Ripper Street and Peaky Blinders.

[silver_sun]

Ripper Street is back on next Monday night for a second series :)

Trailer from the official BBC Youtube.

Damien Molony (Hal from Being Human) is appearing in this series, although how often and as who I don't know. You can spot him very briefly a couple of times in the trailer.

Does anybody else watch it?

Also just finished watching on the BBC Iplayer Peaky Blinders. Has anybody else been watching it? Thought it was a very good series and hope they make a second.
I think the thing that got me was that they decided to basically not have any out right good or bad characters. And that there were a goo half dozen points where I thought I knew exactly how they would play it out, how it would have played out in just about everything else and they didn't. There was one where they did, but I can't say without giving away plot. And there's one that they left it on that could end up being cliche, but after how they've obviously played with tropes in parts of it then I don't know how they'll play it out.

It's not comfortable watching. It's not a cosy costume drama or a grand family saga or love saves the day cross class relationship. It's gang warfare and corruption. It's violent and it doesn't shy away from it, it's not glamourised, it's brutal and pervasive, an inescapable part of the characters lives. Nobody in it really comes out as a hero, just about everybody does questionable or objectionable things. Everything in it is driven by the characters actions, and as terrible, foolish or unpleasant as those actions are by the time they take them you know why they have. You can't condone their actions, but you still find yourself wanting them to succeed.

It's on the BBC Iplayer until Thursday if anybody is interested in it. And probably in other places ;) after that.

Comments

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Ripper Street... and can't wait for it to come back (have not been watching Peaky Blinders)

[silver_sun]

It is good, isn't it. I think my favourite character is Drake, although I know most people seem to prefer Jackson.

There's quite a bit more up on the bbc site now about s2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03fvc1c If you're trying to avoid spoilers I'd avoid the character bios got to by the pic on the bottom right.

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

I loved the character played by Lucy Cohu (Jack's daughter in Children of Earth) who had the affair with Jackson... but she doesn't seem to be in the list of characters :(

[dylantoms.livejournal.com]

I thought Ripper Street was fantastic, best thing from the BBC. For a long time [not including Luther of course :)]. I loved everything about it,; the writing, the story lines, the cast the setting...
I am grinding my teeth in frustration here reading your post as I am in Australia visiting my daughter until 12th November and had no idea it was about to start while I was away.
Thank goodness for iPlayer - just hope the keep the whole series on there.

I didn't see Pesky Blinders, it passed me by as I was moving house and not watching so much telly!

[silver_sun]

It was just so different from what costume dramas tend to be (I think that's what I liked about Peaky Blinders as well).

They'll have it on Iplayer for the whole time the series is on, it's going to be 8 episodes the same as it was last time.

There's more information on the bbc site http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03fvc1c although I'd avoid the character bios is you don't want any spoilers.

[dylantoms.livejournal.com]

Yes, so different and fast paced. But mostly it's the three main characters that bring it all to life.

Thanks for that about iPlayer - relief! So wish we could access iPlayer out here as mostly the telly is awful, though I have caught some old Neighbours eps being repeated from back in the day! [Any port in a storm].

So much catching up to do when I get back :)