Little Happens
It was an excellent lovely story. A terrific triple-cross that had me grinning like an idiot.
::in the room with no doors, a faceless boy playing with makeup...
I love him from this mirror...::
I am SO glad that someone finally decided to comment on the latest episode of this wonderful series! I know the show is obviously not very popular(sadly) amongst the majority of people(especially here in The U.S.), but you'd think the newest episode never even aired by the complete lack of comments about it on this board.
That is until you fortunately. So many thanks from over here in The U.S. for your personal input regarding this particular episode of 'IN9'. I personally appreciate it a whole lot.
Well, hello, Neighbour. I figured I was the only American watching these shows.
::in the room with no doors, a faceless boy playing with makeup...
I love him from this mirror...::
Oh my, for some reason I assumed you were posting from England. Silly me I guess. But yes, as a fellow yank I can assure you that I also absolutely LOVE this series! In fact I love EVERYTHING these two guys have done together so far! I just think they're both SO terribly brilliant and talented at pretty much whatever they do!
I'd really love it if a 3rd series would come about as well, but I'm afraid that the ratings may not allow for it this time. In fact I see that this latest episode took quite a dip in the ratings from the previous two already. Surely not a positive sign for the possible future of this incredible series.
Actually, the ratings are pretty high, averaging at 1 million. E3 was lower, .83, but I don't think that includes iPlayer and such.
Anyway, something I do have to explain a lot to other yanks (hope I don't sound condescending), but ratings doesn't really matter very much to the BBC. The BBC is "publically owned" in the sense that everyone who owns a television MUST pay a licence fee to the BBC to operate that TV (so, even if you own one for a computer, you still have to pay the fee). In this sense, every citizen of the U.K. is a shareholder in the BBC. Similarly the BBC has a charter that is an agreement between them and these shareholders. That charter states, among other things, that the BBC must create a variety of programming to appeal to their entire audience, without making excessive focus or contribution to any one Demographic. It's because of this that extremely highly specialized documentaries on...textile history or the sexual habits of the green spoonworm, even though those documentaries get maybe...100 viewers.
Instead, the more important thing is Appreciation Index, which rates how satisfying the programme was. So, if a show gets steady decline in viewers, but very consistant or even increasing AI per episode, it could get renewed easily. As an extra note, the commercial side of the BBC (BBC Worldwide) puts all earned money from sales back into the BBC, but there's never any preference allowed (As in, regardless of Doctor Who earning 100,000,000$, and Inside No. 9 earning $5,000, neither show gets more or less budget based on those profits).
It's a much fairer and more sensible scheme than what we have in America, where the number of viewers is all that matters.
Anyway, for the run-of-the-mill BBC 2 show, Inside No. 9 is getting fairly average viewership, and doesn't seem to be in any danger.
::in the room with no doors, a faceless boy playing with makeup...
I love him from this mirror...::
Wow, that's very interesting indeed. I really appreciate this post of yours as I obviously had no idea that the ratings system worked like that over in The U.K and merely just assumed that their system worked pretty much in the same way as it does over here. It's also quite encouraging to know that there's a possibilty for perhaps a 3rd series of 'IN9' despite the show not being that huge of a ratings success.
Again thanks so much for all the info regarding The U.K. ratings system as it's real nice to be in the know on how it works now!
Yeah. Some shows (Doctor Who is my main one) often get Americans panicing every time the ratings drop a tiny bit. Appreciation index stays fairly constant, and the BBC charter tends to help the smaller shows out.
I recommend looking at Green Wing, by the way. Bizarrely hilarious hospital comedy with a huge variety of cast any purveyor of British shows will recognize
::in the room with no doors, a faceless boy playing with makeup...
I love him from this mirror...::
Here’s my review of The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge that I composed a couple of weeks ago VELVET. Just in case you’d like to check it out. I more or less agree with your assessment of it although I didn’t find the denouement all that shocking in terms of being surprised.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4513428/reviews?ref_=tt_urv
Pemberton and Shearsmith offer up a welcome diversion from the norm
The latest offering from Messrs Pemberton and Shearsmith, the first period piece they have produced and likely inspired for the classic Hammer Horror movies of yore. Entitled The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge It's safe to say that one of It's potential chief influences is the The Witchfinder General (1968) The setting being 17th Century England, magistrate Sir Andrew Pike (David Warner) welcomes two witch- finders, the fanatical zealot Mr. Warren (Reece Shearsmith) and the more moderate, conscientious Mr. Clarke (Steve Pemberton) to the small village of Little Happens (A fitting ironic title given the nature of what occurs during the episode). They have been summoned to the small community as local widower Elizabeth Gadge stands accused of Witchcraft, her accusers being her own daughter Sarah (Sinead Matthews) and her son in law Thomas Nutter (Jim Howick).
As the trial goes under way it becomes lamentably apparent that the odds are unjustly stacked against her, with it descending in to a farcical circus with Mr. Warren co-presiding over matters with chilling, single minded zeal! But startling revelations come to the attention over the court which may tip the odds in Mrs. Gadge's favour.
A welcome entry in the anthology series, The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge is to some extent a sublime indictment of the unethical, ideological evils that existed in the 17th Century due to religious fervour. This is wonderfully mirrored in the contrasting nature of the stories two principle characters, with Pemberton's Mr. Clarke embodying a 21st Century perspective as to how we as viewers would perceive the more skewered morals of the age. Shearsmith is appropriately chilling in the role of Mr. Warren effecting a sinister monotone delivery of his lines. A stark contrast to Mr. Clarkes more temperate nobility and conviction invoked in Pemberton's performance.
The absurdity of the events is is deftly handled during the trial scene which is underpinned by the sparse moments of black humour as it descends in to farce. The local villagers seemingly being primitive yokels whose sole purpose at the hearing is to gawk, boo and hiss during proceedings as if they were on a post revolutionary version of The Jeremy Kyle Show. A wonderful cast of supporting actors offer able support with old pro David Warner as the congenial and eccentric Sir Andrew Pike, a man who may very well have an amusing inclination of a sexual nature that is questionable to say the least. Also cult comedian/actor Paul Kaye is on hand whose own past history in black comedy is perfectly suited as an addition to the cast.
Ultimately though this is one of Pemberton and Shearsmiths finest half hours in terms of their performances as they effortlessly compliment one another. It's only in the stories denouement that the supposed surprise twist (although I didn't see it coming) falls short of being genuinely shocking or revelatory! It feels somewhat tacked on as an afterthought as both writers were left hard-pressed to wrap up things sufficiently. Never the less The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge makes for a refreshing adage to the series. It's by no means Pemberton and Shearsmith at the height of their innovative powers. But as solid way to spend half an hour of your time it is a mainly rewarding experience only marred by it's somewhat anti-climatic denouement.
[deleted]