Lynley

123kitty

I really enjoyed the new series.

The last one - Epi 4 -highly recommended if you just want to try one- dramatic and effective plot.

I've not read the books, but I did watch. and enjoy the previous version. I'm treating this one as something to watch if there's nothing else on.

I had a treat tonight as Sky Arts were showing a 1981 version of Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery. Not only did it have a cast that included John Gielgud, but it stuck closely to the story. The murderer didn't turn out to be somebody else and nobody was suddenly revealed to be a lesbian. So unlike the current "re imaginings" the BBC keep foisting on us.

I am underwhelmed. It's new to me as I didn't watch the Nathaniel Parker version. It seems to be limping along with a weak script, and I am only watching it because I'm not well and most TV seems dire at the moment so there's nothing else (apart from the brilliant Traitors, of course!)

I really enjoyed the new series.

I didn’t get far in. Then switched off. Same old same old rehashed scenario of “posh, higher educated, handsome, outsider joins investigation and is paired with not so “posh” or educated or handsome local. Just banal. No subtlety. 🫤

The only thing I recognised was the name

It was watchable but nothing like the characters in the books.
I did however stop reading the series after several books as Elizabeth George's dialogue with Havers became irritating. We could take her accent and dropped aitches as read without having it spelled out constantly.
Nathaniel Parker was excellent as Lynley.

Franbern

It is even more confusing as one of the channels is currently showing episodes from the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

Gave the new version a go. Not a patch on Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small.

...who'd want to poor scruffy, outspoken, plain old Barbara?

They managed to find someone to play Vera, who was much loved. Slow Horses is full of such characters and is popular.

Well I watched it and was dreadfully disappointed, my own fault I expected it to be Nathanial and it wasn’t.☹️ well in for a penny etc so I will watch the next episode and hope for the best.

Ditto! Old pairing was much better.

lizzypopbottle I've also read all the Dalziel & Pascoe books & I loved the tv series, I thought they'd got the characters just right - I could hear them talking as I read the stories. I agree that both incarnations of Linley are reasonably like the books but you're right, who'd want to poor scruffy, outspoken, plain old Barbara? 🤣 They are obviously a crack team as the 22nd book isn't long out. I'm waiting for it to get q bit cheaper before I add it to my collection!

I thought it was absolutely awful and won't be watching it again. The characterisations were nothing like the books, neither was the balance between Linley and Havers.

It's always hard to accept a new portrayal of a favourite character, I thought Lynley wasn't posh enough to highlight their differences. The worst remaking was of Adam Dalgleish, could hardly bear to watch, even when Martin Shaw did it!

One of the great things about the original series was the huge gap in social status between the top characters. That for me was the USP

This new Linley has very little of that.

twinnytwin

We really enjoyed it and will definitely watch the series. I haven't watched the original series or read the books .. yet. Linley was just so darn handsome and when he was changing out of his wet clothers - Phwoar.

I’ve binged the episodes & agree ‘Lynley’ is handsome .
I’ve never read the books 📚 either but enjoying the series .
The balance between Barbara & Lynley is good . Though I was alp intrigued by the hair style changes

GrammaH I've read all of Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe books and I do watch and enjoy the old TV series on BBC iPlayer. I don't think they mess with male characters so much. I wonder if they'd find anyone willing to play Barbara Havers, alongside Lynley, if they had her portrayed as she is in Elizabeth George's books 😂

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Nothing like "Endeavour.

And anyway - how can you make comparisons if, as you claim, you didn't even watch any of it???
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I watched the first episode and thought it was ok but it's always difficult when you've read all the books - I think there are 22 - as you see the characters very clearly in your mind's eye. I thought Lynley was ok but Havers way off the mark. The inference was that she has an Indian mother which I certainly don't remember. Barbara in the books was incredibly scruffy so she wouldn't have had her hair in a very fancy plait which, strangely, morphed into a bun on the way back from a call out. In fact, her hair seemed to be a different style in every other shot, it was off putting & I became quite obsessed by it! Barbara in the books was definitely not attractive & lived on Pop Tarts, I'm sure this one didn't! I think Sharon Small was better casting. Oh, and I was gutted that, like so many other things, Norfolk was actually Ireland. I'll probably watch the next one & try to forget about the excellent books.

They usually change fundamental things from books to make 'good' TV! In the books, Barbara Havers is scruffy, unattractive, impetuous, argumentative, disliked by most of her colleagues because of that and always being bust back from sergeant to constable, plain clothes to uniform. I haven't watched either series but I can't help wondering if she's portrayed as she is in the books. Enlightenment welcome 😆

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We very much loved it and have binge-watched three episodes.

(We liked the original series too)
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Well that’s why he’s there isn’t it ?

We really enjoyed it and will definitely watch the series. I haven't watched the original series or read the books .. yet. Linley was just so darn handsome and when he was changing out of his wet clothers - Phwoar.

I thought the balance in the second one was well done between action/nasty bits without dwelling on things and the reasons why they had done what they did.

Formulaic: toff tec and "common"/female side-kick

But I enjoyed it and will watch again (I don't binge). Leon Suter is very handsome and Sofia Barclay is really pretty. I haven't read the original books so I'm not bothered if this series departs from them.

But the guy on telly who absolutely floats my boat is Tom Hiddlestone in The Night Manager. The first series was terrific and I don't think there's been a better thriller on TV since. I hope this new series is half as good.