Admin Michelle Young Posted 17 October , 2011 Admin Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Are there any staff at Downton called Mellors? Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Downton Abbey 2 starts here in NZ tomorrow night, looking forward to it - warts and all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJanman Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 with some extremely poignant moments. The most poignant moment for me was the poor RAMC chap who must have taken the wrong turn and ended up trapped amongst a load of infantry who were about to go over the top. I sat, with my heart in my mouth, watching intently to see if they would give him a rifle and make him go over. I hope he survived. I think the MO sent him out to find Thomas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepper Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 The best moment was Maggie Smith threatening the vicar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 We decided to bin DA II until DVD comes out [those adverts!] but bought DA I to see what the fuss was about. I noted a GG C-Sgt reasonably correctly dressed in SD for c. 1914 BUT his shoulder titles were Grenadier Guards white on scarlet worsted: as per regulation but not as worn. The Foot Guards seem to have given up the regulation 1902 versions and opted for gilding metal at some date between 1902 and 1914. In my opinion he should have gilding metal grenade over GG on shoulder straps. Interestingly, in addition to such front-line oddities as grenade and GG in worsted adopted overseas [perhaps], the GG reverted to the 1902 style in/by 1917. This was not done at Home: not smart enough perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 The best moment was Maggie Smith threatening the vicar The vicar was acted by the guy who played the pompous officer who got on the wrong side of "Sharpe" several times. Now he's up against Maggie Smith. Still, I digress. I thought the shot of No Man's Land that preceded the Over The Top sequence was impressive. I'm not sure how they did this. CGI? Or did they borrow the shot from another production? I don't know how much this is done nowadays. Back in the 50s and 60s it was not uncommon, for example, for Western films to borrow footage to save the costs of hiring lots of extras for the battle scenes. And it must cost a bit to bring in vintage vehicles for a few seconds, as with the pristine bus in last night's episode. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 And it must cost a bit to bring in vintage vehicles for a few seconds, as with the pristine bus in last night's episode. Moonraker Yes, I thought the bus was splendid and gave an idea of what black and white pictures don't let us see. I said to my wife "I bet that represents thousands of hours of painstaking restoration work and loving care." It looked marvellous, and I wouldn't mind seeing it for real one day. Details like the lustre on the padded leather seats make the other dicrepancies in the production almost excusable. Almost. And the Earl's car is marvellous too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 "The vicar was acted by the guy who played the pompous officer who got on the wrong side of "Sharpe" several times" I thought he played Galyon in "Wings" when he was much younger (and is now married to Caroline Bone in the "Archers") But I could be wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 What Vicar?, I must have been channel surfing for a few seconds and missed all this!. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 "The vicar was acted by the guy who played the pompous officer who got on the wrong side of "Sharpe" several times" I thought he played Galyon in "Wings" when he was much younger (and is now married to Caroline Bone in the "Archers") But I could be wrong. Correct, Stephen. Michael Cochrane, who was Sir Henry Simmerson in 'Sharpe', did indeed also play Charles Gaylion in 'Wings', Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger H Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 What Vicar?, I must have been channel surfing for a few seconds and missed all this!. Norman Oooh, Norman, you are getting interested in the programme now!!!!! :lol: Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Sadly Roger you are quite correct! Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Correct, Stephen. Michael Cochrane, who was Sir Henry Simmerson in 'Sharpe', did indeed also play Charles Gaylion in 'Wings', Isn't (or wasn't) he also a lynchpin of The Archers in recent times? Mind you, for all our fulminating about the inaccuracies in this programme (which I'm not watching...) you should catch last Saturday's [ 15 Oct] episode of 'Harry Hill's TV Burp' for a rather hilarious take on last week's [8 Oct] DA. A breakdancing 'Maggie Smith', anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Last night's episode was very good, with some extremely poignant moments. I realise that the story and drama are uppermost for the writer, but this was the most inaccurate episode medically - very far from the truth. That any man with spinal injuries would be moved from France until he was completely stable was out of the question, and that he should arrive at a piddling convalescent hospital in 'straight from the front' condition, laughable - presumably on a long haul by ambulance train all the way to Yorkshire. If his spine was intact when he started, it certainly wouldn't be on arrival. During the war this country had some of the finest medical facilities available to the army, the best professional nursing care and the UK's leading medical and surgical specialists. Poor Matthew simply got landed with Major Clarkson prodding his back within a few hours of arrival and declaring that he had such severe spinal injuries that he would be left an impotent, paraplegic, with no hope of improvement. The detail was excrutiatingly bad, though I'm quite sure that it didn't spoil the enjoyment for the vast majority of viewers. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 you should catch last Saturday's [ 15 Oct] episode of 'Harry Hill's TV Burp' for a rather hilarious take on last week's [8 Oct] DA. A breakdancing 'Maggie Smith', anyone? I thought that Harry Hill did a much better version of a VAD than Julian Fellowes! