just teenagers/young girls messing about.

That's my opinion & as this thread shows we all have varying opinions on the programme. Some loved it & some hated it.

I think though if you're trying to show teenage experimentation, having actresses who are in their 30s doesn't really help!

The first episode is not as good as the subsequent ones though - by quite a margin

@StopTryingToSellMeYourBollocks

I saw the first episode last night. Feel a bit mixed about it. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be! The music is great but is just really out of place. I've never heard of Andrew Scott before, but agree, his character is the only person I'm interested in. He isn't attractive to me, but certainly has some kind of magnetism.

Also agree with the horsey toffiness being a bit much, but I also kind of like Dominic West being over the top and eccentric. I will probably watch though as it's a nice pretty escape from mundane life.

Emily Mortimer’s best friend, kids and mother are all in this. It is dripping with nepotism and that’s enough to have put me right off.

That's just bloody awful isn't it? Anyone would think this is the world of politics and not entertainment. I wonder if Louisa was one of her friends, she looked about 35, but was meant be be 18.

Louisa is played by Jennifer Saunders and Ade Edmonson’s daughter

I loved the books and the adaptation with Rosalind Pike but this is not doing it for me. It feels too bitty as there are lots of short scenes and not enough of the other characters. I want more Jassy snd Davey Warbeck. I have only watched episode 1 so hoping it gets better. A lot of the funny bits from the books have been missed out or taken out of context.

I spent much of the last episode waiting for a line I remember from the book, 'making love while the sun shines' which never came ...

I enjoyed it.
Did not like the modern music and Fanny's anachronistic lip fillers annoyed me but I thought Lily James was likeable, Andrew Scott was wonderful and it was well done. Fluff but enjoyable fluff.

The other two episodes are a little bit better but I still prefer the 2001 version. I liked Andrew Scott as Merlin. I don't remember Alfred as being such a tedious bore as he is portrayed in this adaptation, I always thought Fanny had a good marriage. I really don't like Linda at all, either, and I liked her in the book. I probably wouldn't want her as a friend but found her fascinating which was probably the point, in this she is just annoying.

One thought occurs to me, in the book or any adaptation of it, do we hear anything about Fanny's father? I assume the Bolter was Uncle Matthew's sister but she must have been married, Fanny's father seems to not play even the most distant role in her life.

Linda seems to be in the bath quite a lot, I was worried about her getting a chill. I quite liked the spoiler alert Spanish Civil War scenes.
Andrew Scott isn't playing this character at all well, he's not Moriarty.

I do like Andrew Scott as Merlin. I will have to re read all the books. If I was to do my own adaptation it would be the best. 🤣

Freddy Fox is all wrong as Tony is he related to Laurence?

The bolter is aunt Sadie and Aunt Emily’s sister.

Bolter is aunt Sadie's sister - there were 3 sisters, Sadie, Aunt Emily and Bolter. I can't remember ever 'meeting' Fanny's father - he takes up with a stream of older women, thus maintaining Fanny's inheritance!

I love the actress who played Sadie so I don't mind the nepotism there

Freddie Fox is son of Edward Fox who was a mate of Emily’s father.

I agree he’s totally wrong.

I like Dolly Wells I think she’s not quite vague enough for Aunt Sadie though.

I really enjoyed it, loved the modern music and it was beautifully shot. Andrew Scott was a bit Moriarty, but he can do no wrong for me anyway so I can overlook that.

Freddy Fox is Emilia Fox's brother and cousin of Lawrence.

The acting profession is full of nepotism. So are many other high profile things like modelling and pop music. You don't get it as much in sport, but it does go on.

@reprehensibleme

Bolter is aunt Sadie's sister - there were 3 sisters, Sadie, Aunt Emily and Bolter. I can't remember ever 'meeting' Fanny's father - he takes up with a stream of older women, thus maintaining Fanny's inheritance!

Thanks I must have missed that bit (many times).

If there's a costume drama, there has to be a member of the Fox family in it. I think it's the law.

Was there a Fox in Downton? Think that might be the exception that proves the rule!

@MotherOfGodWeeFella - I don't think there was! Right, I'm reporting them.
Lily James was in it though

There was a fella with the surname Fox, but he's not related to the posh acting Foxes. I like Lily James, she just needs to stay away from creepy married men.