What the Dickens! Grantchester

Oh come on, is no one watching this? They're making a seventh season!

Is this that show with Dawn French?

I would James Norton's babies squirming through my teeth. How's that OP?

We stopped watching when James left.

I loved the show, but stopped at season 3 for some reason. I need to go try again.

This last season was quite poignant with Leonard. What will he do now?

I'm on Season Four now, a few episodes in when Leonard is getting his hopes up about being made vicar.

Oh, also, this gorgeous eye candy (somehow playing a hot nerd in this episode), Charlie Hamblett.

I'm halfway through this episode so it's possible he's the murderer, but we shall see!

Sorry, I too bailed after Norton left. Loved his send off storyline.

Like with Father Brown, one believes that if the clergy spent more time on God’s work and less time tearing around the countryside, there might be less crime.

R4 there really wasn't much place for them to go with his backstory - the way he left was rough though. I can KIND OF see it - he left to follow his latest love to America, where he will be preaching the gospel with her, I guess. It really seems like they weren't initially planning on him leaving in Season 3 or they could have just wrapped it up with his Amanda storyline and had him move to London with her.

So it doesn't make a ton of sense that he wouldn't have just left the clergy and followed her (he's known her for what, five years now) to London then, versus leaving the clergy and following his new love that he's known for five minutes to America where he can be an outcast in an interracial marriage.

I mean, I can do some mental gymnastics to make it make sense, but it just feels like rough last-minute writing since James wanted to leave the series (I assume. I don't think he admitted this, but it's the only thing that makes sense).

The new vicar is a poor replacement. Not as hot and not as interesting. I guess as long as Robson Green does it, people will watch, but this past season was boring.

It went downhill after James Norton left. Tom Brittney is pretty, but not as good looking as James Norton, if that makes any sense.

But the plots and the writing are weak and the Vicar is a Vicar in name only; he basically operates as a detective with Geordie. They exchanged actors but never changed the relationships with the other characters, as if we weren't to notice that the Vicar actor had been replaced by another actor.

Robson Green is sleep-walking through his scenes and the last season was a sloppy waste other than the wonderful story line with Leonard.

If you have to rely on shirtless scenes to gather an audience. you know the writing is shit.

Sidney was sort of wet blanket, always mooning over that posh, horse faced girl, but the sight of him riding around the countryside on a bike, solving some mystery about who has been stealing crumpets from the baker...well, it just made lock down bearable.

I kind of wish HBO would make some high end costume drama that doesn't involve magic or silly gimmicks & just has a sweet story set in a beautiful location with attractive (but believable as local residents) actors

R14

Check out "All Things Bright and Beautiful" on PBS.

And if costume drama isn't as important as "a sweet story set in a beautiful location with attractive (but believable as local residents) actors", check out "Doc Martin".

Both make life a little more sweet and bearable.

The father of Amanda's baby is the landed gentry husband (Jasper from The Royals) and the baby was conceived in wedlock.

Is this the one with Olivia Coleman on the beach and the dead neighbor child?

R17

No, that's 'Broadchurch.'

R18 Are they nearby towns? Why is so much murder and mayhem happening in these small Brit towns? Is every town in England a Cabot Cove?

R16 yes, I know, the statement in the OP was poorly worded, I see. The point was she was pregnant (with her husband's baby) while separated from her husband, aka "out of wedlock", even though technically I suppose she wasn't divorced yet - not that the baby was Sidney's.

R19 it's a trope.

R15 I could use sweet and bearable. Frankly Grantchester can be super depressing sometimes.

R22 Is it the weather?

I've been watching all along.

They've laid on the politics a bit thick with the various plotlines to illustrate how backwards the world was in that era --not a bad thing to do in general, but Grantchester isn't really a great vehicle for it.

It works when you see the housekeeper warming up slightly to Leonard's gayness, but still having to keep everything unsaid, but the whole Leonard plotline this season seems to detract from the basic premise of the show.

I get that they wanted to make it more than just a period crime drama, but still.

Much as I hot the hots for Norton, I do not mind Tom Brittney, he is hot in his own way.

There have been some great episodes--the one with the hanging, where Norton is there up until the end, was well done and still can haunt me.

