I thought it was pretty good, Joe. Decent cast and good story. Although, Post Office guy seems to play exactly the same character in everything.
Do you think Harry will still be there, when Spooks comes back for Series 10?

New BBC drama South Riding rode in with 6.6 million viewers on Sunday evening, despite tough competition from Dancing On Ice and Wild At Heart, the latest audience data has revealed.

South Riding, a three-part mini-series starring David Morrissey and Anna Maxwell Martin, averaged 6.62m (23.9%) for BBC One in the 9pm hour.

The programme held its own against Wild At Heart, with the long-running ITV1 drama pulling in 6.76m (23.6%) from 8.30pm and 89k (0.4) on +1.

South Riding also stood tall against Dancing On Ice: The Skate-Off, which entertained 6.63m (24.6%) from 9.30pm, down 700k week-on-week. The show, featuring the elimination of Kerry Katona, grabbed a further 194k (1.2%) on timeshift.

Those figures are good Erin, considering what it was up against.
I was hoping for more than three episodes though.

I enjoyed it and thought it made a promising start.....I expect three episodes is a sort of trial...if it succeeds then maybe more will be commissioned. I hope so

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not sure whether they can do more than three if it's  based on the original plot. I remember seeing the film in my youth.  It was quite controversial.

I enjoyed it   but what on earth was on Harry's head 

We saw him in Whitby last year. The thing on his head was even worse.

I missed it because it was on the same time as The Promise and that is really good.

Thanks for this GJ. I loved the book - so will see this on I Player.

good job it wasn't me that saw him GJ cos I wouldn't have known whether to pet it or feed it or set it free 

I'm really loving The Promise Longcat - I recorded it and watched it today - next Sunday is the last one 

It is really good isn't it? Sad it will be the last episode but really curious how it will end.

The suspense of what her grandfather did is killing me 

I want to know what the key opens 

yes!  Will she ever find Mohammed and find out what the key opens and does she do the dirty with Omar having done it with Paul    oooooo and do the British catch up with sweet little Klara?  So many questions to be answered - can't wait 

Roll on Sunday Pengy

Nevermind that!  Who's minding the bar down at The Grapes, eh?  And who's Eddie gonna discuss temporary traffic lights with?

I watched it online and everything was pitch dark. Was that the same on TV or do I have to try and adjust my screen next time?

I didn't enjoy it at all. Due mainly to not having seen it. What's it all about then? 

Ken from The Grapes has gone off sh@gging and left the bar in the capable hands of Tanya and Harry is moonlighting from Spooks.  But it's ok - he's undercover and wearing a dodgy hat.

Col xxx  It WAS dark

Is this the South Riding by Winfred Holtby -set in 1930's Yorkshire?

Thanks Cosmo, it's not just my PC then. I don't like things being dark, they make a point of it being admospheric, but it isn't. I need to see more then a pair of eyes.  Apart from that, I feel it's a bit obvious. He didn't like her and, of course, he's going to fancy her like hell now because she helped with the calf. I don't know, ask me next Sunday.

*goes to google*
Oh it is that one...
All this talk about Ken from the grapes and spooks confused me 

I feel it's a bit Catherine Cookson, but GJ likes it, so there must be more to it. So far it's about a young woman becoming Headmistress of a girl's school and being very able, but also being a bit of a commie, etc, etc.

*Is back on track*

The book is brilliant - far better than Catherine Cookson Cologne.. Stay with it..

Thanks col 

That's the one, Issy


It reminded me of Du Maurier's (sp) Rebecca (I haven't read the book).  I did enjoy it and I think David Morrisey is rather yum, so I'm happy.  I think it's Dougie Henshall who's going to be smitten with the head teacher but she'll dally () with ol' grumpy boots first.

I will Issy, but they've filmed it all in the dark and it drives me to destruction to see what's going on. I might just go onto Amanzon and buy the book because I am interested in the story.

Sorry, Issy   He gets about a bit what with being the in-law to be (to Lurkio/Anthony) in the Royle Family too....

I am soo excited - I am glad I opened the thread.
Read the book if you can Cosi. 

Definitely do that Cologne and look out for her friend Vera Britten who wrote Testament of Youth which details her experiences in WW1.
SOoo good,

Both these women were feminists...

I will Issy, sounds very good.

I think I will, Issy because I usually prefer them to the mini-series etc.,
Same with Inspector Morse.  I like John Thaw as Morse but the character in the book is better, imo.  And of course, you read what Morse is thinking;  that can be quite revealling and funny at times.   And he drove a Lancia in the book and Lewis was older than him

Anyhoo, I've gone off at a tangent..! Ooops.

You see I never knew that cos I had not read the books..
We are doing well here.

Oh no, I've just lost all trust. I never read the books. Why did they put him in a different car? Why should Lewis be older? I'm really quite cheesed off now.

Re Inspector Morse:  It doesn't really affect the tv programme all that much, so fear not ladies!
It's just that better insight that you get from books - the mundane and humdrum bits of life that none of us can avoid.  Lewis was always late home for his tea - Morse used to envy him for that;  and Lewis ALWAYS had egg and chips

And Morse was for ever falling in love with all the wrong women...

He did. I would be very disappointed if I'd read the books and then watched the series. Doesn't Colin Dexter get peed off with the wrong ID for his books?

No, I don't think he does as I'm sure he had a lot of input into the show.  I suppose it's to make it 'tv friendly' and fit into 2 hours...?
They probably couldn't find a decent Lancia, and Robbie Lewis (who was Welsh..!) probably seemed a better idea as a younger man. 

The way Dexter described Morse was close to autobiographical at times.


***  I'm so sorry to all who read this OT stuff xxx

I wonder how much they'll tweak South Riding for tv purposes...?

Quite a lot! If they could have done it all over again they might have swapped post office man with the president in outcasts. One could have taken South Riding seriously and it would 'ave/of/have added even more comedy to outcasts.