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Post by frisby78 on Jan 29, 2020 19:06:14 GMT
Well, I've capitulated in record time and I've just ordered it... Hooray! Thank you! No worries. Really looking forward to wrapping my ears around it!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2020 20:33:47 GMT
Yes Iβve listened to them all again and just laughed at something βHe drove the fastest milk cart in the westβ-Ernie -something was even faster who could have known- it might be totally unconnected but loved it.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Jan 29, 2020 21:52:56 GMT
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Post by newt5996 on Jan 30, 2020 3:20:01 GMT
Just finished the first episode and it is a great story. Props to Guy Adams for his excellent script, and both Ritson and Thomas for their brilliant performances. I loved how it's definitely a very 1960s style of storytelling but through a very modern lens which gives it a unique identity to the other 1960s style audios Big Finish produces. Like the Avengers Lost Episodes are still very 1960s, and faithful, while this is faithful but not afraid to bring in modern ideas. It scratches both itches very well.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2020 13:27:03 GMT
All praise to Shiela Reid as Edna what a performance simple understated but so deep
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 5:37:49 GMT
Wont be listening to that again ! As a previous champion of it and the fact that you were eagerly anticipating its release. It would be interesting to know why you feel it failed.π€ͺ or would it?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 8:03:12 GMT
Listened to "What Is This Place?" last night. I tried to avoid finding out too much about this release before it hit streets as it was a 100% purchase anyway but I didn't know the set, based on this first story anyway, was a Prisoner-like re-imagining of existing eps. That's a really smart idea for a high concept show like this - explaining Adam's backstory in exposition would be clunky if he's already in full crime fighting mode after recovering from his defrosting. I guess with the boxset title also being the title of that first ep in Series 1, it should have been obvious to me but hey. Are most posters familiar with the show or coming at it fresh?
I didn't, for example, thing the first ep would be with the same villains as the TV ep, Margo as originally played by the great Freda Jackson and her rather thick brute of a son who I think was renamed here (unlike Margo) and I think was an amalgamation of a couple of thugs. But there's a good spin on that as it's not just Georgie in deep trouble with the racketeers here but the other ladies. It was a way to be progressive with the storytelling without changing too much. Explicitly having a black lesbian talking about herself and her partner wouldn't have been possible in the original show but I love that this just throws that in there too. There's an awful tendency in storytelling not explicitly about sexuality or race to think minorities were invented sometime under New Labour and I'm glad this just puts it in as a "so-what?" - Adam is an outsider. He's a man out of time. It makes so much sense to me that he'd be both attractive to and attracted to others who are likewise outside the establishment. The one scene I did miss from the original ep of Scoundrels that I wish was here was Adam waking the next morning in Georgie's flat and when she says he's not the first man to spend the night he thinks she's a prostitute and says he's going to write her a reference to get menial work. So funny, but also it showed instantly that Adam wasn't going to judge people, even those at the "bottom" of society, and that he will repay kindness tenfold. Lovely stuff.
I'd disagree with Causality in that I don't imagine the freezing was omitted because it was cheesy. I think this version's approach seems to be a bit more ambiguous. you can, along with the characters, think Adam really is crazy. There's an ambiguity there that isn't on the TV series as we start with Adam in the past so we know him there before the 60s . Guy can maybe jump in if he wants to clarify either way but I think that's perhaps the main reason. Also the TV version is perhaps something just too visual to open the story with in an audio production - the first ten mins of Vintage Year on telly are quite visual and wouldn't translate too easily to audio.. I just think it would be too expostion-ish whereas you can easily start with the unfreezing, with Adam sauntering about swinging London and then fill in the gaps through other characters talking about him and with him. I'd imagine one or both of those factors, ambiguity or ease of storytelling are more likely why I'd think you'd change it to start in the 60s rather than any "cheesiness" as there's a bit of camp and hokiness inherent in the character and show so I don't think cheese would be an issue.
