I loved Geraldine McEwan. But her performance as Marple always was a near thing. She had her own idiosyncratic take on the character and her own limited set of mannerisms in portraying her. When the characterization worked the audience was granted a fun alternative view of Miss Jane Marple.
But Ms. McEwan was not served well through her tenure. Scripts were trashy mishmashes and direction was patchy. They spent the requisite money on production values, but failed in most other respects. At times they managed not to destroy the story and pacing.
Unfortunately, this is not one of those lucky hits. Another non-Marple story, with Marple shoe- horned in and a series of excellent actors wasted in a trashy, unpleasant, careening mess. For shame.
As for the reviewers who cluck like ducks about their pride in not caring about whether or not the shows are "faithful," I agree as far as that goes. But it is interesting that these are precisely the viewers who seem oblivious about whether or not what they are watching is, indeed, good. It must be nice to have so careless a grasp on aesthetics that it really doesn't matter what one watches.
But one wonders why such people just don't stare at a blank wall and imagine pretty things. Because presuming to equate all opinions is a failure of recognizing the potential of all this talent. To see it wasted is, especially now that Miss McEwan is gone, sad as well as frustrating.
But Ms. McEwan was not served well through her tenure. Scripts were trashy mishmashes and direction was patchy. They spent the requisite money on production values, but failed in most other respects. At times they managed not to destroy the story and pacing.
Unfortunately, this is not one of those lucky hits. Another non-Marple story, with Marple shoe- horned in and a series of excellent actors wasted in a trashy, unpleasant, careening mess. For shame.
As for the reviewers who cluck like ducks about their pride in not caring about whether or not the shows are "faithful," I agree as far as that goes. But it is interesting that these are precisely the viewers who seem oblivious about whether or not what they are watching is, indeed, good. It must be nice to have so careless a grasp on aesthetics that it really doesn't matter what one watches.
But one wonders why such people just don't stare at a blank wall and imagine pretty things. Because presuming to equate all opinions is a failure of recognizing the potential of all this talent. To see it wasted is, especially now that Miss McEwan is gone, sad as well as frustrating.