If you’re in the mood for a Downton Abbey clone, I recommend Belgravia on EPIX (I accessed it through AMAZON PRIME Video). Julian Fellowes, who came up with Downton Abbey goes back a little farther in time. Wellington defeats Napoleon at Waterloo and that marks the beginning of a plot involving the up-and-coming merchant family–the Trenchards (Anne Trenchard is my favorite character)–and the British aristocracy which is declining in Victorian England. Anne Trenchard (Tamsin Greig) is my favorite character. Her husband is referred to as “The Magician” by the military forces because of his skill providing them with critical wartime supplies.
Julian Fellowes also wrote Belgravia, a novel that the 6-episode mini-series is based on (Belgravia is also available as an audiobook). The mini-series follows the novel closely.
What are you watching on TV? GRADE: A
We no longer have Epix, though I see you say you got it through Amazon Prime. I know it got soso reviews, but you liked it.
We are watching a lot of foreign language stuff – Israeli (FAUDA and SRUGIM), Japanese (GIRI/HAJI), Italian (MY BRILLIANT FRIEND), plus BOSCH and OUTLANDER and VIRGIN RIVER and THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES, and several other things.
Jeff, I’m going to start Babylon Berlin later this week. Katie’s watching it and says it’s good…if you accept the subtitles.
Even Jackie got used to subtitles. It certainly makes you pay attention!
Jeff, everything I watch alone is with closed captions. Diane will only allow closed captioning of TV shows we watch together if they’re British–like DOCTOR WHO and WORLD ON FIRE. The British accents sometimes make it hard to understand what the characters are saying.
George, I have to admit that I didn’t watch most of Babylon Berlin, staying in Hungary most of the last years. But I heard that most people liked it and found it a very good description of the last years of the Wemar Republic and the fighty between extreme left and right which ended so tragically.
Hope you’ll like it too.
Wolf, BABYLON BERLIN is getting good reviews so I’ll give it a try. Look for a review on my blog in the weeks ahead.
I’m finding it difficult to concentrate on reading lately and have been watching lots of tv, streaming and otherwise. You can never go wrong with old favorites like “Strangers on a Train” and “Double Indemnity”, both of which I’ve seen lately thanks to TCM, which has also provided such wonderful fifties sci-fi horror movies as “Them” and “It Came From Outer Space”. On the streaming side of things I’ve watched the new season of “Bosch” and the Netflix sensation “Tiger King”. On Hulu, two series based on admired novels, “Normal People” and “Little Fires Everywhere”. Among the new stuff I’ve watched, the one I liked most was the absolutely wonderful dark comedy, “Dead to Me” on Netflix. And HBO has provided the worst thing I’ve seen, “Run”. As a longtime fan of Merritt Wever I just can’t believe how bad it is. With two episodes to go I’m hate watching it.
Michael, I plan to watch BOSCH soon. I’ve heard other negative reviews of RUN. What would we do without TCM?
Yes! We love Merritt Wever – ever since NURSE JACKIE – and can’t believe how bad RUN is. DEAD TO ME is terrific.
Jeff, DEAD TO ME is on our list to watch in the weeks ahead.
Do I have to subscribe to Epix to watch this? Is it like Acorn, which I get through Amazon Prime but pay for every month.
I agree about RUN. A tremendous disappointment. I too have been watching a lot of old movies on Criterion Channel. I can’t get TCM without paying for a sports package. Crazy. I thought Criterion was only $99 a year but now see I am also paying $99 for a Roku charge. They got you coming and going.
Patti, you can buy access to EPIX on AMAZON PRIME Video for an extra fee (5.99 a month). You’re right about these guys nickel-and-diming us! I hate to think about what SPECTRUM CABLE, HULU, Netflix, HBO, SHOWTIME, and CBS All-Access is costing us!
Never a fan of Downton Abbey so I probably wouldn’t like this. Like Patti, I can’t get TCM without taking a sports package, I have heard a lot of good things about Dead To Me. I’ll have to give it a try.
George-I love Babylon Berlin. Subtitles don’t bother me. It is always better than dubbed voices.
Steve, I totally agree with you on subtitles. I’ve never had a problem with them. But, some people do. I’m looking forward to BABYLON BERLIN.
I loved Downton Abbey but this historical period doesn’t interest me.
EPIX and Showtime were available free for a month thru our cable provider but nothing caught my eye.
Beth, I occasionally enjoy BBC-like costume dramas. Julian Fellowes was behind DOWNTON ABBEY, too, so BELGRAVIA has some of the same flavor.
Years of watching foreign movies acclimated me to subtitles, and when all the streaming services came along I just turned the things on and left them on. As you said, they’re very helpful with British accents. Also with very old movies (the Thirties, for instance), which tend to have fairly wretched soundtracks. They key to living with subtitles is learning to ignore them when you don’t need them.
Michael, I also find contemporary actors mumble their lines. It seems that articulation is a Lost Art. That’s another reason I watch everything on TV with the closed captions ON.
I know Maggie uses closed captioning on everything. The one we really needed it on was HAPPY VALLEY. The accents are incomprehensible at times, which is too bad as it was a terrific show. Years ago, the one we found unwatchable was the original TAGGART. Mark McManus played the title role for ten years, but they kept the show going for another 15+ years after he died. We’ve been to Glasgow a number of times, but still can’t unpick his accent.
Jeff, all the UK shows get Closed Captioning in this house! Some of the accents mash up the words so they’re incomprehensible!
I get epix with my package. I have tried 3 times to start belgravia and can’t get past a minute or two I don’t want to give up on it yet, though. I also keep subtitles on all the time. I started it when watching Mr. Selfridge. It was more difficult to turn on and off then, so kept it on. It’s easier now to just say turn on or turn off, but I’m used to them now.
I watched one episode of Run and gave up on it. I agree TCM is a lifesaver these days.
I just signed back up for netflix to save my queue and promptly deleted about 20 movies that were in it. I added a bunch, and the first month is free so hopefully I’ll be able to keep up with netflix and reduce my dvr. I got it down to 52% . I don’t think there are going to be many shows this summer so should work out well.
Maggie, our DVR is at 30%. But many shows we watch are having their “season finales” this week and next week so we won’t be recording as much going into the summer.