Fleabag anyone

Albert Finney in ‘Tom Jones’, too, I seem to remember.

Speaking to the camera/audience is an age old dramatic device used by playwrights, eg Shakespeare, and certainly not pioneered by Miranda. Do you remember the brilliant film "Alfie" with Michael Caine - he made asides to the camera throughout the film.

Fleabag was definitely a work of art therefore its style was as much a part of it as the actual content. There were complexities and subtleties and dramatic creativity. Touches of deep dark irony and modern gothic nuances also incredibly careful casting and stylistic decisions added to the atmosphere it created. Then of course there was the script!! Day6 if you were expecting it to be 'true life drama' you were bound to be disappointed - this is complex creative drama that allowed its audience to engage and enjoy on many levels. Unlike so much TV drama it credited us with some intelligence.

The jury is out for me on Fleabag. I watched it because of this thread.

I think it tried too hard to be....hip...for want of a better word.
I found the dialogue unnatural "Don't touch my miscarriage!" and "What?" uttered in staccato voice, so often. So many of the sentences were delivered in stark, broken fashion.

I loved the priest, Realised he was the evil Moriarty in Sherlock a few years ago. Like the dilemma of a priest with lust he had to deny. Things like Chatty Wednesday had me grinning, especially when one chap forgot which day it was and had to be reprimanded.

I felt I was watching theatre rather than true life drama, but that's OK I suppose. It was a sit-com after all.

As a fan of the droll Miranda, Fleabag had a cheek pinching her signature 'talk to audience via camera' method. What is plagiarism called if it's done in a drama?

I should have watched series one beforehand I suppose. Didn't get the flashbacks or guinea-pig filled cafe.

It was OK and quite entertaining.

I know what you mean, HildaW. I have had several very stressful and upsetting years, and sometimes I just feel I have to protect myself from anything too distressing. I started to watch the new drama "Trust Me" last night but found it deeply disturbing, so I switched off quite quickly. But I loved Fleabag.

Having had my resident anxiety levels - too high I know its annoying I've tried some avenues of support but not working yet - ramped up by house moving and health worries, I actually find the artificially induced levels of jeopardy in a lot of tv too much to cope with. Line of Duty is way up there and even though I know its drama my system does not....I leave DH to it and go and have a soothing bath when its on!
Provably why my choice at the moment centres around gentle stuff like The Repair shop and Home is where the Art is and I've even been known to watch 'Shakespeare and Hathaway' on I player in the wee small hours when I can't sleep. Yes, that is very tame and daft but seriously when you jump if the phone rings you can only take the mild stuff. Fleabag was good for me because it held me captive for the whole programme....literally not knowing where the story would go but knowing it was about quirky people and their equably quirky relationships rather than people being truly nasty to each other.

I love it!

I have just binge-watched the whole two series in about a week and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm having withdrawal sympoms now! Such clever, funny writing, and every single character was interesting and well written, even the minor roles.

One of the best things thats been on for quite a while, along with Line of Duty and Killing Eve.

What Tartlet said. Was very surprised I enjoyed it. Now looking forward to Killing Eve.

Thank you for this thread. Without it I'd have missed a real treat. I devoured both series in three days and am very sorry that there ate to be no more. I spent most of the first couple of programmes thinking I should be appalled but I quickly got over my 'sharp intake of breath Mary Whitehouse moments' and enjoyed its clever perception and wonderfully acting.

I agree - not at all like Miranda.

I initially overlooked the first series because I assumed it would be miranda-ish and I can't stand miranda.

It was the voice I think.

Its nothing like Miranda

Finally got round to watching series 2 and may have to rewatch series 1. I did enjoy that up to a point and think my reservation was due to the fact that I thought she was copying Miranda a bit. Will now also have to watch Killing Eve as well. What a talent. Was series 1 on BBC3?

Fleabag is a lovable eccentric. We could do with her here on Gransnet because many problems dissolve when viewed from an unusual perspective.

That's it for Fleabag - there won't be a third series. I think that's the right call. Perfect with her waving goodbye to us, the viewers, as she walked off.

I've come late to the party and just finished binge watching series 1, so am really looking forward now to starting on the second series. I did find it a bit in yer face at first, but once over that I've loved it. The writing is brilliant. The relationships between the sisters and between Fleabag and Boo are just so poignant. And oh, Olivia Colman!!

Series 1 and 2, I meant!!

Good to see original comedy writing like this.. Don't judge until you have watched series 2 and 2.. Best done as a binge watch on catchup

I loved the first series. It was shocking in parts but I agree with others, pwb is extremely talented as an actress and writer. A real class act. She brought a total realism to the character and I could relate to her. I loved killing eve so much too.

my husband recommended I watch it and I did - same as Killing Eve he watched it first - I am not much of a TV watcher as I write most evenings - like here online tonight but before that two poems got edited anyway yes i totally loved and binged on it over two days. wonderful characters brill acting - not so funny as poignant and accurate portrayal of dysfunctional non-conformist families.
Brilliant observations on human frailty and double standards - loved the miranda hart style to camera audience asides and looks - very effective at making you connect with fleabag and her inner demons -
so humane and gentle and accepting of people with broken hearts inside and why not to judge anybody - you just don't know why they are the way they are - so very rich indeed

Loved Olivia Coleman in this - she said 'I'll open it over the bin' when given a present - priceless I laughed like a drain.

Fantastic series. So true it hurt at times. PW-B is a genius!

I liked the second series better than the first. I found some of the graphic content in the first a little uncomfortable but I still carried on watching because it was just so original and funny - and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's asides to the camera were so brilliant.

There was some research published recently which claimed that swearing "has many positive virtues, from promoting trust and teamwork in the office to increasing our tolerance to pain." I feel that any rudeness, sarcasm or aggressiveness is unpleasant, whether accompanied by swearing or not.

Me too. I love good creative swears.

Anyway, the rudest people I know never swear, they just use beautifully gramatically correct queens english to be horrid.

Swearey people tend to gain my trust a bit quicker than others. A good swear is healthy. You need to watch out for those who repress their inner swears