For those of you wanting something lighter and period, try The Durrells of Corfu and All Creatures Great and Small

Plus--and we've discussed this on DL--there was definitely unspoken sexual tension between Geordie and Sidney. To the point where you could easily see them getting a little too drunk and making out.

R24 Yes the hanging episode was chilling. That made me weep, actually. You felt so sorry for the kid, even though he brutally accidentally murdered his friend.

The episode where the woman just wanted to be in the sunlight - the woman who had her awful husband killed by one of the boarding house residents, who then shot her when he found out he'd been manipulated - it was really well done, you could remember her saying that she just wanted to walk into the sunlight and they just wordlessly show her doing it as she was dying from the gunshot wound. I just thought that was beautifully done and I appreciated them not reminding us that she'd said that.

I never imagined them hanging them like that in some back room somewhere. I always pictured them happening in the town square. It just seems so clinical and magnifies the awfulness for them to send the people to a back room to be killed by the state.

^ I should add the part where she dies was well done, and the tie-back to earlier in the episode. Sidney sitting with her, getting drunk while repeatedly accusing her of murder, was just kind of stupid.

R25 yeah the final scene where they cry because Sidney is leaving I was half expecting them to kiss. That unspoken male bond of kissing!

E19

Oh, no. If you want serious murder and mayhem, you should spend some time in Midsomer.

It's the Murder Capital of England.

^^^ That was for R19, not E.

What am I, chopped liver?

I liked Sydney in the first season, but by season 4 I was so tired of his whining and his questioning his life and obsessing over some woman, I was ready for him to leave. The exit was a little rushed with the new insta-love, although he had better chemistry with her than Amanda. The Amanda love story should have ended with the season 1 finale.

Book Spoilers --I guess in the, it does, but they remain friends and he ends up with the German lady from season 1 (who he also had better chemistry than Amanda). Since the Amanda long-drawn romance diverged from the books, I am not sure why they stayed with it so long -- most people I knew were ready for it end long before it did.

I think Season 5 is the last season I watched. I will watch 6 at some point, but it is not at the top of my list, where at one time I would have watched the latest season as soon as I could. I think season 7 is going to be the last one.

Are the books good? I was thinking about picking up one.

"Much as I hot the hots for Norton, I do not mind Tom Brittney, he is hot in his own way."

R24 - I do not mind Tom Brittney either.

My mother's father's family are English so I have the hawts for that time and place but I liked it when it was just a period piece. Keep all the social issues and politics out of it. We have enough of that in the real world.

I like the new vicar though. He has an odd face but he's sexy. I prefer darker men anyway.

R35 yeah the social issues seem kinda forced, like the one with the black preacher in season 3. Would the British townspeople have led a picket line against the preacher speaking and fundraising in their town? I honestly don't know, but the show seemed to be implying it was a normal occurrence.

I liked it better when it was just the detective slapping some hysterical widow or the sexual harassment of the hot slut at work. They're jarring because they are so unheard of nowadays, but they become preachy when the characters speak on them. I don't think the latter part is necessary.

It’s easy to blame James Norton’s exit as the reason the show has declined, but his last season was pretty dreadful. The episode where he infiltrated a group of gypsies was a real jump the shark moment for me.

R36, yes, I think most English villagers in Cambridgeshire at that time would have made comments and then ignored the Black preacher. They don't like to cause a fuss on the whole. A realistic portrayal would have been a matron saying something racist while pouring tea at breakfast.

R37 it felt a bit like around that time the showrunner got bored with exploring the intricacies of small town British life in the 50s, the difference between the gentry and average citizens, etc. and decided to shake things up a bit by bringing in all the outside bits. So we suddenly get Gypsies! The American Civil Rights Movement! Mrs. M's husband was actually a gypsy all along!

Those seem like episodes designed to win awards, not because they make sense with the show.

I love the show. My partner and I call it Leonard, as in “what should we watch tonight? How about an episode of Leonard?”

I've liked the storytelling more since Sidney left. Integrating Leonard and his reality into the plot is a huge improvement. I hope they figure out a way to keep him on the show. And though I might have found James Norton more fuckable than Tom Brittney at first, Will is much more interesting to me than Sidney ever was. I think I skipped one of the first four seasons entirely, but I've watched every episode with Tom Brittney.

