Detectorists BBC4 Thursday at 10pm

[sllugaes]

The joy of this was that it wasn't overtly a comedy - more a snapshot of the lives of everyday people with all the comedy, habits and emotions we all express. It was a wonderful series, no canned laughter, just a nice chilled view of the lives of a few characters. Shame it has finished but perhaps it will inspire Crooke to write more or others to follow this welcome change from the horrible soaps that my missus watches!

Totally agree, really enjoyed, a gentle comedy, characters were just super. Will miss it. Crook and Jones very convincing.
Yes, the soap/reality dross my missus watches is so so depressing.

Sent from my Zxt 203 Dci

 

[ewe2]

So good !!

 

[seagully]

I loved the way "Simon and Garfunkel" were welcomed into the fold without it getting too saccharine- Lance handing him the lemonade when they were erecting the gazebo was perfect.

 

[bhafc99]

Will miss this terribly, it’s a wonderfully written, acted and shot creation.

Even the way Lance and Andy found the coins managed to avoid every single possible cliched ending: you could only just see them at the tree as the coins fell.

So no obvious ‘Andy finds gild and buys the house’ happy ending story, just subtler, more human and gentler happenings.

The final day in the field was more about the treasure of companionship and love, than gold. That almost hidden tear in Terry’s eye as he waved to Sheila captured an entire life journey in a moment. Superb.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Will miss this terribly, it’s a wonderfully written, acted and shot creation.

Even the way Lance and Andy found the coins managed to avoid every single possible cliched ending: you could only just see them at the tree as the coins fell.

So no obvious ‘Andy finds gild and buys the house’ happy ending story, just subtler, more human and gentler happenings.

The final day in the field was more about the treasure of companionship and love, than gold. That almost hidden tear in Terry’s eye as he waved to Sheila captured an entire life journey in a moment. Superb.

You've absolutely nailed it there. Well done.

 

[The Clamp]

Have been disappointed with this series up until the last episode. Shame, I thought series 1 and 2 were some of the best television ever made, this series was decidedly poorer

 

[marcos3263]

Wonderful program/series. only found it late into series 2 and quickly watched the older ones. Certainly one of my favourite programs for all of the reasons above. Quality acting throughout, loved every character. Its a shame stuff like this is hidden away on the fringes. (or does that make it better) Taskmaster - Brilliant, Dave Gorman, has its moments, I also liked Early Doors but a quick look shows that was 14 years ago now!

Is there that few decent tv programs??

 

[lawros left foot]

Best TV show since Early Doors.

I was just going to post exactly these words.

 

[dazzer6666]

Will miss this terribly, it’s a wonderfully written, acted and shot creation.

Even the way Lance and Andy found the coins managed to avoid every single possible cliched ending: you could only just see them at the tree as the coins fell.

So no obvious ‘Andy finds gild and buys the house’ happy ending story, just subtler, more human and gentler happenings.

The final day in the field was more about the treasure of companionship and love, than gold. That almost hidden tear in Terry’s eye as he waved to Sheila captured an entire life journey in a moment. Superb.

100% spot on. I even love the camera shots of insects. Everything about it is so well done.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I found this review on the Radio Times website, written by Mark Braxton, which I though was a fine write-up of why this series has worked so perfectly.