Then of course the one bigger deviation from the TV ep - we go into Adam's psyche as he battles his way back to consciousness. This scene showed me that not only does Guy know how to adapt Adam but also give something new to it. Adam's psychedelic visions of snakes and The Face having, well, his face. Quite something yet also very true to the character. Even though he knows he's in his own psyche...he'd still rather his expensive shoes are in the snake's stomach acid than his face, after thinking about it for a moment! It's lovely to hear what Adam is actually thinking when he talks to himself essentially and I'm so glad he's 100% the same man.
Loved the dialogue from the show about Adam not being able to love due to the danger he'd put a woman in coming back into play here. We don't start with the Louise scene as the show does but that was a big part of his story in that wonderful pre-freezing sequence and it still cuts when Adam gets his wish to see Louise again only to find she's an agent of The Face. No wonder he's got commitment issues. The audio getting out in front of that "Yeah...you're not really my type" even left Adam stumped for words for a change.
Oh, a word...after so many BF properties losing the theme tunes I was SO glad this one keeps the original's arrangements and the song itself. A re-recording of Kathy Kirby's but fidelity wise that's no doubt for the best. The singer here (Louise Kimber? does a great job recreating Kathy's vocals, still going in nice and brassy. I dislike this modern trend of changing songs to slowed down, whispery versions (The John Lewis Christmas advert effect) so for this to be full on 60s style was great to hear. You don't want to lose that theme, it's too good. I just hear "Adam Adamant" and it comes into my head, with images of Gerald Harper swooshing round in his cape with cane-sword in hand.
A word about our leads here - and sorry, Guy, you're not in it yet! - but Blake and Milly were terrific. Milly's Georgie apart from her personal life is already quite different from the TV one in terms of that one idolising Adam growing up and this one having what may be a more recent interest to inform her writing but they're ostensibly the same character. Milly gets the feisty, fun yet human and vulnerable part of Georgie over. Blake just IS Adam. It sounds silly maybe but Gerald Harper's voice was so great I kinda worried about taking to someone else in his role but Blake manages it perfectly. He's never doing an impression, you'd need to time travel to RADA in the 50s to realy get that lovely tone Harper had, but Blake convinces me that he is the romantic gentleman adventurer both very Edwardian and yet somehow very 60s too. Lovely stuff.
And that's just one episode! I'm now half tempted to not listen to the next two right off as I planned and try and make it one a week, space it out a bit and make it last a bit longer.
Well done everyone involved. Terrific opener. What's old is new again - and how fitting is THAT for Adam Adamant Lives!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 16:39:26 GMT
Listened to the first episode. Fantastic!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 17:46:57 GMT
Wont be listening to that again ! I am no longer moist. In all seriousness, sorry you didnβt like it. Thanks for taking a chance on us anyway. It's only one individuals opinion, and in the grand scheme of things means nothing It's just not what I was expecting. I think I was put off from the very start, I found it rather muddled and confusing, had I not known the TV series and the premise I'd have switched off right there and then. The following two stories were better, but I think my opinion had already been tainted by then. I may have been too harsh in saying I wont be listening again, I will in a few weeks. Who knows I may see (or hear) it differently. I wish you well with it though, and am glad it's gone down so well with other listeners
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 18:20:58 GMT
Slightly spoilery reading this thread during the week, which confirms its fidelity to the TV series, which I have on DVD. Reading just the blurb on the BF website, it seemed there was a potential to diverge from Adam actually being the real thing, to a spin on 'They Might Be Giants' or even elements of 'The Fisher King'. That twist being that Adam believes he is revived from the past, via hibernation, but is actually recovering from some great trauma. Nonetheless, his delusional mental retreat does not impair his efficiency as a true swashbuckling adventurer, whilst his companions uncover clues to his true identity.