I do enjoy Leonard's little unexpected bursts of humor. Although when he was attempting suicide I was just saying "Yessss! Kill yourself! It's the only solution!!" but that may have been my brain trying to lighten up a very dramatic and sad moment.

Also, the new British diversity quotas have kicked in. So that’s why you see the one-armed secretary. (How does she type reports?)

I also think the diversity quota was why they ramped up Leonard’s gay storyline. I think they could have let his sexual struggle simmer a bit more and it would have been a better show. Let the audience wonder if he is gay or just sensitive and shy? What are they going to do with the character now?

I thought it would have been more poignant to just let Leonard live the way so many gay men did at that time--deeply in the closet, only allowed fleeting moments of intimacy with his photographer boyfriend and everyone pretending that they were just "roommates" or "close friends" and that was that, watching wistfully as Will got to openly romance his latest girlfriend.

That would have been truer to the period and to the premise of the show, which is still meant to be a crime drama.

Or it could have been funnier if everyone Leonard got close to and was ALMOST ready to let his guard down and then they suddenly died or were murdered and it became the mystery of the episode.

I actually like the show much better with Norton gone. Brittney is a more interesting looking guy, not as pretty as Norton but a better actor (or at least, the writers have created a better character for him), and certainly more believable as a tough guy -- Norton always looked silly getting into fist fights, as though he had never balled up his fists before.

The Leonard arc is actually a pretty good one, but he does seem too whiny at times.

The worst part of the show was Sidney -- it never seemed believable that all those men would fall for a plain, almost mousy, dull woman.

I do like Mrs. Maguire. And Georgie would be very sexy if he didn't seem as though he were a midget.

Brittney’s step sister is the worst conceived character on the show.

I wish they would have opened up Geordie’s wife a bit more. They could have shown the time period better by showing more of her working in the department store. The show is in a post-WW2 environment but the show doesn’t seem to acknowledge that. Call The Midwife did a much better job of that and they started a generation later than Grantchester.

🤔

[quote] Mrs McCarthy soon discovers a face from her past which see never thought she see again. It turns out that Mrs McCarthy’s husband, thought to have died during the war, survived.

[quote] The worst part of the show was Sidney -- it never seemed believable that all those men would fall for a plain, almost mousy, dull woman.

This actually was believable. Sexy British men often hook up with very plain women. I’ve seen it several times in real life.

As a fan, I thought the show took a bit of a nose dive when Norton left and Brittney joined the show.

There was something about him that didn't seem to meld into each of the episodes. The actor wasn't just a replacement: he [bold]felt[/bold] like a replacement.

However, I kept watching the series and I found myself surprised that this past season worked for me, even though some of the storylines were problematic.

I think it worked because it felt like both Brittney and his character finally belonged there.

This season for the first time I actually liked Will Davenport.

Having said that, I never pass up an opportunity to show a GIF of Sidney is about to go swimming in the stream with Geordie.

The vicar in the next series is worth watching but I still can’t make out whether I like it or not

I always wondered what happened to Amanda. Did she go back to her wealthy landed-gentry husband? I hate when shows just let important major characters disappear.

On Endeavor: Did Ronnie box die or did he survive? Maybe we find out this season.

[quote] On Endeavor: Did Ronnie box die or did he survive? Maybe we find out this season.

The ending of Endeavor was a big fat fucking disappointment. It was so poorly written.

R53, was that the season that took place in Venice?

Endeavor was one show I have caught random episodes and have been meaning to watch the series from start to finish. Sorry to hear it did not end well. Physically, am not sure I see the younger actor morph into how the character looked in the Inspector Morse series.

[quote] was that the season that took place in Venice?

Venice was Season 7. The ending is Season 8.

I enjoyed Grantchester tremendously while James Norton was in it. After he left it was fair to middling. Tom Brittney is good looking but doesn't have the level of charm or screen presence that his predecessor had.

The first few seasons were enjoyable enough, though I hated Morven Christie’s character with a passion and couldn’t understand his interest in her at all.

