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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jan 23, 2021 16:53:41 GMT
Please use spoiler tags or refrain from giving away elements of the plot, at least until the end of the aired run which several people have said they will watch weekly. Instructions on how to use spoilers are in the faq section, it’s faq number 10. Thank you!
theatreboard.co.uk/thread/5946/rules-faq
What you tagged isn't even what I really considered a possible spoiler but more {Spoiler - click to view} the bit about how Ash doesn't get much screen time etc. though I made sure not to say anything about what actually happens to any of the characters and such. If it's because I said {Spoiler - click to view} these people's lives were tragically cut short then it wasn't my intention to imply any specific characters' lives were cut short, I was just referring to that generation of gay people in general of which the show is about. Sorry though, I should have tagged it just to be safe but I was using the quick reply feature and had written it all so didn't bother since I thought I'd avoided spoiling any actual plot details, won't make the same mistake again.
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Post by talkingheads on Jan 23, 2021 18:30:02 GMT
Loving it. The economy of storytelling is amazing and why Davies is one of the best writers working in TV.
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Post by stevemar on Jan 23, 2021 19:13:26 GMT
Re: Callum Howells, he was great in She Loves Me (though I loved everything about that production) - his innocent cheery character there, and such a touching performance in It's a Sin. I hope he goes on to even greater things!
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Post by stevemar on Jan 23, 2021 19:17:15 GMT
Loving it. The economy of storytelling is amazing and why Davies is one of the best writers working in TV. In the first 15 minutes of the first episode, he establishes the main characters in an instant with laughs galore and wit. I succumbed to watching the rest of the series in less than 24 hours. This will stay with me for a long time - it was truthful, there was so much hurt, it was political, witty and fearless. But what came through was the power of friendship. I will watch again for sure each week.
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Post by anthony40 on Jan 23, 2021 19:44:16 GMT
So I watch this last night. Some initial thoughts. Hair, make up, costumes and set- all spot on, That first shot of Olly Alexander talking, you could tell straight away this was to 1980's. The cars, buses- even the wallpaper- very impressive. And that thumping soundrack. Out of curiosity, was the pub supposed to be the Vauxell Tavern? Olly Alexander; he was quite good, wasn't he? Quite elfish, I know he's part of that band but in terms of acting, not too what else he's done, but he was good. I thought Lydia West as Jill was outstanding! In 1981, I was 11 and still in Sydney and at school. Event though I was down under I remember the Grim Reaper bowling balls ad. I don't know how the AIDS epidemic affected the gay community in Australia (in terms of numbers and where it was anywhere as bad as what it was here in the UK and America). I was too young; but I do remember it and I know that we weren't immune to it. It was the first time that I realised that you could catch diseases having sex. I also remember MTV showing an ad from Madonna, wrapped in an American flag and some of her dancers from her Blonde Ambition tour encouraging you to wear a condom- "Don't be silly, put a condom on your willy!". As silly as this may sound to those reading this, the other thing that stuck out for me was the strength of the Welsh accent of Callum Scott Howells as Colin. Whilst I have no trouble understanding it. I'm always taken aback slight when it hear- especially one as strong as this actors. When I mentioned this to a friend he questioned me and I think it's because growing up in Sydney, I'd never heard a Welsh accent till I came here. {Spoiler - click to view}The other thing was the way they were cleaning and disinfecting the bed after Neil Patrick Harris' character passed away; actually not too dissimilar to the situation we currently find ourselves in.
I was expecting nudity (not necessarily full frontal), sex, swearing and for it to be gritty- and that exactly what was delivered. It's also cleverly written so that you follow the journey of several types of gay- the shy one, the handsome one, the flamboyant one, the coming out one, the glimpse in to gay domestic happiness- and of course, the dirty old man. I don't need to stream the series to find out what happens, I am happy to catch the weekly episode. Cant wait to see the reaction to it on Googlebox, when it's shown.