But then again, its not exactly an original idea (hence the films it reminded me of) and would upset those who know the original well.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 19:06:41 GMT
Listened to "What Is This Place?" last night. I tried to avoid finding out too much about this release before it hit streets as it was a 100% purchase anyway but I didn't know the set, based on this first story anyway, was a Prisoner-like re-imagining of existing eps. That's a really smart idea for a high concept show like this - explaining Adam's backstory in exposition would be clunky if he's already in full crime fighting mode after recovering from his defrosting. I guess with the boxset title also being the title of that first ep in Series 1, it should have been obvious to me but hey. Are most posters familiar with the show or coming at it fresh? I didn't, for example, thing the first ep would be with the same villains as the TV ep, Margo as originally played by the great Freda Jackson and her rather thick brute of a son who I think was renamed here (unlike Margo) and I think was an amalgamation of a couple of thugs. But there's a good spin on that as it's not just Georgie in deep trouble with the racketeers here but the other ladies. It was a way to be progressive with the storytelling without changing too much. Explicitly having a black lesbian talking about herself and her partner wouldn't have been possible in the original show but I love that this just throws that in there too. There's an awful tendency in storytelling not explicitly about sexuality or race to think minorities were invented sometime under New Labour and I'm glad this just puts it in as a "so-what?" - Adam is an outsider. He's a man out of time. It makes so much sense to me that he'd be both attractive to and attracted to others who are likewise outside the establishment. The one scene I did miss from the original ep of Scoundrels that I wish was here was Adam waking the next morning in Georgie's flat and when she says he's not the first man to spend the night he thinks she's a prostitute and says he's going to write her a reference to get menial work. So funny, but also it showed instantly that Adam wasn't going to judge people, even those at the "bottom" of society, and that he will repay kindness tenfold. Lovely stuff. I'd disagree with Causality in that I don't imagine the freezing was omitted because it was cheesy. Guy can maybe jump in if he wants to clarify either way but I think it's perhaps something just too visual to open the story with in an audio production - the first ten mins of Vintage Year on telly are quite visual and wouldn't translate too easily to audio. There's always a bit of cheese or camp to Adam and I don't think that the freezing would be too much in terms of the cheese factor to be opening the story. I just think it would be too expostion-ish whereas you can easily start with the unfreezing, with Adam sauntering about swinging London and then fill in the gaps through other characters talking about him and with him. Of course another advantage of starting with Adam already in the 60s rather than the Edwardian era...you can, along with the characters, think he really is crazy. There's an ambiguity there that isn't on the TV series as we start with Adam in the past so we know him there before the 60s. I'd imagine one or both of those factors are more likely why I'd think you'd change it to start in the 60s rather than any "cheesiness" as there's a bit of camp and hokiness inherent in the character and show so I don't think cheese would be an issue. Then of course the one bigger deviation from the TV ep - we go into Adam's psyche as he battles his way back to consciousness. This scene showed me that not only does Guy know how to adapt Adam but also give something new to it. Adam's psychedelic visions of snakes and The Face having, well, his face. Quite something yet also very true to the character. Even though he knows he's in his own psyche...he'd still rather his expensive shoes are in the snake's stomach acid than his face, after thinking about it for a moment! It's lovely to hear what Adam is actually thinking when he talks to himself essentially and I'm so glad he's 100% the same man. Loved the dialogue from the show about Adam not being able to love due to the danger he'd put a woman in coming back into play here. We don't start with the Louise scene as the show does but that was a big part of his story in that wonderful pre-freezing sequence and it still cuts when Adam gets his wish to see Louise again only to find she's an agent of The Face. No wonder he's got commitment issues. The audio getting out in front of that "Yeah...you're not really my type" even left Adam stumped for words for a change. Oh, a word...after so many BF properties losing the theme tunes I was SO glad this one keeps the original's arrangements and the song itself. A re-recording of Kathy Kirby's but fidelity wise that's no doubt for the best. The singer here (Louise Kimber? does a great job recreating Kathy's vocals, still