Dorothy Sayers' Whimsey novels - do you know the (1980s) TV adaptations?

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

I wasn't sure where to put this thread, but it feels as if it'd be more at home here that the TV threads. I love Dorothy Sayers. MN introduced me to her. I wish they'd do another adaptation, but the 1980s ones are surprisingly good.

The wonderful sconerhymeswithgone showed me the existence of these on youtube. (The link is to Gaudy Night, because that's what I'm watching, but there are lots of earlier ones).

What do you think? I liked the casting, but I have quibbles. And the ending to Gaudy Night is a travesty, right?

No, I love it! Much as I am in a minority of Archers listeners who long to hear more of Bert Fry's poetry...

That's interesting, thanks Mimsy!

It would be fun to have an Allingham thread. Her novels are often quite mad, but weirdly engaging.

Whoever mentioned Laurence Fox is a genius - I am absolutely and forever Team Petherbridge (won't even watch the Ian Carmichael ones), but Fox could do, even despite the height. He has the requisite mix of silly face, height, and intelligence.

Maybe what we need is a modern reboot a la Sherlock - I am also Team Brett, but love the Cummerbund/Freeman version.

Also seconded that we need an Allingham thread - I love her to bits, too, though DLS will always be my first mystery love. Though I made the mistake of reading the Allingham book that had been finished by her husband after her death, and - no. No no no. Terrible.

Also

He has the requisite mix of silly face, height, and intelligence.

Argh! I meant apparent slightness, not height! (Though I don't think he is slight at all, just that his height makes him appear so.)

Thanks mimsy. I knew about posies etc but not that it would have extended to the courts in the 1920s, it's interesting

I haven't read Margery Allingham for years, must reread

Edward Fox would have made a brilliant LPW in his prime. Is he Laurence's father or uncle?

uncle i think - i'm pretty sure he's emilia fox's dad and she and lawrence are cousins

Another thespian family we could expect to invade The Archers, then...

My dad took up bell ringing in retirement, and has become very critical of DLS's depiction of bell ringing since then.

Ah - thread twinning. (I've often thought this would be a good idea.)

I'm struggling slighty with a new cast list - outside Dr Who, Sherlock, Last Tango or Masterchef I won't have seen them. Oh! I've remembered someone else. Loving this idea -

How about Maggie Gyllenhaal for Harriet?

Yes, he looks pretty convincing. He's got the chin.

Who played Ellie in spooks? What about her?

Esther Hall.

Mind you Erin - Lara Pulver - would be better. They'd almost have to unpretty her, though.

Oh what a lovely thread! I love DLS, though have always been bothered by Peter's 'slim shoulders', as I prefer them broad. I've got a thing about Donne too.

JPW's Wimsey books get worse the further away she moves from DLS. The last one was an utter travesty.

I gave up after The Attenbury Emeralds which I thought was dreadful.

Oh, see, I thought the last one was better than the one before that. But I like Oxford-set stuff, so am a bit tolerant.

I like the Maggie Gyllenhaal suggestion. I haven't seen the Honourable Woman, but I understand she does a pretty good English accent. I just played the trailer on youtube and it sounds good to my American ears.

I saw her on the Golden Globes last night where she won an award and gave a very charming and intelligent acceptance speech. Another winner was Ruth Wilson. I think she might be a candidate for Harriet.

Oh Scone - how offended would you be if I did this face at your American ears?

She was incredibly lovely in the part - but to English ears her painstakingly careful enunciation did sound troublingly forced and unnatural. Still think she could be Harriet. Just needs to spend more time hanging out with non-luvvy English people.

Not offended at all. There was a bit on the Globes where Amy Poehler did an imitation of a British actor doing an American accent, which was mainly an issue of over enunciation. I think they all have to pass the native speaker's ears test.

As a Southerner, I have the opportunity to cringe constantly at American and British actors trying to do a Southern accent, of which there are many varieties, but seemingly only one acting version.

The thing is, I think they would need to do, not a British accent, but some approximation of a British 30s accent.

Not even Brits can do that now.

Off topic, I was very excited when Radio 4 trailed a serialisation of Molesworth. When it arrived the voices were totally wrong. To the point of being unlistenable.

Prince Charles sounds a bit upper class 1930s to me.

i realised while watching harriet walter yesterday that keira knightley has a very similar intonation and voice (i recently watched her in the imitation game). i'm not much of a KK fan (though i don't dislike her as much as some people do, and on stage i thought she was very good), and i'm not saying she is anywhere near the level of HW, but there is a certain tone that is similar

Laurence Fox is almost 6'3"!

But he looks right.