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Post by justfran on Jan 23, 2021 22:30:04 GMT
Nice little nod to anyone who watched Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother with his character in this being a tailor (for anyone who didn’t watch it - in HIMYM his character famously always wore a suit and often used the expression “suit up”).
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Post by kathryn on Jan 23, 2021 22:49:34 GMT
I just watched episode 2. My goodness that’s a gut punch at the end.
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Post by peggs on Jan 23, 2021 23:39:58 GMT
Watched the first episode and too thought the near end post death clear up was alarmingly like now. I've been re-realising recently how relatively recently so different things were regards to attitudes/the law to sexuality, race, gender. If you've a teenager now 1981 must seem like another.....century, well it was but you know what I mean, so long ago to be ancient history and yet makes me realise how relatively recent times like the 60s must have seemed to my parents when I was young.
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Post by alece10 on Jan 24, 2021 12:02:18 GMT
Interesting BFI interview with the cast and creatives
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Post by marob on Jan 24, 2021 12:45:12 GMT
There's not a lot on at the moment, so I’ve ended up watching them all. Thought it was very good. Loved Callum Howells and Lydia West, but can’t help wishing someone more experienced had been cast in the lead.
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Post by anthony40 on Jan 24, 2021 16:45:16 GMT
Thank you alece10 for posting that BFI link.
Very interesting.
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Post by kathryn on Jan 24, 2021 22:43:00 GMT
Just finished Ep 3 and I’m crying.
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Post by kathryn on Jan 25, 2021 0:46:59 GMT
Finished the series and I’m a total mess.
Really powerful stuff. Really clever the way the casual homophobia of the time was weaved in throughout and became more and more prominent. I don’t think younger people today are really aware of the pervasiveness of it - we live in such a different world now.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2021 2:50:29 GMT
I've only watched Ep 1 and really enjoyed it.
Considering that the news of a 'gay plague' was only just starting to reach the UK, as shown when a character saw it in a newspaper, why was NPH's character already looked up in a room, with meals being left at the doors, full coverage PPE and no one wanting to go near him. If they thought it was a cancer, why all the seclusion. Also, it looked like he was being kept in an asylum rather than a hospital. It was one of the few parts that didn't ring true for me. He was a great character and wished they had kept him around longer.
If you haven't heard it, Years and Years have released a great cover of 'It's A Sin'
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Post by kathryn on Jan 25, 2021 9:00:25 GMT
News travels differently within the medical community than in the main news media. Or at least, it did back then - very different information ecosystem now with the internet.
The hospital staff would have been reading medical reports in journals about strange cases of young gay men coming down with rare cancers in New York and San Francisco long before journalists in the U.K. heard about them.
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Post by kathryn on Jan 25, 2021 9:10:36 GMT
Just want to recommend that folks don’t stay up late to watch the last couple of episodes before going to bed - proved to be seriously disruptive to sleep!
Can’t stop thinking about it.
Some particularly brave writing choices that might prove controversial. Some flaws in the characterisation of the women characters.
Looking forward to the rest of you seeing it so we can discuss it.
I am hoping that Channel 4 has some kind of follow-up documentary to come about the reality of living with HIV/AIDS now.
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Post by Mark on Jan 25, 2021 9:24:51 GMT
Yes I also struggled with a bit of a sleepless night having stayed up until 1am to finish it. So damn good, but it instilled me with anger the lack of education we had about this crisis during my school years.
I would recommend this to everyone, easily one of the best pieces of television I’ve ever seen.
