Last month saw the end of "Grantchester" - it began back in 2014 with James Norton as Rev Sidney, then Tom Brittney [Rev Will] and finally, in series 10 & 11, Rishi Nair [Rev Alphy] and Robson Green as Detective 'Geordie' Keating throughout. It was all set in and around Cambridge in the 50's and 60's. Norton himself studied at Fitzwilliam College.
On Wednesday, Ben Miller [St Catharine's College] returned to ITV as the fastidious Professor T [ a spin off from the Belgian series] and on Thursday David Mitchell [Peterhouse College] was back as the cruciverbalist John 'Ludwig' Taylor. We watched Prof T and Ludwig, but I have a few comments...DON'T READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVE YET TO WATCH THEM
Spoiler Alert!!
We enjoyed Prof T this week, despite the absence of his eccentric mother played by Frances de la Tour.** His equally batty and quirky aunt Zelda [Zoe Wanamaker] filled the gap satisfactorily. But I missed Lisa Donckers [killed off at the end of last series] I love the Prof's smart, buttoned up [and gloved] persona. He's almost a British 'Monk'
Ludwig is back for a second series, and this time his sister in law Lucy [wonderfully clever Annas Maxwell Davis] gets a bigger share of the script. The murder was during the performance of an opera called Song of Solomon, and the cops picked up a baby doll, one of the props. I thought these were two huge pointers which nobody remarked upon. In 1 Kings chapter 3, wise King Solomon encounters two women [one lying] and a dead body. And he establishes whodunnit.
But Ludwig never mentions the Bible Story even though he has two women, one lying - and a dead body... I wait with interest to see if there are similar obvious, but unmentioned pointers in subsequent episodes.
Why is Oxford the serious crime place [eg Morse, Wimsey] whereas Cambridge is more cosy?
Are you watching Prof T and/or Ludwig?
Do you enjoy them?
I can remember when or why we dropped out of Grantchester... but we both enjoy Prof. T and Ludwig. I completely missed The Clue in Ludwig!
ReplyDeleteI think Grantchester lost its way a bit
DeleteAs an Oxford alumnus, I would have to say that those Cambridge people just don't take themselves seriously......compared to us!
ReplyDeleteMy OH might well agree!
DeleteI don't watch either of those shows. In fact, I rarely watch TV, these days, and I've been telling my daughter that we should just stop getting the TV services.
ReplyDeleteWhy pay for something you don't need or use?
DeleteWe watch both Prof. T and Ludwig. We both preferred the Belgian Prof. T but Ben Miller is ok however Frances De La Tour is much missed. We never watched any of the Grantchester series. Quite cosy and pleasant to watch but mentally I did find myself drifting off a bit in both. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteYes, I think I preferred the Belgian guy. I drift off to sleep regularly during TV progs now!
DeleteLove them both. It’s tempting to binge watch…but there are logs to stack….!!
ReplyDeleteI can justify daytime TV to myself if I'm multitasking (ironing, mending etc) but there are many other tasks to do
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