going in nice and brassy. I dislike this modern trend of changing songs to slowed down, whispery versions (The John Lewis Christmas advert effect) so for this to be full on 60s style was great to hear. You don't want to lose that theme, it's too good. I just hear "Adam Adamant" and it comes into my head, with images of Gerald Harper swooshing round in his cape with cane-sword in hand. A word about our leads here - and sorry, Guy, you're not in it yet! - but Blake and Milly were terrific. Milly's Georgie apart from her personal life is already quite different from the TV one in terms of that one idolising Adam growing up and this one having what may be a more recent interest to inform her writing but they're ostensibly the same character. Milly gets the feisty, fun yet human and vulnerable part of Georgie over. Blake just IS Adam. It sounds silly maybe but Gerald Harper's voice was so great I kinda worried about taking to someone else in his role but Blake manages it perfectly. He's never doing an impression, you'd need to time travel to RADA in the 50s to realy get that lovely tone Harper had, but Blake convinces me that he is the romantic gentleman adventurer both very Edwardian and yet somehow very 60s too. Lovely stuff. And that's just one episode! I'm now half tempted to not listen to the next two right off as I planned and try and make it one a week, space it out a bit and make it last a bit longer. Well done everyone involved. Terrific opener. What's old is new again - and how fitting is THAT for Adam Adamant Lives! Disagree with me lol??? I see your point yes as to the visuality on audio medium. I personally and not even for the cheesy bit ,am glad it was omitted it really opened up the story for me with the ambiguity.Later down the line i wouldn't mind its inclusion if really required. Whatever way i really enjoyed and engaged with the story telling decisions and hope you find as much joy in the next two episodes π
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Post by newt5996 on Jan 31, 2020 19:44:17 GMT
Listened to "What Is This Place?" last night. I tried to avoid finding out too much about this release before it hit streets as it was a 100% purchase anyway but I didn't know the set, based on this first story anyway, was a Prisoner-like re-imagining of existing eps. That's a really smart idea for a high concept show like this - explaining Adam's backstory in exposition would be clunky if he's already in full crime fighting mode after recovering from his defrosting. I guess with the boxset title also being the title of that first ep in Series 1, it should have been obvious to me but hey. Are most posters familiar with the show or coming at it fresh? I didn't, for example, thing the first ep would be with the same villains as the TV ep, Margo as originally played by the great Freda Jackson and her rather thick brute of a son who I think was renamed here (unlike Margo) and I think was an amalgamation of a couple of thugs. But there's a good spin on that as it's not just Georgie in deep trouble with the racketeers here but the other ladies. It was a way to be progressive with the storytelling without changing too much. Explicitly having a black lesbian talking about herself and her partner wouldn't have been possible in the original show but I love that this just throws that in there too. There's an awful tendency in storytelling not explicitly about sexuality or race to think minorities were invented sometime under New Labour and I'm glad this just puts it in as a "so-what?" - Adam is an outsider. He's a man out of time. It makes so much sense to me that he'd be both attractive to and attracted to others who are likewise outside the establishment. The one scene I did miss from the original ep of Scoundrels that I wish was here was Adam waking the next morning in Georgie's flat and when she says he's not the first man to spend the night he thinks she's a prostitute and says he's going to write her a reference to get menial work. So funny, but also it showed instantly that Adam wasn't going to judge people, even those at the "bottom" of society, and that he will repay kindness tenfold. Lovely stuff. I'd disagree with Causality in that I don't imagine the freezing was omitted because it was cheesy. Guy can maybe jump in if he wants to clarify either way but I think it's perhaps something just too visual to open the story with in an audio production - the first ten mins of Vintage Year on telly are quite visual and wouldn't translate too easily to audio. There's always a bit of cheese or camp to Adam and I don't think that the freezing would be too much in terms of the cheese factor to be opening the story. I just think it would be too expostion-ish whereas you can easily start with the unfreezing, with Adam sauntering about swinging London and then fill in the gaps through other characters talking about him and with him. Of course another advantage of starting with Adam already in the 60s rather than the Edwardian era...you can, along with the characters, think he really is