In hindsight, the show was probably overrated because of the Norton eye candy. Both he and Robson Green really brought their a-game to the famous river swimming scene which got a lot of press attention!

DL people are too picky. Norton & Brittney are both very good looking and both are better than average TV actors..

Tom Brittney is decent looking, but he doesn’t have the “it” factor. The camera doesn’t linger very long in closeup.

But what about me???

I love Grantchester. After Norton left the show took a darker, more serious turn, but I still like it. Tom Brittney is good looking too. He just isn't as drool-worthy, sex on a stick as Norton was.

^^^ Yes, it did. Granchester 2.0 delves much deeper into social and moral issues. The Grantchester of Norton and the newer iteration almost seem like two different shows. I do like the newer one better, though. It has a more foreboding arc that makes it more somber, nuanced and engaging. Also, I think Tom Brittney is even hotter than Norton.

To me "Brittney" as Davenport seems like a straight-laced jock where "Norton" as Chambers seems to be slightly on the fringe of almost all things.

They need to can Tom Brittney’s step sister. She’s awful.

Wait, Grantchester has a character named Mrs. McCarthy? Father Brown has one, too. She is played by Sorcha Cusack.

Gasp! Mr. Hamblett is the murderer!

I have to say I kinda saw that coming. An incredibly handsome actor stands out.

R66 - The housekeeper on Grantchester is Mrs. Maguire who married Mr. Chapman.

Tessa Peake-Jones plays Mrs. Sylvia Maguire/Chapman, the vicarage's devoutly religious housekeeper.

We talked about this show a lot in the English TV thread(s).

"They need to can Tom Brittney’s step sister. She’s awful."

R65 - Will Davenport's (Tom Brittney) step-sister is just the type of girl that Sydney Chambers (James Norton) would have gone after and shagged for at least two seasons.

In my mind I keep seeing Geordie having a great "fling" with Will Davenport's mother!

R69 - One thread is not enough for both Tom Brittney and James Norton!

[quote]To me "Brittney" as Davenport seems like a straight-laced jock where "Norton" as Chambers seems to be slightly on the fringe of almost all things.

Will was a hellion, now reformed. Sidney is a drunk who lets his heart stupidly guide him.

The show needs more shirtless Geordie.

I want to watch the show where those two flip fuck.

I have to say I'm annoyed they changed the Mystery! PBS introduction and cut out a lot of Edward Gorey's animation. Adding the pages or the book flipping while it's playing or music is cute but I miss the original 🥺

R66 more girls should be named Sorcha.

R72 - Sydney Chambers seems much more emotionally damaged to me than Will Davenport. Maybe it was WWII that effected Sydney Chambers.

Robson Green is a great looking 57

Robson Green and Andrew Lincoln are the two British actors who get nude in every show they do. I think they put it in their contracts.

Did Andrew Lincoln get naked in The Walking Dead?

[quote]Did Andrew Lincoln get naked in The Walking Dead?

I've not seen it, but he does full frontal in "This Life" and several times with genitals covered by hand in "Teachers". In fact, in two different episodes of "Teachers" he does the shtick of jumping up out of bed naked and falling down trying to put on his pants. Which brings me to the question worthy of another thread: why do so many Brits not wear underwear?

R80 - Because they wear knickers?

Ugh, I'm to the episode where Will's father dies and Leonard goes nuclear. I was happy to see him get clocked.

Now kill yourself, Leonard! Dooo it! You quit your job and God hates you! Time to finish it!!

I wonder what will happen in the next series with Leonard being replaced by the new stick-up-his-ass, tattletale assistant vicar.

[quote]I wonder what will happen in the next series with Leonard being replaced by the new stick-up-his-ass, tattletale assistant vicar.

He will be caught with Leonard's boyfriend in a compromising position.

Does Leonard move to London and join the proto-gay liberation movement and in 1974 return to the watered-down CoE as an openly gay vicar in the Eastend?

Leonard won't be a peripheral character, so either he was written out, Al Weaver wanted out, or he will be brought back into the fold with his transgressions forgiven.

Being forgiven would be nothing like real life in those days, but Al Weaver is great and I want him and his character Leonard, around. He's pretty much the only reason I continue to watch it. That, and shirtless Robson Green.

