Why have the Sunday night dramas on BBC One got so heavy?

Still not really liking His Dark Materials much. I suppose it doesn't help that I know what will happen. I seem to be the only person in the world enjoying The Name Of The Rose. Beautifully filmed and Rupert Everett is so wonderfully evil!

Just watched 'War of the Worlds' and found it gripping. I have read the book, seen (and heard) various versions, including the Tom Cruise one which I thought was dire, and find it interesting how stories are slightly changed and updated. I recently rewatched the original 'Wicker Man' and then the Nicholas Cage version which I did not expect to enjoy. It was very different but still good.

I am also enjoying 'His Dark Materials' which is far better than the first attempt I saw a few years ago. I love Mrs Coulter in this one. However, I think if you haven't read the books it must be really hard to follow. The parallel worlds and visible souls (daemons) would be impossible to understand. I even had to reread the books after I had finished to help make sense of it but I found it fascinating nevertheless. I think we need to be open to different interpretations.

GrandmaKT I didn't know it was filmed in Ainsdale. Hope they didn't scare the squirrels!!

Originally millennials were those born in 1982, merlotgran, therefore coming of age in 2000.
However, it now seems to cover a whole generation, aka Gen Y

I’m recording The Name of the Rose Deeda to watch back to back so you’re not the only one! Don’t like Philip Pullman ...

I'm not keen on dark stuff or fantasy so finding very little to watch these days. A year or more ago there seemed to be several good series running but not any more.

I don't think I've watched a sci-fi thriller through my fingers since the days of Quatermass.

I must be getting old.

I liked Quatermass as well merlotgran and Doomwatch. Definitely an age thing

Ah the heady days of the Onedin Line and The Forsyth Saga, a bit of Dickens. A bygone age indeed.

I don't know about Woking, but the scenes in the woods in War of the Worlds were filmed here in Ainsdale (north of Liverpool). They made a bit of a mess of our nature reserve! (but I believe left money for it to be restored).

Grandma KT! Hello there. We are also in this vicinity and watched it being filmed. It's amazing how well nature seems to have sorted it out. You wouldn't know they'd been there.

Same with that WWII thing.

We would walk our dog and get chatting to people. It was terribly exciting.

Not seen WOTW yet but shall watch purely to point and say 'Oooh! There's our woods!

I never saw Quatermass (too young I think) but I remember my mum saying she'd tried watching it and was really scared. She would flinch at the meer mention of it.
I've given up on HDM but I will continue with WotW. I love SiFi.

I know my husband would agree with the OP. I'm trying hard to stick with His Dark Materials given one of my sons told me the trilogy was far far better than Harry Potter, but he was about 12 at the time. I was a bit bored by it last night so was on my lap top simultaneously therefore didn't really keep up, I would like a daemon though, preferably feeline that snow leopard in the first episode would do nicely.

I fell asleep in the second part of War of the Worlds, I went to see the Tom Cruise version a few years ago, but this one it seems is true to the H G Wells book set it in Woking of the Edwardian era, so far removed from the concrete reality of today. Poor Woking first it gets invaded by aliens and then it gets invaded by Prince Andrew and entourage, allegedly! What's the place done to deserve such a double horror

Oh I get it now, about the 'millenials'. They came of age in 2000. I've been thinking they must have been born then.

I also am enjoying The Name of the Rose. Gold Digger seems promising and there is a drama beginning I think tonight at 9pm starring Sally Lindsey. I cannot remember but it might be The Call, something like that?

Absolutely loving Dark Materials -which seems to get better and better with each episode. Brilliant Sunday night viewing, hope they continue with the other two books in the trilogy.
Enjoyed WoTW - at least it was set in the proper time and place, even if they have tinkered a little (!) with the story line.

I imagine the answer to the OP is that it's because a lot of people enjoy them. Those who don't enjoy or understand them can always watch a 'rerun of Love Island or whatsoever it is they don't find "heavy".

As a child I was always told that it's boring people who are bored. That just about sums up threads like this as far as I am concerned. It's not as if anyone is made watch or for that matter, whinge

I think, maybe because of old age, I dislike stories with themes of impending doom. Thrillers are too thrilling for me. I like the complex social stories from Jane Austen or lighthearted stuff like Mapp or Lucia. Life can be pretty ridiculous so I love Black Comedy; such as the brilliant Guilt. There as very few laughs to leaven the dough with Pullman or HGWells.

I'm different---I watched the jungle ( Ant and Dec ) more lighthearted than anything far-fetched that you have to concentrate on. I don't do concentrating these days.

I watched the first episode of The War of the Worlds and enjoyed it. I didn't find it heavy at all. I'm also watching and enjoying The Name of the Rose, though it requires more concentration from me! Didn't fancy His Dark Materials, so haven't bothered watching that.
Will watch Call the Midwife when it returns - have enjoyed this every time it has been on. Hoping there might be a Christmas special, but haven't heard if there will be one.

The Sally Lindsay one is Cold Call I think, about scams.

Well I love both of them. But then I can only stand so much sentimentality and mush (and Call the Midwife had become that, sorry). I don't see what age has to do with it. Do we lose the ability to enjoy good well written drama as we get older?

I thoroughly enjoyed last nights tv. War of the worlds was brilliant. Genius of H G Wells to make them spidery. Love the book.
I will watch Call the midwife as I always do,but it makes me feel wrung out.

I don't think your post makes sense, GG3

Are you saying the thread is boring or the posters are bored so that makes them boring or their comments are boring you?

I do hope we never get to the stage when, in answer to a post criticising a TV programme, we're always going to be told, 'Don't watch it then.'

I quite like reading telly reviews even if I don't agree with them.

There is a whole range of programmes between His Dark Materials and Love Island - but Sunday night viewing was always considered to be just a bit lighter and more entertaining than two angst ridden dramas one after another.

Very patronising to assume that if one is not keen on His Dark Materials one will enjoy the dreadful Love Island!

The Sunday night costume dramas used to be a delight. Mr Selfridge, Cranford, Lark Rise to Candleford, several Dickens and Thomas Hardy dramas, and of course Downton. They left you feeling cheerful not drained!

I did love Lark Rise, was so sorry that ended.