crazy. There's an ambiguity there that isn't on the TV series as we start with Adam in the past so we know him there before the 60s. I'd imagine one or both of those factors are more likely why I'd think you'd change it to start in the 60s rather than any "cheesiness" as there's a bit of camp and hokiness inherent in the character and show so I don't think cheese would be an issue. Then of course the one bigger deviation from the TV ep - we go into Adam's psyche as he battles his way back to consciousness. This scene showed me that not only does Guy know how to adapt Adam but also give something new to it. Adam's psychedelic visions of snakes and The Face having, well, his face. Quite something yet also very true to the character. Even though he knows he's in his own psyche...he'd still rather his expensive shoes are in the snake's stomach acid than his face, after thinking about it for a moment! It's lovely to hear what Adam is actually thinking when he talks to himself essentially and I'm so glad he's 100% the same man. Loved the dialogue from the show about Adam not being able to love due to the danger he'd put a woman in coming back into play here. We don't start with the Louise scene as the show does but that was a big part of his story in that wonderful pre-freezing sequence and it still cuts when Adam gets his wish to see Louise again only to find she's an agent of The Face. No wonder he's got commitment issues. The audio getting out in front of that "Yeah...you're not really my type" even left Adam stumped for words for a change. Oh, a word...after so many BF properties losing the theme tunes I was SO glad this one keeps the original's arrangements and the song itself. A re-recording of Kathy Kirby's but fidelity wise that's no doubt for the best. The singer here (Louise Kimber? does a great job recreating Kathy's vocals, still going in nice and brassy. I dislike this modern trend of changing songs to slowed down, whispery versions (The John Lewis Christmas advert effect) so for this to be full on 60s style was great to hear. You don't want to lose that theme, it's too good. I just hear "Adam Adamant" and it comes into my head, with images of Gerald Harper swooshing round in his cape with cane-sword in hand. A word about our leads here - and sorry, Guy, you're not in it yet! - but Blake and Milly were terrific. Milly's Georgie apart from her personal life is already quite different from the TV one in terms of that one idolising Adam growing up and this one having what may be a more recent interest to inform her writing but they're ostensibly the same character. Milly gets the feisty, fun yet human and vulnerable part of Georgie over. Blake just IS Adam. It sounds silly maybe but Gerald Harper's voice was so great I kinda worried about taking to someone else in his role but Blake manages it perfectly. He's never doing an impression, you'd need to time travel to RADA in the 50s to realy get that lovely tone Harper had, but Blake convinces me that he is the romantic gentleman adventurer both very Edwardian and yet somehow very 60s too. Lovely stuff. And that's just one episode! I'm now half tempted to not listen to the next two right off as I planned and try and make it one a week, space it out a bit and make it last a bit longer. Well done everyone involved. Terrific opener. What's old is new again - and how fitting is THAT for Adam Adamant Lives! Disagree with me lol??? I see your point yes as to the visuality on audio medium. I personally and not even for the cheesy bit ,am glad it was omitted it really opened up the story for me with the ambiguity.Later down the line i wouldn't mind its inclusion if really required. Whatever way i really enjoyed and engaged with the story telling decisions and hope you find as much joy in the next two episodes π I'd also argue that the freezing isn't included because Guy Adams clearly has plans to reveal it at some point in the future, along with a potential reappearance in the presence of the Face.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 19:49:56 GMT
Oh alright...you lot win. I surrender. π After reading the various comments here singing both the production and Guy's praises, I've gone from "intrigued but undecided" to "intrigued and very curious". I'll take a punt on Mr Adamant and company next week.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 19:56:34 GMT
Oh alright...you lot win. I surrender. π After reading the various comments here singing both the production and Guy's praises, I've gone from "intrigued but undecided" to "intrigued and very curious". I'll take a punt on Mr Adamant and company next week. Well it only killed the cat π€ͺ...there are worse things π€ͺπ i seriously thought i would not like this release one bit...loved every minute hope you enjoy it too
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Post by number13 on Feb 1, 2020 1:49:27 GMT
(I've posted most of this here and there on the 'What are you listening to' thread but I wanted to post here too as a thank you to guyadams the next time he comes this way.)
