[TV] Les Miserables

[Easy 10]

What an absolutely magnificent BBC production. I've seen it in the West End, and enjoyed the film musical (Oscars x3). This non-musical 6-parter concluded tonight, and I have to say, its been utterly superb throughout. They threw some serious money at this and it shows. Dominic West as Jean Valjean is beyond brilliant, best thing I've seen on the BBC in years.

If you've not bothered then treat yourself. iPlayer.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Magnificent l agree, kept me spellbound for all six weeks, and that's difficult to do when each episode is so far apart. I did keep expecting them to break into song at any time though!

 

[middletoenail]

What an absolutely magnificent BBC production. I've seen it in the West End, and enjoyed the film musical (Oscars x3). This non-musical 6-parter concluded tonight, and I have to say, its been utterly superb throughout. They threw some serious money at this and it shows. Dominic West as Jean Valjean is beyond brilliant, best thing I've seen on the BBC in years.

If you've not bothered then treat yourself. iPlayer.

It can't be THAT good, since you've not used CAPITALS in your post!

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[Return of the Rev]

Courgette was a babe tbh

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Courgette was a babe tbh

Cosette you pillock!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I read the book twenty odd years ago, and had never seen the musical. The BBC production was excellent although they changed some of the book. There was no mention of Valjean giving Cosette & Marius money to try to escape to England, or the old conman going to America, for instance. It was a condition of him being paid off. I'm fairly sure the old grandfather died, leaving his money to Marius, but I might be mistaken on that one.

 

[darkwolf666]

Odd a side note am I the only person who wants to punch someone when they refer to it as Les Mis?

 

[Gwylan]

There was no mention of ... the old conman going to America, for instance. It was a condition of him being paid off.

There was a mention of that. He went to Marius to demand money so that he could set himself up as a slave-trader "there's money to be made in the New World".

What was different from the book was that Thernadier didn't recognise Valjean in the sewer - he helped Valjean escape as a distraction, to help him get away with from the police. There was no mention of the piece of cloth in the TV adaptation.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

It's flicked up at times whilst channel hopping and looked unremittingly miserable. I wonder where the title came from? Either way, never been able to face watching it on tv or at theatre.

 

[Southern Scouse]

I haven’t watched it as I didn’t want to spoil the musical rendition in my mind.
I know it’s crazy, but it would be like watching the Sound of Music.... without the music.

 

[Easy 10]

It can't be THAT good, since you've not used CAPITALS in your post!

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I was TIRED and EMOTIONAL

 

[Blackadder]

I have also seen the West End musical (still our favourite and we have seen a few) the DVD and now the BBC version loved it

It was based on the second revolution of 1830 (France had 4). They don't muck about those French.

 

[Gazwag]

NSC Monday morning if we don't win 4-0 at the weekend

 

[Gwylan]

It was based on the second revolution of 1830

[pedant alert]. It was based on the uprising of 1832 not the one of 1830. The catalyst was the death of General Lamarque (who died 1 June 1832).

France has had at least five revolutions: 1789, 1830, 1832, 1848 and 1871

You could argue that the uprising in the Vendee in 1793 was a sort of revolution too and many viewed 'les evenements' of 1968 as a revolution too.

 

[Blackadder]

[pedant alert]. It was based on the uprising of 1832 not the one of 1830. The catalyst was the death of General Lamarque (who died 1 June 1832).

You are correct Gwylan. I googled it last night and it did say 1832. I did a quick google again, this morning, and picked up a site that said 1830.

I have posted some fake news.

On the plus side I start my new White House job on Monday.If i play my cards right I expect to stay there for days.

 

[ozzygull]

Watched it. It was really gripping. Interesting that Lily Collins the daughter of Phil Collins played Fantine. Made me feel old as she was just born when I saw him in concert in 1990 coincidentally in Paris. The whole cast were good especially Adeel Akhtar who played Thenardier.

 

[Easy 10]

Agreed, the cast were excellent. Dominic West in particular was absolutely superb, thats got to be a BAFTA sewn up.

I did wonder about Javert. How likely would it have been in that day and age for a black man to rise to the position of being a police inspector ?

 

[Stato]

I haven’t watched it as I didn’t want to spoil the musical rendition in my mind.
I know it’s crazy, but it would be like watching the Sound of Music.... without the music.

That does seem a bit strange. The Sound of Music was a musical to start with. Les Miserables was a novel that had been in print for over a century before it became a musical. The story stands up without the songs.
A better comparison would be watching an adaptation of Oliver Twist. The Lionel Bart musical was excellent, but the David Lean film was also wonderful.

I haven't seen the last episode yet, but overall the series has been very very good. The novel has a lot more depth to it as far as the military and political context is concerned, but it also has an awful lot of windbaggerythat a drama can strip away. I like the changes in order that Davies made from the novel. The story, similar to a lot of Dickens' plots, relies a bit too heavily on coincidence and this seems easier to swallow/ignore when it is told in linear time, rather than revealed at strategic points like it is in the novel.

 

[Beach Hut]

Thought is was very good, there is a BBC2 drama coming up called MotherFatherSon starring Richard Gere for the first time ever in a British TV drama

 

[vegster]

Odd a side note am I the only person who wants to punch someone when they refer to it as Les Mis?

It's also known in theatrical circles as "The Glums" . As it's been such a success they might do a sequel and name it More Miserables? .. I have seen bits and pieces of episodes but ended up turning off last night's thanks to the bloodshed and gore, I'm assuming no one made it out alive?

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