tbf to Durbridge, I kind of think smushed up serial-into-film and last thing he ever wrote probably aren't the fairest things... but yes! The first one is stronger as a story but the chief villain still does something early on that alerts Sam Harvey to the fact that they (and therefore another person) must be lying, but unlike in "The Local Affair", where he's Just That Kind of Murderer Who Can't Resist It (one of a long and honorable line), there's very little reason I can think of for that one - they actually otherwise had a pretty good means of getting at him via the first person. I suppose they must have wanted an excuse to get inside the Beige Murder Flat and see what they made of it and Sam Harvey, idk.
but fortunately I was watching it for the actors and on that level had a delightful time.
<3<3<3
I have to say that even though serial #1 is the stronger, I like watching Sam Harvey in blithely detached detecting mode more than in pissed off with everyone for lying to him about his parents' murder and then breaking into his flat five times and injuring people while he was trying to write mode, especially with the more fun cast. But tbf, anyone would be annoyed by all the murder and break-ins every time they try to get on with their book! (sovay, they even try and implicate his talented illustrator! The fiends!) Wee!me was far more concerned with the writing side of the plot. Almost all the bits I actually remember are writing bits, visiting the illustrator bits whereas all the action and murder and plot bits I had evidently decided were less important. I did remember Martin Jarvis's even worse dressing gown than Ed Bishop's dressing gown, though. Whereas the second one, I was obviously into the plot as well and I remembered much more overall.
Anyway, I am also delighted to be able to inform you that the BBC nevertheless had confidence in this! They released the music as a single and two tie-in novels by Durbridge (one for each serial). Mariocki found out for me and left me this pic on the discord:
That's Martin Jarvis in his beige murder flat, with the key book of matches and a telephone, and all it would have needed to entirely sum up serial 1 was Dinner at the Zoo in shot. XD
(It's very cheap on Amazon. Self, self: you know it never ends well with terrible TV tie-in novels!! They always make things worse!)
ETA: So, somewhere there is a universe where presumably Sam Harvey got interrupted in his writing yet AGAIN by improbable murders solved in six swift episodes with random cliffhangers and my wee self was presumably a lot less desolate at its disappearance from my life. But probably we do in this case live in the better universe. Probably... :D
no subject
but fortunately I was watching it for the actors and on that level had a delightful time.
<3<3<3
I have to say that even though serial #1 is the stronger, I like watching Sam Harvey in blithely detached detecting mode more than in pissed off with everyone for lying to him about his parents' murder and then breaking into his flat five times and injuring people while he was trying to write mode, especially with the more fun cast. But tbf, anyone would be annoyed by all the murder and break-ins every time they try to get on with their book! (
Anyway, I am also delighted to be able to inform you that the BBC nevertheless had confidence in this! They released the music as a single and two tie-in novels by Durbridge (one for each serial). Mariocki found out for me and left me this pic on the discord:
That's Martin Jarvis in his beige murder flat, with the key book of matches and a telephone, and all it would have needed to entirely sum up serial 1 was Dinner at the Zoo in shot. XD
(It's very cheap on Amazon. Self, self: you know it never ends well with terrible TV tie-in novels!! They always make things worse!)
ETA: So, somewhere there is a universe where presumably Sam Harvey got interrupted in his writing yet AGAIN by improbable murders solved in six swift episodes with random cliffhangers and my wee self was presumably a lot less desolate at its disappearance from my life. But probably we do in this case live in the better universe. Probably... :D