"There is so much love for Detectorists. On any day of the week, just type in its hashtag and you’ll find posts like “one of the finest shows ever written”, “the antidote to Trump, Brexit and reality TV” and “please don’t let it be the last series”. Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington is among its famous fans, calling it “glorious television comedy at its best”.
In three short seasons plus a Christmas special, Mackenzie Crook’s sylvan sitcom has created a buzz among viewers wanting a remedy to hateful times. Ostensibly it’s about two nerdy, 40-something men indulging their metal-detecting hobby while real life is passing them by.
And yes, this Poundland Time Team is searching for gold, but dig below the surface and it’s about so much more: history, conservation, love, family, friendship, the quiet achievements of ordinary people… these are the treasures of life, not material things.
It’s a breath of invigorating, unpolluted air and one that makes a sunny virtue of its rural settings (Framlingham in Suffolk masquerading as the fields of Essex). It’s naturalistic, quirkily funny and sometimes memorably sad.
The joy of Detectorists is precisely the fact that, for the most part, it isn’t earth-shattering; rather, a succession of entrancing moments and small happenings. And when the final, lovingly crafted episode airs on Wednesday, I confidently predict a deluge of affection for its secret world, and an outpouring of grief that it’s all over.
I say secret because of the bizarre time slot: 10pm on BBC4 is not the greatest way to get your show to catch on. Bar the occasional swear word, there is nothing offensive here. On the contrary, a spirit of kindness permeates the whole endeavour.
The series finale this Wednesday 13th December is one of the most satisfying conclusions ever. Series one and two both ended in clever and memorable ways: bittersweet and punch-the-air respectively. But the series three finale has a real poetry to it; Crook seems to be saying: “Yes, that’s where we’ll leave it – I’m happy with that.”
And that lyricism is appropriate. In its clever, unhectoring way, the comedy draws us aside and asks us to dwell on what really matters. It reminds me of the poem Leisure, by William Henry Davies, which begins:
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows…”
Everyone has their moment in the sun – and that brings me to Detectorists’ miraculously good casting. For starters there’s the inspired central pairing of Crook (the series’ writer and director) as nervy archaeologist Andy and Toby Jones as sage forklift driver Lance. Their trivia-laced banter about TV quiz shows, the misadventures of their associates and their “hot rocks and grots” is one of Detectorists’ many incidental joys.
The motivational forces in their lives are their tolerant other halves. Andy’s partner Becky (Rachael Stirling) is supportive, funny and forthright. And Lance’s ex, the exploitative Maggie (Lucy Benjamin), gradually leaves the scene to pave the way for his long-lost daughter Kate (Alexa Davies) and work colleague Toni (Rebecca Callard). Both prove to be much healthier influences: kind, caring and able to curb Lance’s penchant for dithering.

There are the oddballs and eccentrics of Andy and Lance’s local society, the Danebury Metal Detecting Club, headed by the buttoned-up but salt-of-the-earth Terry (Gerard Horan), whose wife Sheila (Sophie Thompson) supplies its members with eye-watering home-made lemonade. Don’t miss the cameo appearance of her infamous beverage in the last instalment!
There’s the cynical but paternal Russell (Pearce Quigley) and his young charge Hugh (Divian Ladwa), Louise (Laura Checkley) and her quiet but knowledgeable friend Varde (Orion Ben) – look out for a wonderful, almost throwaway scene near the end that will bring a lump to the throat.
And then there are the rival detecting team, Terra Firma, formerly known as the Antiqui-Searchers and the Dirt Sharks. But everyone knows them by their nicknames, Simon and Garfunkel, to whom they bear more than a passing resemblance. As played by Paul Casar and Simon Farnaby, they are the yin to Andy and Lance’s yang, and provide delightfully childish verbal sparring throughout.
Another great strength is that it’s not overwritten. Detectorists is moving not only for what is said but also for what is not.
One of my favourite exchanges is a pub garden two-hander in series two. Lance, nursing a pint, is rueful about the possibility that he has driven Kate away by being overgenerous after years of non-contact. Smiley Sheila, whom we previously thought was naive and a bit simple, consoles him with unexpected wisdom.
“What you’ve got going for you now is that she’s met you, Lance, and you’re… lovely.” Behind her careful words of advice lies a world of sadness – the loss of a child or similar tragedy is never actually specified. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Speaking of beauty, there are few, if any, comedies as good-looking as Detectorists. Directors of photography Jamie Cairney and Mattias Nyberg have performed cinematic wonders. Each new chapter is framed with a dew-covered cobweb, or a dandelion blotting out the sun, or a ladybird crawling up a blade of grass… All mini works of art, and utterly in keeping with the show’s subtext: “Cherish the countryside – and protect it”. If this series doesn’t inspire you to go for a walk, nothing will.
Tying in perfectly with the images are Johnny Flynn’s lilting, folk-flecked theme tune, “Will you search through the lonely earth for me?”, which, cunningly, has been commenting on the story arc all along.
If all British programmes took this much care over their tone, look and overall distinctiveness, the golden age of television would never go away.
Modern comedies are often predicated on cruelty: laughs are hard, clanging or sharp as barbed wire. In its quiet, undemonstrative way, Detectorists has ploughed its own furrow. Buried in its field of fun are evergreen truths about life, and the things we don’t say but should. So if kindness and companionship are unfashionable, I know which side of the hedge I’d rather stand.
If this truly is the end of Detectorists, then just hand the laptop and the director’s chair back to Crook for a new project, because he clearly knows how to get to the heart of the matter. Working in the movies has given him an eye for a set-up, and being steeped in other people’s comedy has enabled him to see what’s funny and what isn’t.
Detectorists is quite simply BBC4’s greatest hour. Its ratings have been steadily climbing, and the admiration has soared. I had the great pleasure of introducing it to my brother and a close friend, and then receiving excited feedback from both.
With its sly humour and compassionate personality, Crook’s show will easily stand the test of time. Though the appeal was instant – from week one Radio Times said, “Already it feels like a glittering comedy find” – every episode has unearthed gems, delivered by actors who know they’ve made something of lasting value.
Detectorists won the Bafta for best scripted comedy in 2015; if there were any justice in the world, the buzzers would soon be going off for every gong going."

