Moonfleet

Apologies for the delay.  Ali is still a conscientious objector to Sky, but... a fan of James Meade Faulkner's 19th Century novel and becoming rather fond of young Welsh actor Aneurin Barnard.  Thus, she shamelessly asked Dan to do the honours and record it.

Since the romantic adventure novel first appeared, there has also been a 1950s film starring Stewart Granger, a 1980s Sunday teatime serial starring Adam Godley and now this 100-minute offering over two nights with Mr. Barnard as young wannabee smuggler John Trenchard and Ray Winstone as gang leader with a head and a heart, Elzevir Block.  Shown over the Christmas holidays, this is solid stuff, with the first episode being largely a setup for the more exciting second.  There's much to love (and no, Ali isn't referring to the underwater nude scene; honestly) in the story of the quest for a wicked forbear's hidden treasure, which retains all the staple elements of the young man's rites of passage, his filial relationship with the seasoned Elzevir and lots of derring-do.

If the romance falls a little flat it's largely because of a lack of tension.  Magistrate's daughter Grace Mohune (Sophie Cookson) is rather too available and forward for an 18th Century well-born lass.  They've hardly said 'hello' before they are cavorting on the beach like Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in 'From Here to Eternity', so her father hardly poses a threat.  All of which makes it sit just a little uncomfortably in the prime-time schedules.  Is this a family drama or for adults?  Its (naturally) happy ending would suggest the former, as would the somewhat rushed storytelling.  For a 'good lad', why is John drawn towards violence and smuggling?  Presumably in the 21st Century he'd be a drug dealer.  What is he doing crawling around a graveyard at night?  How does he just happen to meet Grace so often?  What sort of relationship does she have with her father?  Why do Dorset villagers have Cockney or Welsh accents?  None of these quibbles are inexplicable, but no time is taken to develop things.

So, Sky, you beckon and beguile with your wares, but you have not tempted everyone over to the empire yet....

Case Histories

We're liking, with reservations.  Familiar territory, but characters and situations have an original slant that betrays their literary origins (no bad thing - Ali).  Also has good cast (like Jason Isaacs - Ali).  More after more....

We continue to like.  Has a nice slightly offbeat tone.  Small quibble: Brodie has the best eyesight in the world.  Unlike most men, who don’t even notice earrings when they are talking face-to-face with a woman, Brodie can see them from some considerable distance and a fair height.  Wow.  Oh and surely even a lonely, drunken actress in a terrible play wouldn’t sleep with slob Richard Moat over Brodie?  Second story, based on second book, managed to carry on Brodie’s personal life in a way that broadened his role as totty and made us care when his ex-wife took his daughter to New Zealand.  Awww.

Third and final story was a good finale and we'd watch another series, if based on the Atkinson novels.  'Quirky' is an over-used and much-maligned word but this is distinguished from the average cop show by wit and imagination.  Gwyneth Keyworth, so good in 'Royal Wedding', has real presence, and came across here like Shirley Henderson's younger sister (casting call, anybody?).  We're no experts, but Amanda Abbington had a consistent accent AND the luck to be torn between Patterson Joseph and Jason Isaacs.  Sorry, this isn't a review at all - Ali's fault - so we'll stop at saying it was a fun watch, intelligently written and well acted, and so much better than formulaic procedurals.