BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores

Subject: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Jan 05 - 04:53 PM

Anyone watching it? On ITV at the mo. Silly premise - Top plastic surgeon forced to remote North East island by wife and family. Very nicely acted by Peter Davidson though and the music is great:-) Some really good small pipe stuff as well as unaccompanied and fiddle/bodhran tunes. Worth a watch for me anyway.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Jan 05 - 05:42 PM

Well...

It finished and I was most impressed. Next weeks looks like there are some more traditions explored without having the p£$s taken out of them. Give it a whirl:-)

Plus - Another new series, comedy this time, 'Dead Man Weds', had me in stitches as well. Johnny Vegas and Dave Spikey wrote it. Northern town local newspaper - Oddly enough bits of Morris Dance in the background while watching local newsreels. Some hilarious scenarios.

"My bother made me a firework for my birthday"
"Made you one?"
"Yes, it's in the cupboard in the spare room"
"What? The immersion heater cupbord..?"

Needless to say the recipient of the gift spent the rest of the episode with no eyebrows...

Theme song was 'It's good news week' by Hedgehoppers Anonymous. Very nice indeed.

All in all seemed to be a good night for UK TV.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: LadyJean
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 01:00 AM

It sounds like the British version of "Northern Exposure", which I enjoyed a great deal.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 11:54 AM

Some good characters, but a terribly hackneyed plot. Could almost be a spin-off from Castaway, apart from the fact that the doctor on that was a total wanker.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: DMcG
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 12:21 PM

My wife had it on as I returned from a session and I was instantly struck by the music used - I only heard the last five minutes or so, but whoever picked the music had a good ear.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 04:35 PM

Hackneyed indeed, Giok. Was it only last month or so we had Martin Clunes's 'Doc Martin'? This one seems to gel better though:-) And like DmcG (Are we related btw? Dave Mc Gnome???) the music was excelent.

Cheers

:D

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: Folkiedave
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 05:31 PM

Small piper is Dave Shaw:

http://www.daveshaw.co.uk/index.html

The series was flmed in the North East - con't remember where. Not having a TV I haven't seen the play but I understand Dave is in more than one episode.

HTH.

Dave
www.collectorsfolk.co.uk

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 12:13 PM

I missed the last episode, can anyone tell me what happened?

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 02:44 PM

Me too, I was in Ireland enjoying myself.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: sian, west wales
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 03:53 PM

They have a going away party for the Doc, wifey declares she's going to stay but doesn't know what she'll do. The farmer's wife who's decided not to remarry the farmer (I won't explain; you need to have been watching) is still friends with the Doc's wife and suggests that she (doc-wife) could become the island harlot - all very friendly, like. They're having a picnic and drinking wine.

Anyway, during the party (a great knees up with trad music & dance) the Doc decides to go off in a fishing boat with a fisherman - both are drunk, and the Doc forgets to touch the statue and isn't wearing his tights (panty-hose; like I said, if you haven't been watching there's no catching up). So obviously they end up in a storm, break up the party by calling out the lifeboat crew, who happen to be the farmer and the farmer's little brother (did he decide if he's gay or not?) and go out and rescue the 'sailors'. So baby brother brings them back in the lifeboat leaving big brother to bring the fishing boat back. But of course there's something wrong with it and we hear fisherman slipping from this mortal coil over the ship-to-shore radio which happens to be in the hall where the party is; farmer-wifey listens in. He croons Carrickfergus (???) while he's departing.

Funeral scene then with a dory with the body in it and all the villagers bringing loaves and fishes 'n' stuff to accompany the farmer on his final journey (I thought that was well done); Doc breaks down. Cut to Doc boarding the ferry and waving goodbye to wife and kids and villagers, but ends up jumping overboard to come back, forgetting that he can't swim; except wife is still watching, and can swim, and rescues him and presumably there will be another series.

So there.

siân

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Feb 05 - 04:01 PM

All sounds a lot grimmer than Doc Martin, which I rather enjoyed. I find grumpy blokes seem to work rather well on telly - cf Victor Meldrew, or Black Books.)

Subject: RE: BS: UK Drama - Distant Shores
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 05:03 AM

Blackadder, Tony Hancock