Not too many villagers came out to support him, just those five women to see him off…

Well, they went off the rails a while ago in terms of reality. Between the quantity of interracial couples, Vicars that fuck black jazz singers, Vicars that ride motorcycles, a gay curate that goes on vacation with AND sleeps in the same room with his boyfriend, whatever silliness I can't remember right now, etc etc - anything could happen if it serves the plot.

So Leonard could be redeemed by most of the community. Unrealistic, but it's television. And many British dramas (see Midwife) have ridiculous plots that forward social issues of today that would have never been pushed in those days. That's not a complaint, necessarily. I like that they attack and illuminate those issues.

^^^ R86

R88 I see enough of attacking and eliminating in modern stuff, though. One of the fun things about a period drama is that it's supposed to show you a window on the past, and it's hard to do, so part of the pleasure of it comes when someone does it well.

When they leave it all to the set designer and then don't take the same care with the plot and dialogue, it's less fun.

I was surprised to hear Leonard make a 999 joke so I Googled, and apparently 999 was a thing in the late 1930s!

The US didn't get their equivalent, 911, until the 70s.

One of the things I noticed was that they didn't "go there" for the black preacher episode. There was nary an n-word to be heard and only one "Negro". Not sure if it was broadcast standards or what, but I noticed they have no problem calling gay guys pansies and such.

I realize part of the reason they don't make the characters totally realistic is because people WERE prejudiced more back then and the main characters wouldn't necessarily all be modern folk who would wink and nod about it. Would it turn off viewers to find out that Sidney wasn't as open minded about everything? That Mrs. M/C didn't like black people OR gay guys? It might make a modern audience like their characters less.

At the same time I keep thinking - they had no problem with showing homophobia repeatedly, but were restrained about showing real racism.

Geordie was a lot more accurate to the time when the show started and was not exactly open-minded when he suspected Leonard might be gay. They seemed to tone down some of his negative attributes over the years when he became a fan favorite.

R93 yeah I noticed that too - they will still have him make a comment every now and then "when men were men!" but he seems perfectly fine with Leonard being a hussy now.

Well after he realized he had such strong feelings for Sidney, he understood Leonard better.

I am curious how the handsome yet balding photographer fell for Leonard instead of the hot young thing he was having when Leonard still hadn't kissed him and was pretending he wasn't super gay.

I think these recreations of historical facts do some damage.

If an audience looks at Grantchester and sees the whole town accepting Leonard’s homosexuality and the idea that “we’ve all learned to be tolerant” then someone does a story about Alan Turing, the audience might think “Turing must have been mentally ill because if a little town like Grantchester can accept Leonard, well then…”

It sounds far-fetched but there are many people who believe the historical inaccuracies seen on tv dramas.

[quote] It sounds far-fetched but there are many people who believe the historical inaccuracies seen on tv dramas.

Many people are stupid. That is probably never going to change. Those smart enough to know the difference between historical facts and (feel-good) fiction remain in the minority.

"It sounds far-fetched but there are many people who believe the historical inaccuracies seen on tv dramas."

R97 - There are people that believe every word spoken on "The Crown" is researched and documented fact.

Yes, and I should have added this in my last comment, but what are the chances that Leonard would end up serving TWO different Vicars that seemingly had no problem whatsoever with Leonard's sexuality, and, in fact, seemed like they were practically straight allies for gay rights? And, one day Geordie thinks he's a pansy and the next day Geordie's another champion for Leonard. Boy, did Leonard luck out!

R90 makes a great point about historical accuracy shouldn't just be reflected in set design.

And now we have the "BBC Studios Announce 20% Inclusion Rider for Diversity" in all their shows, which will force ridiculous casting decisions that have nothing to do with historical accuracy. Instead of forcing square pegs into round holes, they should be researching and developing stories that reflect accurate stories about minorities.

Making it all look nice or feel nice doesn't convince anyone that it WAS nice. Or, it shouldn't. If it was shitty, then show us shitty, and maybe we will learn something and reflect on how we can effect diversity and inclusion in the future.

I guess as a gay man - a type of minority - I should be happy about this new inclusion. But it bothers me that it it is whitewashing history, and I think we are all ultimately ill served by that whitewashing.