Really excellent, in style both like and unlike what I'd originally expected. Each time I felt I knew where things were going, the style switched and delivered something different again, sometimes the fun and flair of the original, sometimes emotion and reality which make this set a gripping listen.
Wonderful character writing and two great performances from Milly Thomas and Guy Adams to complement Blake Ritson's perfect Adam.
I liked the updating of Georgina and I thought the ambiguity around Adam's origins and his struggle with his personal 'Face' was an inspired idea; after the final cliff-hanger I can't wait to see where this goes in Vol 2.
Congratulations to Guy Adams and all involved. A wonderfully bold reimagining of the classic series ('bold, as a knight in white armour' of course ), faithful and very original at the same time.
For me, this set had the same sort of impact as did discovering classic 'Counter-Measures' or J&L or the War Master.
I'm greatly looking forward to August's Vol 2 and hope that (as Adam might perhaps say) this venture enjoys the success it so richly deserves.
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Post by mark687 on Feb 1, 2020 17:33:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 19:28:29 GMT
My resolve to spread the eps over a fortnight didn't quite hold...I listened to Death Has a Thousand Faces, episode 2 and I loved it. Just loved it. Again, I've not seen any comments about the similarities and differences to the show on TV. Have that many seen the show at all? If not, I really think you'd be doing yourself a massive favour by getting the boxset (out of print but it does pop up affordably often). This take on Adam is a bit different but if you like it and you like vintage telly of the era (and if you're a classic Who fans like most on here....you are) then you'll love it. Just love it. It's got all the existing eps, a plethora of extras and the scripts for the missing eps. Death Has a Thousand Faces is the name of the second TV ep too and has a plot that follows roughly the same beats but has some differences that I found interesting, especially in light of the notion that this Adam may be delusional rather than the Gerald Harper Adam who we saw in 1902 at the start of A Vintage Year For Scoundrels so we know he's the real deal. The main plot - destroying the front to make the rest of the property more valuable is much the same but some of the differences that may mean nothing but could be "evidence" if there is ambiguity over whether Adam is indeed from the past: - In the TV adventure Adam doesn't know what Blackpool Rock is whereas Blake knows what it is straight away, he's the one who makes the connection between the sugary deaths and Blackpool, the opposite of the TV version. Interesting change. - A bit similar to the above..on audio Adam knows what the Blackpool illuminations are, but on TV he has no idea as they started after his time. Though he did open the Blackpool Tower (killing two agents of evil in the process). - This Adam mentions his wealth but we don't see any indication here I believe that it's genuine yet - wheras on TV, Georgie discovers Adam's rebuilt batchelor pad on top of a London car park proving he's got money to commission something like that. - Adam on audio is a lot nicer to Georgie than Gerald was to Juliet Harmer who he was always chivalrous to but especially in these early eps treated as somewhat of a pest and kept trying to get her to stay away. This Adam is instantly more...close to Georgie. Maybe that's something Guy felt was better storywise as Adam talking down to Georgie wouldn't maybe be the best idea in this day and age. Though on TV I do love things like his incredulity that a lady would do something like smoke a cigar. Now a few stray observations. William Simms also works in the blackpool attractions, with Punch and Judy. like Jack May's version. guyadams you are absolutely nuts to have been worried that you were good enough to fit into this as you're a perfect Simms. I loved that Simms and Georgie get to spend more time together here, they were off-screen a lot during the TV ep and here it's great to meet Simms as more the theatrical type. Guy does great switching between the barrow boy and the theatrical uvvie at the drop of a hat. What a line "Houdini? Who he?" is. Interesting change up in the scenes at the attractions - in the show Adam is a dab hand at darts, hitting treble twenties at will. Nice to turn that on it's head and give Georgie some more action. Often in the show she'd be there just to get captured but when she's at the coconut shy, she's the one advancing the story a lot here. I guess on audio a lot of the notions in the show like the House Of Horrors and such wouldn't translate though Stoker was a good stand-in for Madame Delvario (Stephanie Bidmead from Galaxy 4, Who fans!). The TV ep also has