 

[Pevenseagull]

Tree preservation orders don't .......... materialise

 

[dazzer6666]

I found this review on the Radio Times website, written by Mark Braxton, which I though was a fine write-up of why this series has worked so perfectly.

"There is so much love for Detectorists. On any day of the week, just type in its hashtag and you’ll find posts like “one of the finest shows ever written”, “the antidote to Trump, Brexit and reality TV” and “please don’t let it be the last series”. Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington is among its famous fans, calling it “glorious television comedy at its best”.
In three short seasons plus a Christmas special, Mackenzie Crook’s sylvan sitcom has created a buzz among viewers wanting a remedy to hateful times. Ostensibly it’s about two nerdy, 40-something men indulging their metal-detecting hobby while real life is passing them by.
And yes, this Poundland Time Team is searching for gold, but dig below the surface and it’s about so much more: history, conservation, love, family, friendship, the quiet achievements of ordinary people… these are the treasures of life, not material things.
It’s a breath of invigorating, unpolluted air and one that makes a sunny virtue of its rural settings (Framlingham in Suffolk masquerading as the fields of Essex). It’s naturalistic, quirkily funny and sometimes memorably sad.
The joy of Detectorists is precisely the fact that, for the most part, it isn’t earth-shattering; rather, a succession of entrancing moments and small happenings. And when the final, lovingly crafted episode airs on Wednesday, I confidently predict a deluge of affection for its secret world, and an outpouring of grief that it’s all over.
I say secret because of the bizarre time slot: 10pm on BBC4 is not the greatest way to get your show to catch on. Bar the occasional swear word, there is nothing offensive here. On the contrary, a spirit of kindness permeates the whole endeavour.
The series finale this Wednesday 13th December is one of the most satisfying conclusions ever. Series one and two both ended in clever and memorable ways: bittersweet and punch-the-air respectively. But the series three finale has a real poetry to it; Crook seems to be saying: “Yes, that’s where we’ll leave it – I’m happy with that.”
And that lyricism is appropriate. In its clever, unhectoring way, the comedy draws us aside and asks us to dwell on what really matters. It reminds me of the poem Leisure, by William Henry Davies, which begins:
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows…”
Everyone has their moment in the sun – and that brings me to Detectorists’ miraculously good casting. For starters there’s the inspired central pairing of Crook (the series’ writer and director) as nervy archaeologist Andy and Toby Jones as sage forklift driver Lance. Their trivia-laced banter about TV quiz shows, the misadventures of their associates and their “hot rocks and grots” is one of Detectorists’ many incidental joys.
The motivational forces in their lives are their tolerant other halves. Andy’s partner Becky (Rachael Stirling) is supportive, funny and forthright. And Lance’s ex, the exploitative Maggie (Lucy Benjamin), gradually leaves the scene to pave the way for his long-lost daughter Kate (Alexa Davies) and work colleague Toni (Rebecca Callard). Both prove to be much healthier influences: kind, caring and able to curb Lance’s penchant for dithering.