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Post by southstreet on Jan 25, 2021 10:57:21 GMT
There's not a lot on at the moment, so I’ve ended up watching them all. Thought it was very good. Loved Callum Howells and Lydia West, but can’t help wishing someone more experienced had been cast in the lead. Couldn't agree more. He was fine in all of the fun scenes but every time he was in the more heavy, demanding scenes he took me out of the moment a bit because I kept thinking that I didn't believe his acting. Didn't get that with anyone else in the cast, thought the rest were all great.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 25, 2021 14:09:54 GMT
Thanks for the spoiler tags, I'm still to watch - I'm going to binge over a weekend where I've no distractions. I've come on to see the comments re Callum Howells - Graham Norton interviewing Neil Patrick Thomas on Friday mentioned Callum's name and my head shot up. I remember him very well from She Loves Me, he played Arpad Lazslo in his strong Welsh accent, utterly engaging and the audience loved him. A lovely performance. I've dug out my programme - this is his 2017 bio -
Seventeen-year-old Callum started off his professional performing career in the children's ensemble in the UK tour of Cameron Mackintash's production of the hit musical Oliver! In 2015, Callum was chosen out of over 8,000 auditionees to join National Youth Music Theatre's production of Prodigy, a new musical written by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary, which was performed at the St James Theatre in London. In December he played the role of George in Of Mice and Men at Treorchy Comprehensive School for various schools in Wales. This past summer Callum played the role of George in NYTM's production of Brass at the Hackney Empire. He also played the role of James in the play Blackout written by Davey Anderson as part of the National Theatres Connections 2016 with Motherlode Theatre (Produced by RCT Theatres). Their production was selected out of 500 plays to be performed at the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre after a small tour of Wales.
Callum performed in Matthew Bourne's New Adventures' production of Lord of the Flies at the Wales Millennium Centre.
As well as theatre, he has been seen on television when he travelled to South-East Asia to film a documentary for BBC about the contrast in other children's lives on the other side of the world called Show Me What You Are Made Of, which was nominated for a Children's BAFTA award. Early last year he worked with CBBC's Blue Peter as their royal correspondent for a number of special events which they covered, including the Queen's Coronation Anniversary, Prince Charles visiting Wales and interviewing Black Rod in the Houses of Parliament.
Callum has been a member of the choir Only Boys Aloud for five years and is also a member of Loud Applause Rising Stars.
Again, above relates to 2017.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 25, 2021 14:55:11 GMT
Just finished it.
Hmmm...
The last 2 Eps saved it for me as I really wasn't feeling the first 3 at all. They felt too rushed and a little contrived and forced as it alternated between the supposed joys of gay life and the misery of the real world with nothing really given enough time to land except a few chosen shock moments. Once it was allowed to breathe a bit in the last 2 Eps it really hit it's stride and became something a bit more special and unique.
I thought Ollie was actually really good in the last Ep but he was pretty bad up to that point. There were a number of cringey acting moments throughout. That lawyer...yikes!
Some of the editing choices were odd and betrayed the material at points and I thought the bad library music score was pretty horrendous for the most part.
Though it was much better than Banana/Cucumber it didn't really reach the heights of Second Coming, Bob and Rose, Years and Years or the original QAF for me.
For anyone who hasn't seen it And the Band Played On is a very good portrayal of the US side of things.
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Post by kathryn on Jan 25, 2021 17:25:56 GMT
Apparently it was originally only going to be 4 eps but RTD begged for another one and got it stretched to 5 - which is possibly why the first 3 are more rushed, as he writes-as-he-goes-along, so probably the green light for the additional episode was quite late in his process. There are times when the economy of the storytelling really works, and times when it leaves characters feeling underdeveloped. IMO they should have gone for 6 eps to start with and let everything breathe in the first 3 eps. I am not sure whether it’s actually Olly A’s inexperience as an actor having the effect cited or whether it’s the thing that didn’t really strike me properly until I’d had time to sit with that last Ep, which is that his character is a bit of a dick. A charming, handsome, funny, charismatic, attention-seeking, dick. He is certainly not how protagonists in AIDS dramas are usually portrayed - he is entirely self-centred.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 25, 2021 18:10:55 GMT
Apparently it was originally only going to be 4 eps but RTD begged for another one and got it stretched to 5 - which is possibly why the first 3 are more rushed, as he writes-as-he-goes-along, so probably the green light for the additional episode was quite late in his process. There are times when the economy of the storytelling really works, and times when it leaves characters feeling underdeveloped. IMO they should have gone for 6 eps to start with and let everything breathe in the first 3 eps. I am not sure whether it’s actually Olly A’s inexperience as an actor having the effect cited or whether it’s the thing that didn’t really strike me properly until I’d had time to sit with that last Ep, which is that his character is a bit of a dick. A charming, handsome, funny, charismatic, attention-seeking, dick. He is certainly not how protagonists in AIDS dramas are usually portrayed - he is entirely self-centred. Funny, I thought it felt more like 6 Eps trimmed down to 5! There really should've been another 45 minutes to stretch out those first 3 Eps and the start of Ep4. {Spoiler - click to view} I don't think Olly was really that bad, it's just everyone else around him was so much better it made him look bad.
