The Gallows Pole

From the sound of it, I will stick with Last Tango in Halifax. It's still as brilliant as it was and no dimly lit scenes - can't stand bad lighting as I concentrate on trying to see what is happening I loose the gist of it.

Watched first episode. Took a long time to get going. Think it could have been better. It was a bit like a musical in places. Swearing was overdone. Might watch another one.

I wait till a series is done then binge it at 1.5x speed. Makes a big difference to a lot of slow-moving boring crap I fire on subtitles too, in case I miss any garbled speech. If it still doesn’t hold my attention with these steps, I bin it and move on.

reaghanreilly

I wait till a series is done then binge it at 1.5x speed. Makes a big difference to a lot of slow-moving boring crap I fire on subtitles too, in case I miss any garbled speech. If it still doesn’t hold my attention with these steps, I bin it and move on.

Good trick! I’ll try that. There’s a lot that just doesn’t hold my attention these days.

Bit disappointing, slow and repetitive on the basis of the first episode. The modern jargon jarred with me - e.g. "He's not in a good place". I will stick with it for now and might be won over by the exuberance of the cast.

Watched episode 1 but won't bother watching the others. Found the setting very dark, language difficult (and I'm from Yorkshire) and the over use of the 'f' word tedious.

I found the dialogue too modern, disappointing as the subject matter had appeal.

Dreadful. Why must they keep using the F word.

I thought the start was a bit of a drag but stuck with it till the end. Then I promptly watched parts 2 and 3 and absolutely loved it. The language was appalling but somehow it fitted, I was shocked to hear the f word come out of Daisys's (Downton) mouth though .

leeds22

Watched episode 1 but won't bother watching the others. Found the setting very dark, language difficult (and I'm from Yorkshire) and the over use of the 'f' word tedious.

I'm with you on the "over use of the 'f' word", which has become depressingly common in TV and films these days. I know I will probably be held up as prissy, prudish, out of touch and old fashioned; but I really cannot see what repeated usage of such terms brings to the narrative, other than to paint the characters as coarse unthinking brutes (as in 'Succession', for example). I don't think I have led a particularly sheltered life: local schools, and a profession and social life spent amongst people at all levels of society - but I have seldom encountered groups of people whose everyday language is so unthinkingly littered with obscenities. I will swear emphatically and enthusiastically when the circumstances merit it, but (in my experience) anyone who habitually talks like that is either immature and showing off, or is blind drunk or otherwise deranged.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/43c49e6c-ffdf-11ed-96f6-54413087455a?shareToken=81f6588f087c29e3fec4255f1e58c44a

Interesting article on this new trend to modernise costume drama.

Imo, it is to attract the young, hence the over-use of effing and modern speech. All very tedious and like the author of this article yearn to a return of sensible drama that depicts the age in which it is set and honours the writer of that time.

I watched it. Why did they keep asking David where he had been did no one listen when he said Birmingham the first time. How come he recovers in a few hours from being stabbed? I don't mind a bit of bad language but the F word in every sentence was a bit much. Won't be watching the rest of the series.

10 minutes then switched off. Not my type of programme.

I gave up - if anyone says they've watched the lot and it is good I may try again!

Again, the Yorkshire dialogue was a bit modern for me to take it seriously ....

I agree with LRavenscroft. It's absolutely brilliant! Innovative, unscripted, great naturalism, also a great story. Loved the starting titles and music too. We'll done Shane Meadows!

Ps: had to watch them all together! Brilliant!

The intro was superb - just knew I was going to love it. I did, am going to reserve book at the library too. I tend to find that tv doesn't do a book justice so maybe reading afterwards will be more my thing!

Until recently I lived in a house directly below Bell House where the real David Hartley lived. I’m also possibly related to the coiner who lived at the next farm so all very close to home. As regards the dialogue, I’m much more annoyed when characters in 60s dramas say f* as I was alive then and know people didn’t routinely use the word. It’s harder to know how people spoke in the 17th century so I appreciate the difficulty in getting it right. I also hate period drama where the actors have brilliantly white teeth so full marks for authentic teeth. However the women’s eyebrows were too perfectly modern. Unfortunately I couldn’t get away from Downtown Daisy when Grace spoke so not brilliant acting. Full marks for atmosphere.
I didn’t realise it was a prequel but know where it’s heading so happy to go with the pace.

I was looking forward to it but it was slow, couldn't always hear what they were saying and the over use of the f word all combine to make me switch off after 15 minutes

I quite liked the "how grim can we make it up North?" vibe, lucky I knew it was Shane Meadow or I might have given up rather than finding it almost funny. I was a bit confused by the mystic mummers, but definitely sticking with it

I'll agree the 1st episode was slow, but I watched the 2nd and 3rd,totally different, funny, clever, really enjoyed it so far, worth a watch.

I really liked it. Didn’t notice the swearing (which says something about me I guess!)

I love and rate everything Meadows has done. I consider This is England to be one of the finest pieces of British tv.

Watched it again last night and, albeit falling asleep part way through ( which is what happened first time round) I really liked it. Certainly going to stick with it. I only fell asleep because I always watch catchup tv late at night as I always have to sleep with some background noise.

svtoen

I love and rate everything Meadows has done. I consider This is England to be one of the finest pieces of British tv.

Me too. I've watched TIE several times, and never tire of it. I am away just now, but plan to binge The Gallows Pole when I get home.