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 What Vicar?, I must have been channel surfing for a few seconds and missed all this!. Norman As he awaited death, the batman was anxious to marry his fiancée (I think that was the state of their relationship)so she could get widow's benefits. The vicar was extremely reluctant for the wedding to proceed, though quite why I'm not too sure; perhaps he was just an awkward s*d or it may have been to give Maggie Smith a fine grande dame scene. Anyway, she summons him to her presence and points out that his living and his house are in the Earl's gift. He gets the message, acquiesces weakly, and the wedding proceeds. (I have to say that I thought the maid's special hairdo for the occasion did her no favours and made her look quite a hard person in contrast to her usual empty headed persona.) In his Simmerson role Michael Cochrane invited a winsome girl to, ahem, indulge him, but I vaguely recalled she was rescued by a priest who pointed a sword or rapier at an area precious to him. I wonder if that was as bad as having a chilly face-to-face with Maggie? Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Thanks, I promise to pay much more attention next time. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamRev Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Unless I have missed it, no one has yet mentioned that in the early battle-sequence in last night's episode a caption appeared on the screen "Arras 1918" followed by an officer in a tie and sam-browne carrying a revolver leading his men over the top, whereas we know that by this time all officers were required to wear other-ranks' battle-dress in an assault, and photos tell us that they often (usually?) carried rifles in addition to their revolvers. William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 I like the actor Michael Cochrane simply because he made me despise him as Simmerson and revel when Sharpe got the better of him. The mark of a very good actor and he was very believeable in the role. There are some really good actors in the series. Just a shame they pay scant atention to detail. Sue, you scare me sometimes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 The battle of Amiens was a set piece action, using the latest tactics, barrages of artillery and lots of tanks, whereas the programme seemed to show an 1915 type of assault. Pity about the detail ,,,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 The battle of Amiens was a set piece action, using the latest tactics, barrages of artillery and lots of tanks, whereas the programme seemed to show an 1915 type of assault. Pity about the detail ,,,,,, Agreed - and, did anyone notice that the Officer and the batman had their respirator cases back to front when they were about to go "over the top"? Flaps to the front - all the "extras" had theirs worn correctly with flap facing the chest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 As he awaited death, the batman was anxious to marry his fiancée (I think that was the state of their relationship)so she could get widow's benefits. The vicar was extremely reluctant for the wedding to proceed, though quite why I'm not too sure; perhaps he was just an awkward s*d or it may have been to give Maggie Smith a fine grande dame scene. Anyway, she summons him to her presence and points out that his living and his house are in the Earl's gift. He gets the message, acquiesces weakly, and the wedding proceeds. (I have to say that I thought the maid's special hairdo for the occasion did her no favours and made her look quite a hard person in contrast to her usual empty headed persona.) In his Simmerson role Michael Cochrane invited a winsome girl to, ahem, indulge him, but I vaguely recalled she was rescued by a priest who pointed a sword or rapier at an area precious to him. I wonder if that was as bad as having a chilly face-to-face with Maggie? Moonraker I did not see the programme, however if they were legally entitled to marry and met all the legal requirements then the vicar would not be able to refuse to marry them whatever he thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 17 October , 2011 Share Posted 17 October , 2011 Sue, you scare me sometimes... And I seemed such a normal baby ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 18 October , 2011 Share Posted 18 October , 2011 To return to my old hobby horse, apart from all the inaccuracies in uniform, medical procedure etc, the basic chronology of the show is simply all over the place. In Episode 1 we were in mid to late 1916 but, unlike the real world, conscription had not yet been introduced. In a subsequent 1917 episode the chauffeur was worried about being 'sent to the Dardanelles', a campaign which had ended more than a year previously (ok, we'll let them off that he may have been using a popular saying, as discussed above.) Episode 4 is set in 1918. From the evidence of the extensive exterior shots, with trees in leaf etc. it is clearly not meant to be winter. Disconcertingly, Lady Sybil and the chauffeur discuss the Irish rising which happened 'last Easter'. At the end of the episode Ethel the (former) Maid reveals to Mrs Hughes that she is pregnant by a moustache-twirling major. At the start of episode 5, we see a battle scene 'at Amiens' which like Delta, I took to be a recreation of the 8th August or one of the subsequent 'Hundred Days' attacks. However, later in proceedings the chauffeur is reading the shocking news about the murder of the Tsar and his family in the 'paper. That puts the date of the episode back to mid-July 1918, before the 'Hundred Days'. Ethel, meanwhile, has been delivered of a bouncing baby which, when seen in the programme, was clearly not newly-born. I'm not an expert in these matters but by my reckoning poor Ethel's pregnancy lasted about three months at the outside. I know 'it's only a play' as my dear old mother would have said but all this smacks of slap-dashery rather than dramatic licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 18 October , 2011 Share Posted 18 October , 2011 Mark, glad you mentioned the baby, kids certainly grew-up quickly in those days. Another (small) thing that is concerning me is why is the Lord of the Manor wearing his uniform constantly in the house even when reading the newspapers. An explanation would be appreciated as I am making every attempt to understand this televisual feast!. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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