I don't know. Maybe we - or all minorities - should be grateful for whatever visibility we can get, however we get it.

Some of you are asking for realism in a show where people are murdered on a regular basis and it takes a vicar and a cop to solve them all. Really?

[quote] Some of you are asking for realism in a show where people are murdered on a regular basis and it takes a vicar and a cop to solve them all. Really?

Why, I never ...

(Miss Marple, innocently knitting in the corner while a cop interrogates a suspect)

R101

Yeah, well, there is that.

R102 - that dd make me chuckle. I liked Marple more than Poirot.

My Dad was pretty convinced Jessica Fletcher was really a serial killer.

"My Dad was pretty convinced Jessica Fletcher was really a serial killer."

Many people who watched "Murder She Wrote" were convinced of that too!

R100 yeah, it does whitewash history.

They should change that inclusion rider so it's only for modern shows, not for ones set in the past. Like, do what you want with the people behind the scenes, but otherwise try to keep it accurate to the period.

I'm not expecting total realism, it just seems like it's painting a false narrative on one hand, and on the other hand people watch shows as a bit of escapism and it can be jarring and annoying to see today's headlines reflected in the latest episode of some period drama. Media seems to crow about this as if it's a good thing - they give the filmmaker accolades for working in modern issues.

r106. Viewers in general don't want historical accuracy when it makes them uncomfortable. Casual racism, antisemitism, or homophobia would make most viewers uncomfortable when all they want is an old-fashioned, feel good, countryside murder mystery.

I'm on Season 5, episode 6 and it seems like every episode this season has been heavily gay-themed. Last episode was some guy molesting boys. Now we're dealing with Leonard's father and apparently he's gay too.

R107 I can see that, but then why would they directly go for those themes then? Why have an episode specifically about racism (in America and the UK)? Why not just stick to the country mystery part?

It seems like it's trying to have its cake and eat it too.

And thus ends my Grantchester viewing for now, apparently.

I got to the end of season five and it stopped; I go to season six and it's only available via subscription to something called "PBS Masterpiece" unless I want to buy the season for $20.

Does everything have to have a subscription service now?

I miss the olden days when Netflix had everything and you didn't need 15 subs.

Is there another series people would recommend?

Preferably set in sometime during the late 19th or early 20th century.

R111

"All Creatures Great and Small" on PBS, if you haven't already watched it.

That's but one. Search other threads here on British television for a wealth of information on British drama.

[quote]I got to the end of season five and it stopped; I go to season six and it's only available via subscription to something called "PBS Masterpiece" unless I want to buy the season for $20.

If you already donate to PBS and are a member you can sign-up for their passport program which allows members to watch additional material, including season 6. It is technically another subscription fee, but one you might have unknowingly paid.

R111

This can get you started.

[quote] Is there another series people would recommend? Preferably set in sometime during the late 19th or early 20th century.

If you can get past Jeremy Pivens’ wooden acting, Mr. Selfridge is good.

[qiuote] set in sometime during the late 19th or early 20th century.

You mean like Datalounge?

[quote]Yes, and I should have added this in my last comment, but what are the chances that Leonard would end up serving TWO different Vicars that seemingly had no problem whatsoever with Leonard's sexuality, and, in fact, seemed like they were practically straight allies for gay rights? And, one day Geordie thinks he's a pansy and the next day Geordie's another champion for Leonard. Boy, did Leonard luck out!

Granted, he wasn't a victor, but I had a great uncle who was supposedly a "pansy" (everyone called him "sis") and generally acknowledged by everyone as a gay man; in family photographs, he's the one looking damper & neat while the others look like literal country bumpkins. Anyway, the attitude, even in a town in rural Ohio, was that it as all well & fine for this uncle to the "sis", but Sis was still supposed to do what men do: get married to some local girl, smoke & drink heavily & die young from heart failure. Which is exactly what Sis did. I get that Granchester isn't exactly "The Wire" in terms of writing, but it might have been more realistic if everyone acknowledged Leonard's "tendencies" - but still expected him to stay in the closet as any proper man should. Fine, go off on your "fishing trips" with your favorite lads, but come home & knock up your wife. I think it might have been interesting if writers forced Leonard into a life he didn't want.

