Murder is Easy, again?

[Janinejones]

This new one is being plugged hard. Do we really want them to make another 1950s version? It was written before WW2 but I have not seen one set then.
We have 3 recent ones set in the 50s already I think.

Something I find hard about the anti-woke position is how limiting it is.

If a director said they wanted to do an ultra conservative/faithful adaptation, I could watch it and respect their right to do that.

But those who are conservative seek to restrict the available range of adaptations allowed on screen to only what suits them, rather than just using the off button.

I am surprised that anyone would think that depicting this from a different slant was somehow about being woke, or thinking someon was trying to educate you.

The whole plot line of Murder is Easy, because a total stranger, not even Miss Marple turns up in a village to solve murders that are nothing to do with her. (And by the way this series lead character isn't in the police he is part of the then Colonial Office which is why he was being challenged at the party he went to.) I have seen so many adaptations of this plot I cant get worked up about, anymore than it being set in the 50s although originally the 1930s.

And on one level the whole plot is absurd, but then so are the Miss Marple stories. And tv programme makers dont seem to bother doing research to make sure that props etc., are correct. I think they just take their queue from other films and over the years become less and less accurate.

Quite honestly the only part of what is just end of year hokum that was really dire, was the actor playing Lord Whitfield. He clearly thought he was in a farce.

And agree it was nice to see ex Shetlander's in other roles. And as I posted on that thread, I always kneww Bonnar could act, but was surprised to find that Henshall can as well!

I have watched both episodes, and on one level is no more implausibe that the current scripts for Vera.

Did you know Christie met Joan Hickson when she was younger, and said she hoped Hickson would play Miss Marple one day? (I read this in a biography of AC)

Have just watched the 2nd part.

You made the right decision not to bother.

I wonder if actors ever think when they are mid-filming "this is dreadful, what the hell has my life come to acting in this trash"? Yes Tamsin Outhwaite, I'm talking to you after that stupid scene pinning Lord thingy down with your brooms (NOT A SPOILER). And Matthew Baynton - just WHY?????

Though I suppose the cheques help.

It's pretty cringe that people are making the fact the lead actor is black a reason to criticise this adaptation. I don't really like him in the part but it has nowt to do with his skin colour. I don't love most of the casting and that's not because they're white.

It's pretty cringe that people are making the fact the lead actor is black a reason to criticise this adaptation.

Nobody has said that, though. Maybe you could read the whole thread?

Yes, and it was you that said it below. "A black actor just doesn't work..."

You didn't say THIS actor doesn't work because he's not very good, you said A black actor doesn't work.

I felt a bit sorry for Morfydd Clark. She's very beautiful and probably a brilliant actor but she keeps getting dud parts.

I wounder if a white bad white actor would have worked better .... 🤔

(Just for clarity, this is not what I'm wondering, i enjoyed show)

Yes, I know what I said. Your point is…?

How interesting - thanks for that titbit! A quick google tells me she liked disliked the Margaret Rutherford films, but enjoyed the 1974 film version of Murder on the Orient Express, so had mixed feelings on the adaptations, pre-1976.

Nothing beats the And Then There Were None adaptation. I wish that had been shown again. Especially the glorious Aidan Turner in his towel. I thought this new Murder is Easy was okay but it didn't keep me hooked.

I'm enjoying it, it's fun. Never read or seen another version, so blank slate. The lead character's clothes are absolutely gorgeous.

All of the recent BBC adaptations are on iPlayer.

Half way through episode 2, and god it's dull.
No dramatic tension, cardboard characters, terrible acting, badly lit.
Though DH does like Fitzwilliam's suits.

Because we are trying to move away from 99% of main roles going to white people. (Probably about 80% of them men).

No, it's because the writer is pushing her own agenda, though she won't admit it (see the Times article linked above).

Also, 99% of main roles being offered to white people hasn't happened for at least 25 - 30 years, at least in the U.K.

I thought the colonialism/women/class stuff could have been good, but it was clunkily done. There are ways of getting social history into TV without all the exposition and cliche.

Heavens, an entire thread discussing a black man on tv.

FFS 🙄

Don’t exaggerate. I think there were maybe four or five posts specifically about this.

I know, Christ!
I’ve only watched some of the first half but I usually like the main actor. I agree it’s all done in quite a hammy way but I will stick with it.
The thing is if you read a lot of Agatha Christie you will notice that in a number of her books she has characters of colour (often with some fairly crude racial stereotyping) but they are visible. You only need to read David Olusoga’s book to see how often black people are whitewashed out of British history. So I think period dramas that feature characters of colour are much needed.

Yes, including yours. Behave.

Yes, including yours. Behave.

Sure, so that's not an entire thread of comments about this particular issue, is it? And please don't tell me what to do.

I enjoyed it - it wasn't my favourite Agatha Christie adaptation but I thought it was quite light and a bit of fun. Captured the Christie feel even with a few updates. I haven't read the book but thought the main character being Nigerian worked well.

I still don't understand why mention of empire or racism is so upsetting. IMO there's nothing wrong with talking about racism or empire, they happened.

Because people don't like being reminded of what it was like, that's why.

I thought it was okay. It looked great and I thought David Jonsson was very engaging. It was better than the ITV one where they shoved Miss Marple in plus a dose of incest. I still prefer the 1980s version with Bill Bixby though.