Penny Dreadful

[Nearly Sane]

I note Shaker is binge watching this from jeremyp's Vietnam thread. I thought it well done bit the period itself now feels for me overdone.

[Shaker]

I've seen worse mash-ups. Entertaining enough so far to keep me going, but I know what you mean about overdone. Great cast though - daft hokum for the most part but beautifully done.

[Nearly Sane]

I've seen worse mash-ups. Entertaining enough so far to keep me going, but I know what you mean about overdone. Great cast though - daft hokum for the most part but beautifully done.

the big surprise for me was Billie Piper. My overdone issue is not just the programme but the era.

[Shaker]

the big surprise for me was Billie Piper.

I would have been as surprised as you but for the fact that I've seen her pull performances like that out of the bag before. Not frequently, but often enough to be amazed.

ETA: Just found this on Wikipedia:

More recently Piper has taken to the stage. She has starred in five critically acclaimed plays and picked up numerous Best Actress awards, most notably an Olivier Award for her performance in Yerma which was described as "earth-quaking" by The Guardian and "a generation's greatest performance" by The Stage. She went on to pick up a total of six Best Actress awards for that one performance, making it one of the most acclaimed and awarded stage performances in British theatre history - and the only female actor to have picked up six out of an available six Best Actress awards for a single performance.

My overdone issue is not just the programme but the era.

No, I know exactly what you mean.

[Nearly Sane]

I suppose in part it's the obvious influence of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen that I felt was problematic. I think at its best Ripper Street did the era better but there are many wondrous things about Penny Dreadful. While Billie Piper might have been a surprise, to me at least, Eva Green gives a performance of complete conviction, Rory Kinnear is as always excellent and Timothy Dalton never quite goes over the top or underplays

[Udayana]

Just couldn't get on with having ideas and characters from multiple previously self-contained stories mashed into one sprawling mess.

BBC tried something similar with Dickens one Christmas a few years back ..
 

[Gordon]

Just couldn't get on with having ideas and characters from multiple previously self-contained stories mashed into one sprawling mess.

BBC tried something similar with Dickens one Christmas a few years back ..

That was 'Dickensian', where characters from several of Dickens' books where brought together - Bleak House, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and David Copperfield at least - I thought it worked quite well and was disappointed when they didn't do a second series.

[Udayana]

Yes - that was it.

Actually, thinking about these programmes, has reminded me of Michael Moorcock's sf and alternate reality books - and many happy hours passed reading them.   

[Nearly Sane]

Rewatched this on the basis of there being a follow up - Penny Dreadful - City of Angels. Enjoyed it but the follow up other than having Rory Kinnear in it as a completely different character appears to have no connection.