R117 that's right - they are making Leonard live a modern gay man's life in the 1950s, which stands out because it's so jarring.

I think the part that is most rough to me is the constant knowing glances all the characters are giving each other. It's not subtle, they could be pretending still and let the audience figure it out.

Even super religious Mrs. C came around to the idea that Leonard was a huge gaymo at the end of series five. I guess the finery from her husband's ill-gotten gains has loosened her up some! I remember how five minutes before she didn't want to wear anything that wasn't gray or brown because it made her look like a hussy.

I get that the characters are evolving, but it seems forced.

Perhaps there will be a series spinoff where Leonard moves to America to launch the gay rights movement.

It's about establishing the narrative that even back then (some) people were more open-minded, compassionate, or completely changed their perception of minorities when they were able to interact with them.

I guess, it's all about what kind of narrative you want to establish. Even nowadays, people could argue that society in general is still very homophobic and then post dozens of incidents where parents either throw their gay kids out or even kill their own kids for being gay to prove their point. But then there is also plenty of proof out there that society has become more and more gay friendly.

It's just that Grantchester is supposed to be a crime drama, so the social justice bits all seem incredibly forced and out of character, like the showrunners want to point out that they're not just making a quaint historical crime drama with hunky vicars.

^ very much agree.

R111

The DataLounge search function doesn't always work, so here is the original (as far as I remember) thread of "Hidden gems of BBC-TV drama."

It is a wonderful treasure trove of most everything you need to know about British television - drama and comedy - and lots of shared opinions, recommendations of what is quality and what isn't, what people should watch or record and often supplying the streaming service where a show can be found, and you'll also learn a lot about British actors.

It's one of the best threads I've ever come across, and I keep it bookmarked for when I'm looking for something new to watch.

I'm envious of everyone that isn't familiar with all these shows, and are seeing them for the first time.

Enjoy!

Thanks for all the suggestions (and thread links).

[quote] It's just that Grantchester is supposed to be a crime drama, so the social justice bits all seem incredibly forced and out of character,

Different viewers want different things from their entertainment. It's been this way since the beginning. And it's at the very core of shows trying to attract, and appeal to, different demographics to gain a bigger audience.

I think the social justice bits are more for the producer than they are for the audience. They're designed to win awards and get pats on the back by the media. Would anyone really care if they weren't there? It's a 1950s murder mystery show.

The BBC now requires that minorities make up a certain percentage of cast members in all its shows. I had wondered if that was the reason for a story that would get rid of Leonard, to replace Al Weaver with a black actor.

Was this a BBC show? I didn't think it was.

Oh, maybe it's not. Silly American me. I just assume everything on PBS is from the BBC.

Grantchester is an ITV series.

Just finished the last season.

Still enjoyable but they've basically turned it into a soap opera with some comedic overtones and the crimes and crime solving storylines are on the back burner.

Plus, at least with Sidney, there was some sense that there was some separation between his actual job in the parish and working with Geordie. With Will, everyone just sort of assumes his job is to help Geordie solve crimes.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I'm happy for him.

The actor who plays Leonard is in the first episode of The Chelsea Detective. For some reason they thought we wanted to see him shirtless for no reason at all. He’s in shape but nothing really to look at.

Mazel tov to the happy couple at R131, but it would be weird marrying a guy that's prettier than you

I would do anything sexual that James Norton asked me to do (well, no scat or fisting)

Excuse me, r134?

I have spilled loads while looking at shirtless Robson pics online. Just sayin'.

I like Imogen. She deserves Florence Pugh's career.

Grantchester makeup people did a superb job because I don’t think he’s as sexy in r131’s pictures as he was on the show.

I only saw the last part of the episode last night because my local pbs station is now determined to ruin Sunday evenings with 25 year old shows spotlighting musical acts that were popular 60 years ago. Come on PBS …there’s a time and a place for that repetitive shit and it’s not Sunday night.

Anyway….is it supposed to be an inside joke that Barbara bleached her hair and ran off with a different vicar?

Was this the season finale?

This show needs to be mercy killed