Lynley - spoiler thread for binge watch

[IwantToRetire]

Is anyone binge watching this.

If so wondered what you think.

I found it really flat. And wasn't even sure that either of the main characters can act!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002hzb1/lynley-series-1-1-a-place-of-hiding

Absolutely agree with you. Dreadful acting and his girlfriend was awful boring.

I agree.
I have no idea why this remake was even considered, let alone produced.
I read the books at the time and even then, the whole "aristocratic cop paired with commoner" theme felt ridiculous and unrealistic. It made more sense when I found out the Elizabeth George is American. It felt like it was an American view of what 'British ' life is like 🙄
The previous tv series simply followed the format and adapted the novels (plus some additional stories) and were no more realistic or particularly intriguing. They left out much the relationship stuff, and other characters.
This new series just takes the aristocratic element and stupid posh car, and the use of some character names (Tommy ?! ) and history (Havers dead brother for example). And shifted the location to Norfolk for some inexplicable reason.
The whole thing was miserable, the acting was bleugh, the police procedure unrealistic. And yes, the Helen Clyde character was so dull, they made her an estate agent!

I got through episode 1, and almost to make sure I wasn't being overly critical started on episode 2, and it was just nothing.

I hadn't realised the books were written by an American.

The old series was uneven, but Lynley's on off relationship was tedious, and Havers could have been really interesting but they never gave her any depth.

One of the other channels did a remake of Dalgliesh, and almost treated it as a period drama in terms of clothes, attitudes etc..

But it got a lot of well known actors and actresses to take part, and maybe seemed better than it was.

So it can work.

I wonder if anyone would dare do a remake of Taggart?!

Endeavour (Morse) and Bergerac (2025 version) are great.

Endeavour would never have become Morse of the original series.

But did give us 2 really interesting characters far more interesting than Endeavour.

Thursday and Bright. As you were!

I’m bingeing it as ill and need something with no thought at all. It’s pretty shit, cliched, dealing it in acting, it’s crime show by numbers….but I think I may go and seek out the original…

The new Inspector Linley series. Why ?
The new Inspector Lynley is really unlucky with shirt buttons. The top 3 on all his shirts are missing, he even had to go on TV for an appeal not wearing a tie. A lot of filming in the office and in cars. It is too unbelievable for a police series. Too many holes in the story lines.

I watched the old series last year and enjoyed it in a nostalgic way. The Todd and the chippy cockney, it was silly but fun, however did we need a remake? And one where the Norfolk born and bred character had no trace of a Norfolk accent? No, I don’t think so. Too silly.

I did read the books. It was obvious the author was American but I did quite like Havers as a character at the time I read them. This casting is abominable though. Havers is written as an overweight, plain, unkempt woman excellent at her job but without much in the way of social skills, from what I can remember.

I've only ever heard one actor who managed a Norfolk accent and that was Robert Powell, many years ago, on the stage, iirc.

Nathaniel Parker doesn't have such long legs as Leo Suter so Leo gets to run around more. Perhaps he doesn't really and they only showed Nathaniel's upper body chasing around. I don't have time in my life to make a scientific study of this, though, which is something of a shame.

This is DIRE. Why is it on bbc1 prime time instead of c5 where it belongs? I grew slightly fond of the old series although the posh/common thing was annoying but NO. Drivel.

Last week I was in between series I had recorded and stumbled across the orignal Lynley on iPlayer.

I watched the very first episode which I dont think I have ever seen, and liked it, so started to watch more.

But not just the posh / common bit get tedious (although in real life I can imagine disconnect nearly every day, but also Helen.

She seems almost demented, on off, weeping and sad, then suddenly all professional. And Tommy in love is just a bit creepy, so will give up.

But overall certainly in terms of cast and story line makes this recent version look like day time tv.

Whoever bought the wardrobe for Lynley has no clue what an aristo would wear

and if he’s not trying to be posh then what’s the USP?

it was so bad I couldn’t convince DS to watch the original series

I thought the old series was much better and I thought the actor was gorgeous and I wish I had that vintage car.