Michael Robbins, a few years before On The Buses made him a household name and 15 years or so before he was brought on to be one of the best guest stars in the Davison era in Richard Mace. To the surprisingly apparent large amount of people listening to the audios that haven't seen the show (maybe I thought it was a bigger cult than it seems to be!), there's a bit of a parallel to Adam's subconscious showing him The Face that he writes off as a Scrooge like delusion. "There's more of gravy than the grave about you!" must be one of the best lines in all literature and to hear it here was lovely. But in the show Adam also has these kind of moments where he remembers the trap that got him frozen and the betrayal he suffered as he was captured. Nice to update that and I'm hoping he discovers more of his past as we go on. That's a good, new take on the show. In the telly ep, Adam is pretty much Adam as he was in 1902 after some mild amnesia in ep 1. Overall this was a really fun take on one of the most fun episodes of the show. I'd say it's an origin story of sorts as getting Simms in completes the trinity that we had on TV so this is the Adamant gang taking shape right here. And how fun! I think from comments the next ep - that I WILL try and keep for a few days at least to spread the joy - is quite dark and not as inspired by the show. If so that'll be a change of pace and something that will surprise those of us who do know the show. Having some completely new Adam Adamant? That's something to look forward to.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 19:54:15 GMT
My resolve to spread the eps over a fortnight didn't quite hold...I listened to Death Has a Thousand Faces, episode 2 and I loved it. Just loved it. Again, I've not seen any comments about the similarities and differences to the show on TV. Have that many seen the show at all? If not, I really think you'd be doing yourself a massive favour by getting the boxset (out of print but it does pop up affordably often). This take on Adam is a bit different but if you like it and you like vintage telly of the era (and if you're a classic Who fans like most on here....you are) then you'll love it. Just love it. It's got all the existing eps, a plethora of extras and the scripts for the missing eps. Death Has a Thousand Faces is the name of the second TV ep too and has a plot that follows roughly the same beats but has some differences that I found interesting, especially in light of the notion that this Adam may be delusional rather than the Gerald Harper Adam who we saw in 1902 at the start of A Vintage Year For Scoundrels so we know he's the real deal. The main plot - destroying the front to make the rest of the property more valuable is much the same but some of the differences that may mean nothing but could be "evidence" if there is ambiguity over whether Adam is indeed from the past: - In the TV adventure Adam doesn't know what Blackpool Rock is whereas Blake knows what it is straight away, he's the one who makes the connection between the sugary deaths and Blackpool, the opposite of the TV version. Interesting change. - A bit similar to the above..on audio Adam knows what the Blackpool illuminations are, but on TV he has no idea as they started after his time. Though he did open the Blackpool Tower (killing two agents of evil in the process). - This Adam mentions his wealth but we don't see any indication here I believe that it's genuine yet - wheras on TV, Georgie discovers Adam's rebuilt batchelor pad on top of a London car park proving he's got money to commission something like that. - Adam on audio is a lot nicer to Georgie than Gerald was to Juliet Harmer who he was always chivalrous to but especially in these early eps treated as somewhat of a pest and kept trying to get her to stay away. This Adam is instantly more...close to Georgie. Maybe that's something Guy felt was better storywise as Adam talking down to Georgie wouldn't maybe be the best idea in this day and age. Though on TV I do love things like his incredulity that a lady would do something like smoke a cigar. Now a few stray observations. William Simms also works in the blackpool attractions, with Punch and Judy. like Jack May's version. guyadams you are absolutely nuts to have been worried that you were good enough to fit into this as you're a perfect Simms. I loved that Simms and Georgie get to spend more time together here, they were off-screen a lot during the TV ep and here it's great to meet Simms as more the theatrical type. Guy does great switching between the barrow boy and the theatrical uvvie at the drop of a hat. What a line "Houdini? Who he?" is. Interesting change up in the scenes at the attractions - in the show Adam is a dab hand at darts, hitting treble twenties at will. Nice to turn that on it's head and give Georgie some more action. Often in the show