There are the oddballs and eccentrics of Andy and Lance’s local society, the Danebury Metal Detecting Club, headed by the buttoned-up but salt-of-the-earth Terry (Gerard Horan), whose wife Sheila (Sophie Thompson) supplies its members with eye-watering home-made lemonade. Don’t miss the cameo appearance of her infamous beverage in the last instalment!
There’s the cynical but paternal Russell (Pearce Quigley) and his young charge Hugh (Divian Ladwa), Louise (Laura Checkley) and her quiet but knowledgeable friend Varde (Orion Ben) – look out for a wonderful, almost throwaway scene near the end that will bring a lump to the throat.
And then there are the rival detecting team, Terra Firma, formerly known as the Antiqui-Searchers and the Dirt Sharks. But everyone knows them by their nicknames, Simon and Garfunkel, to whom they bear more than a passing resemblance. As played by Paul Casar and Simon Farnaby, they are the yin to Andy and Lance’s yang, and provide delightfully childish verbal sparring throughout.
Another great strength is that it’s not overwritten. Detectorists is moving not only for what is said but also for what is not.
One of my favourite exchanges is a pub garden two-hander in series two. Lance, nursing a pint, is rueful about the possibility that he has driven Kate away by being overgenerous after years of non-contact. Smiley Sheila, whom we previously thought was naive and a bit simple, consoles him with unexpected wisdom.
“What you’ve got going for you now is that she’s met you, Lance, and you’re… lovely.” Behind her careful words of advice lies a world of sadness – the loss of a child or similar tragedy is never actually specified. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Speaking of beauty, there are few, if any, comedies as good-looking as Detectorists. Directors of photography Jamie Cairney and Mattias Nyberg have performed cinematic wonders. Each new chapter is framed with a dew-covered cobweb, or a dandelion blotting out the sun, or a ladybird crawling up a blade of grass… All mini works of art, and utterly in keeping with the show’s subtext: “Cherish the countryside – and protect it”. If this series doesn’t inspire you to go for a walk, nothing will.
Tying in perfectly with the images are Johnny Flynn’s lilting, folk-flecked theme tune, “Will you search through the lonely earth for me?”, which, cunningly, has been commenting on the story arc all along.
If all British programmes took this much care over their tone, look and overall distinctiveness, the golden age of television would never go away.
Modern comedies are often predicated on cruelty: laughs are hard, clanging or sharp as barbed wire. In its quiet, undemonstrative way, Detectorists has ploughed its own furrow. Buried in its field of fun are evergreen truths about life, and the things we don’t say but should. So if kindness and companionship are unfashionable, I know which side of the hedge I’d rather stand.
If this truly is the end of Detectorists, then just hand the laptop and the director’s chair back to Crook for a new project, because he clearly knows how to get to the heart of the matter. Working in the movies has given him an eye for a set-up, and being steeped in other people’s comedy has enabled him to see what’s funny and what isn’t.
Detectorists is quite simply BBC4’s greatest hour. Its ratings have been steadily climbing, and the admiration has soared. I had the great pleasure of introducing it to my brother and a close friend, and then receiving excited feedback from both.
With its sly humour and compassionate personality, Crook’s show will easily stand the test of time. Though the appeal was instant – from week one Radio Times said, “Already it feels like a glittering comedy find” – every episode has unearthed gems, delivered by actors who know they’ve made something of lasting value.
Detectorists won the Bafta for best scripted comedy in 2015; if there were any justice in the world, the buzzers would soon be going off for every gong going."

Nailed it.

 

[Stat Brother]

My last run at this before succumbing to the nagging conclusion that my gripe is with myself for expecting the impossible.

I've always viewed it as an ensemble piece and not just about Andy and Lance.
To that end I don't think there was enough of all the cast throughout the entire series, and probably why the last episode is worthy of being called perfect.

 

[Fungus]

Modern comedies are often predicated on cruelty

So true, and so depressing, and so unnecessary.

Great to see Toni put Lance right about Karma, when he was plotting against Simon & Garfunkel.

 

[Bry Nylon]

So true, and so depressing, and so unnecessary.

Great to see Toni put Lance right about Karma, when he was plotting against Simon & Garfunkel.

Thank you to the 'quote' function making me appear so erudite, but just for the avoidance of confusion for anyone scanning this thread, those are, sadly, not my words but those of Mark Braxton, whom I quoted within my earlier post.

 

[W.C.]

Was wonderful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fungus]

Thank you to the 'quote' function making me appear so erudite, but just for the avoidance of confusion for anyone scanning this thread, those are, sadly, not my words but those of Mark Braxton, whom I quoted within my earlier post.

You are erudite anyway, but I just wanted to focus on the statement. Apologies.

 

[Sussexscots]

I've loved this series. Bit surprised it remained out in the boondocks of BBC4.

Probably the sort of thing only the BBC could make. Detectorists sponsored by Gala bingo or interrupted for a Gladstone Brookes advert would have ruined the sense of gentle whimsy.

 

[The Clamp]

I shall miss this, despite not really liking the third series it was still better than anything else on tv.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Just watched the last episode. I thought the final series got better as it progressed. The thing that stands out for me is how well Crook writes relationships, not through histrionics but little looks and deeds, uncertainties and awkwardness. The love the actors who played Terry and Sheila.