30 July 2003
The Singing Detective is a TV series (6 one hour episodes)produced by the BBC in the 1980's. Many people, including me, considerit the finest piece of television they've ever seen. It's a complexpiece, possibly one of the most original pieces of art ever made fortelevision. As such it isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I've watchedit many times. It's most noticeably associated with the writer DennisPotter, who made many challenging television programs. It's recentlybecome available on DVD.
There are many things about the Singing Detective that make meenjoy it so much. The first thing I'll mention is the plot. Potterpacks the six hours with a dense plot that doesn't waste a scene. It'salso a complex plot as Philip lies in hospital crippled by a skindisease, four story lines of present, memory, and fantasy unfurl -frequently overlapping. But although the first couple of hours isprone to leave you confused, you come to realize that all of it isabout a psychological journey that Philip must make to recover hishealth. (The complexity of the plot is one reason that I oftendescribe this show to Americans as one that appeals to people whofound Twin Peaks too straightforward.)
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1986 Vinyl release of The Singing Detective (Music From The BBC-TV Serial) on Discogs. The full 6-episode BBC series, 'The Singing Detective', written by Dennis Potter, starring Sir Michael Gambon, and dire. Not my videos, uploaded by den finch. The full 6-episode BBC series, 'The.
The Singing Detective The Singing Detective - Accentuate the Positive. Do not post links to copyrighted video content (TV Episodes. Summary: Philip Marlow is in the hospital with bad very bad case of the skin disease psoriasis. While there, he is tormented with hallucinations about his past and future. As a distraction, he mentally recasts an old mystery, with himself as its hero - The Singing Detective. In this episode, an agent named Mark Binney visits a sleazy nightclub.
Not just is this multi-layered plot fascinating to watchunfurling, I've come to really appreciate what Potter does in thefinal episode as he brings all the various threads together to achievea remarkable closure to it all. Not just does he pull this off, hepulls it off with a string of surprising plot twists that never allowyou to catch your breath. Justin bieber let me love u mp3. It's only after three or four viewings thatI've really appreciated how well he does it.
My second highlight is the dialog and detail of scene setting.Not just the is Potter's writing wonderful in the large scale plot,it's every bit as good in little things. Everyone has their favoritebits, but like many I can mention Philip's soliloquy on thinking ofsomething boring, the film noir fantasy voice over, the wordassociation sequence, and Philip's savagery towards the doctors.Perhaps my favorite scenes are around how Potter very quicklyillustrates family dynamics with a short but so complete scene inPhilip's home, or the tiny piece as an elderly fellow patient isbrought in by his wife - and a whole marriage is suggested with just ashort bit of dialog.
Being a Brit, I have the habit of being nationalistic aboutacting - and given a script like this the acting is memorable. Themost obvious triumph is Michael Gambon as Philip - who has to make hischaracter both dislikeable and yet gain our compassion. If thatchallenge is not enough, he has to do this for the first two hours byonly moving his eyes and mouth. Behind this we have Patrick Malahideplaying three different yet same characters and Joanne Whalley aseveryone's dream nurse. But my favorite is the schoolteacher who, ifmy memory of Jon Amiel's commentary serves, is the schoolteacher whobegins where our nightmares end. She succeeds in being bothcaptivating and frightening.
30 July 2003
The Singing Detective is a TV series (6 one hour episodes)produced by the BBC in the 1980's. Many people, including me, considerit the finest piece of television they've ever seen. It's a complexpiece, possibly one of the most original pieces of art ever made fortelevision. As such it isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I've watchedit many times. It's most noticeably associated with the writer DennisPotter, who made many challenging television programs. It's recentlybecome available on DVD.