The character was basically Nathan from QAF. He's ghastly, but there are plenty of them about in gayworld I can assure you.
Most of the characters in And the Band Played On are pretty similar.
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Post by alece10 on Jan 25, 2021 18:58:06 GMT
And look at some of the characters in Boys In The Band. Absolutely vile. They are what people of my age call "vicious queens" and yes, lots around.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 25, 2021 19:20:16 GMT
And look at some of the characters in Boys In The Band. Absolutely vile. They are what people of my age call "vicious queens" and yes, lots around. He's a sex mad young gay man just moved to the big smoke, recipe for disaster. If I'd have moved to London in the 80's instead of 2001 I highly doubt I'd still be here today. Vicious is usually a defence mechanism obtained after years of misery. I'd say only one of the BITB were vicious, the rest were just fighting back the only way they knew how.
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jan 25, 2021 19:54:03 GMT
Apparently it was originally only going to be 4 eps but RTD begged for another one and got it stretched to 5 - which is possibly why the first 3 are more rushed, as he writes-as-he-goes-along, so probably the green light for the additional episode was quite late in his process. There are times when the economy of the storytelling really works, and times when it leaves characters feeling underdeveloped. IMO they should have gone for 6 eps to start with and let everything breathe in the first 3 eps. I am not sure whether it’s actually Olly A’s inexperience as an actor having the effect cited or whether it’s the thing that didn’t really strike me properly until I’d had time to sit with that last Ep, which is that his character is a bit of a dick. A charming, handsome, funny, charismatic, attention-seeking, dick. He is certainly not how protagonists in AIDS dramas are usually portrayed - he is entirely self-centred. {Spoiler - click to view} Yeah but like Jill said to his mum at the end it's because of the shame he was made to feel by her and society in general that he ended up like this.
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Post by kathryn on Jan 25, 2021 20:13:55 GMT
Oh Ritchie is clearly the result of his upbringing - and Jill’s speech about shame is dead-on (the whole series is about the corrosive effect of shame), but that little bit of unexplained backstory of his ‘moody’ sister is tickling my brain. Why is she so unhappy whenever he is around? What family dynamic has gone on there that he just doesn’t seem to care about his sister at all? He doesn’t give her a second thought.
Anyone else notice that he pulls a Louis - he dumps the boyfriend as soon as he sees a KS lesion - only none of the characters including the boyfriend realise that’s what happened?
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Post by theatreian on Jan 25, 2021 23:07:22 GMT
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Post by partytentdown on Jan 26, 2021 17:02:35 GMT
Looking at the cast's Instagram accounts (who's a stalker?) the original title for this during filming was 'Boys'.
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Post by dontdreamit on Jan 26, 2021 18:39:24 GMT
Looking at the cast's Instagram accounts (who's a stalker?) the original title for this during filming was 'Boys'. Have a look at the end credits- the last page says “The Boys” next to the date if I remember correctly. I think it was a last minute change in title.
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Post by n1david on Jan 26, 2021 20:23:41 GMT
The title had to change in 2019 when Netflix brought out a series called The Boys. When I was at a Q&A for Years and Years at the BFI, RTD said that he would have to change the title but he hadn't decided to what yet. I suspect in his head it will always be "The Boys".
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