she'd be there just to get captured but when she's at the coconut shy, she's the one advancing the story a lot here. I guess on audio a lot of the notions in the show like the House Of Horrors and such wouldn't translate though Stoker was a good stand-in for Madame Delvario (Stephanie Bidmead from Galaxy 4, Who fans!). The TV ep also has Michael Robbins, a few years before On The Buses made him a household name and 15 years or so before he was brought on to be one of the best guest stars in the Davison era in Richard Mace. To the surprisingly apparent large amount of people listening to the audios that haven't seen the show (maybe I thought it was a bigger cult than it seems to be!), there's a bit of a parallel to Adam's subconscious showing him The Face that he writes off as a Scrooge like delusion. "There's more of gravy than the grave about you!" must be one of the best lines in all literature and to hear it here was lovely. But in the show Adam also has these kind of moments where he remembers the trap that got him frozen and the betrayal he suffered as he was captured. Nice to update that and I'm hoping he discovers more of his past as we go on. That's a good, new take on the show. In the telly ep, Adam is pretty much Adam as he was in 1902 after some mild amnesia in ep 1. Overall this was a really fun take on one of the most fun episodes of the show. I'd say it's an origin story of sorts as getting Simms in completes the trinity that we had on TV so this is the Adamant gang taking shape right here. And how fun! I think from comments the next ep - that I WILL try and keep for a few days at least to spread the joy - is quite dark and not as inspired by the show. If so that'll be a change of pace and something that will surprise those of us who do know the show. Having some completely new Adam Adamant? That's something to look forward to. Very interesting reading - you clearly have a deeper knowledge of the details in the TV episodes than I do. I wonder whether the ambiguity of the set up in these audios and as promoted, is a deliberate sidestep, or designed so as to make more dramatic use of his origins once listeners are invested with the character, as opposed to a part 1 episode prelude. I am surprised people are not talking about its significance as Verity Lambert's first assignment after Doctor Who and indeed its contrast with the War Machines, which placed the First Doctor in Swinging London - which came first?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 20:08:28 GMT
Very interesting reading - you clearly have a deeper knowledge of the details in the TV episodes than I do. I wonder whether the ambiguity of the set up in these audios and as promoted, is a deliberate sidestep, or designed so as to make more dramatic use of his origins once listeners are invested with the character, as opposed to a part 1 episode prelude. I am surprised people are not talking about its significance as Verity Lambert's first assignment after Doctor Who and indeed its contrast with the War Machines, which placed the First Doctor in Swinging London - which came first? I did mention in my first episode review/post that one of the major pull factors for people to check the show out (as it was for me) was indeed that Verity was the producer, and others like Sidney Newman and Donald Cotton were involved too. Certainly on screen, if not audio, the War Machones has parallels too, the club that Georgie lives above could easily have been the Inferno Club! As to which came first...Adam aired it's first ep, club intact, literally 2 days before The War Machines so I'd imagine for viewers it was very obvious only days apart! One other minor, but I thought quite fun, bit of trivia. Adam Adamant Lives was always compared (unfairly) to The Avengers. Funny then that Gerald Harper appeared in The Avengers both before and after being Adam. He had the distinction of being in three eps with three of the Avengers girls, one with Honor Blackman's Cathy Gale in 1962, one with Diana Rigg's Emma Peel in 1965 and one with Linda Thorson's Tara King in 1969. The fun part to me is that our audio Adam, Blake Ritson, started at BF doing a guest shot in....The Avengers! He's in the first volume of the Lost Episodes. Must be a pre-requisite for playing Adamant that you do an Avengers first! Of course as the significant other of Hattie Morahan he's become more and more of a BF regular over the past few years and it's great he's getting his own range and absolutely killing it.
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Post by frisby78 on Feb 2, 2020 14:58:02 GMT
I'm not very good at lengthy and incisive reviews do all I say is this is flipping brilliant Superbly acted by the 3 leads and support cast. Sound design is up to BFs usual excellent standing. Most of all the scripts are spot on.
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