There are many things about the Singing Detective that make meenjoy it so much. The first thing I'll mention is the plot. Potterpacks the six hours with a dense plot that doesn't waste a scene. It'salso a complex plot as Philip lies in hospital crippled by a skindisease, four story lines of present, memory, and fantasy unfurl -frequently overlapping. But although the first couple of hours isprone to leave you confused, you come to realize that all of it isabout a psychological journey that Philip must make to recover hishealth. (The complexity of the plot is one reason that I oftendescribe this show to Americans as one that appeals to people whofound Twin Peaks too straightforward.)
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1986 Vinyl release of The Singing Detective (Music From The BBC-TV Serial) on Discogs. The full 6-episode BBC series, 'The Singing Detective', written by Dennis Potter, starring Sir Michael Gambon, and dire. Not my videos, uploaded by den finch. The full 6-episode BBC series, 'The.
The Singing Detective The Singing Detective - Accentuate the Positive. Do not post links to copyrighted video content (TV Episodes. Summary: Philip Marlow is in the hospital with bad very bad case of the skin disease psoriasis. While there, he is tormented with hallucinations about his past and future. As a distraction, he mentally recasts an old mystery, with himself as its hero - The Singing Detective. In this episode, an agent named Mark Binney visits a sleazy nightclub.
Not just is this multi-layered plot fascinating to watchunfurling, I've come to really appreciate what Potter does in thefinal episode as he brings all the various threads together to achievea remarkable closure to it all. Not just does he pull this off, hepulls it off with a string of surprising plot twists that never allowyou to catch your breath. Justin bieber let me love u mp3. It's only after three or four viewings thatI've really appreciated how well he does it.
My second highlight is the dialog and detail of scene setting.Not just the is Potter's writing wonderful in the large scale plot,it's every bit as good in little things. Everyone has their favoritebits, but like many I can mention Philip's soliloquy on thinking ofsomething boring, the film noir fantasy voice over, the wordassociation sequence, and Philip's savagery towards the doctors.Perhaps my favorite scenes are around how Potter very quicklyillustrates family dynamics with a short but so complete scene inPhilip's home, or the tiny piece as an elderly fellow patient isbrought in by his wife - and a whole marriage is suggested with just ashort bit of dialog.
Being a Brit, I have the habit of being nationalistic aboutacting - and given a script like this the acting is memorable. Themost obvious triumph is Michael Gambon as Philip - who has to make hischaracter both dislikeable and yet gain our compassion. If thatchallenge is not enough, he has to do this for the first two hours byonly moving his eyes and mouth. Behind this we have Patrick Malahideplaying three different yet same characters and Joanne Whalley aseveryone's dream nurse. But my favorite is the schoolteacher who, ifmy memory of Jon Amiel's commentary serves, is the schoolteacher whobegins where our nightmares end. She succeeds in being bothcaptivating and frightening.
Tekken 100000000. The direction, by Jon Amiel, is also worthy of the script. Gta v full download pc. Theshow is full of memorable images: Philip's father and Raymond singing,the boy in the trees, the train in the underground with the cries forPhilip, the soldiers in the train.
So if all this fulsome praise isn't enough, I'll add somethingmore - the music. The Singing Detective contains quite a few song anddance numbers, and the way that this is done is perhaps Potter's mostoriginal triumph. The classic American musical just liked to shootout musical numbers in a very incongruous way. This approach sat veryawkwardly with serious drama. Cabaret found a solution by putting themusical numbers on a stage and timing them to comment on the seriousstory. It's probably the most successful film to mix serious drama andmusic.
Potter's approach is to revel in the incongruity. Characters,usually miming to thirties style recordings, break out in song in themost ridiculous places - and the incongruities provide a lot ofdeliberate humor. But as well as the humor there is a dark commentarybetween many of the songs and the action - something that again picksup with repeated viewings. The only one I've seen try somethingsimilar is Baz Luhrman in Moulin Rouge.
The Millionaire Detective Episodes
So don't try to watch this unless you enjoy something thatexercises the brain well and carries multiple layers of meaning. Somemay not like the dark association of sexuality and death that's alarge part of the brew. But this is a program that is a world beyondanything that usually graces television screens - am I right or am Iright?
