Granada Discussion Post: The Speckled Band

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Ready for some Granada talk, everyone? If you haven't seen the episode yet, you can watch Granada's adaptation of The Speckled Band at YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Video, and DVD. Now let's talk telly, shall we? Follow me behind the jump for some of my random thoughts and impressions. Please add your own in the comments!

Note: Canon discussion is available in the canon discussion post. Thanks!



- My very favorite thing about Granada is the preservation of the feel and wording of the canon text. Reading the story along with the show is marvelous. Granada does a remarkable job using the original dialogue and keeping it as authentic as possible, while still occasionally mending certain things for consistency or ease of filming. For instance, Watson frequently says lines that were originally Holmes', but it makes the conversations flow much more naturally on film, and it takes some of the burden off of Jeremy Brett. Logic gets fixed as well, so you get things like making the cat a leopard here instead of a cheetah, because cheetahs are an African species, not Indian. Granada shines because it feels true to the text, loyal to the characters. It's a pleasure to watch.

- The two Watsons. So we had Edward Hardwicke for The Musgrave Ritual, and now we have David Burke for The Speckled Band. Burke is the original Watson of this show, present for the first thirteen episodes aired. They are both excellent in their characterizations of Watson, and they partner well with Jeremy Brett in subtly different ways. Very curious to hear commenters' thoughts on them, especially as we move forward!

- Burke's Watson is adorable here, rushing down the stairs, tugging at his jacket -- a client is waiting! He's enthusiastic about everything, from any chance to eat to breaking and entering. And his attempt at footprint detection is priceless. Their interaction in the scene is completely original to Granada, but perfect at fleshing out the friendship between Holmes and Watson in a believable, compact way. I loved it.

- Jeremy Brett is perfect as Holmes here, as when he savors Roylott's venom, flashing his eyes and his teeth with glee as Roylott insults him, or more subtly when he removes his shoes to settle in for a long stakeout at Stoke Moran. As he unties his laces, he confirms the watch may take all night. "It's possible. Anything is possible." Brett has a way of breathing Holmes to life, directly off the pages of Doyle and Paget. Look at the screenshots in this comparison of Sidney Paget drawings and Granada screenshots posted at brett_holmes. His characterization is remarkable, and I find him captivating whenever he's on screen.

- A special tip to the hat must go to Granada's Mrs. Hudson, Rosalie Williams. She's lovely throughout, and I adore her here, watching Roylott's "I am a dangerous man" tirade aghast, but letting the matter drop after Holmes calls him "just another client". She shuts the door for them without a single word. She's quite an asset.

- We get a few mirror camera shots in this episode, which you'll find is a very common visual trick used on this show. You'll see them often as we continue watching. See how many times you count someone popping up in a reflection.

Comments

[bwblack.livejournal.com]

I could not agree more about the preservation of canon dialogue in the Granada episodes. Every time it makes me happy. They mix up the order and the speaker for flow of story and continued action but they stay very true to the feel of the story and I like that.


Also liked the leopard. So much easier writing mystries now when you can google, big cat, India. Still, ACD is a bit sloppy on the research and I like various iterations doing small things to put the inconsistencies right.

I think the Russian version had him tapping the wall along with his playing because the snake might be more apt to respond to vibration.

But I had a very hard time taking this episode seriously at all whenever Roylott was on screen. Jeremy Kemp could not have played that role bigger. I kept wanting to yell, television, not stage, television!

[tweedisgood.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, I adored Jeremy Kemp in this. Yes, huge role, huge playing, but it was wonderfully Victorian melodrama. I mean, Brett is pretty damn stagey, in a glorious way, throughout the series (sometimes in fact too much, though I adore him to pieces) - but to me, that works with the material, bringing it to life.

I suppose it did slightly turn into comic relief once or twice, but the sense of him being more than a bit unhinged remained.

"Get orrff my land!" Hee.

Can I just briefly also fangirl Burke!Watson. Yes, Hardwicke was fabulously steadfast, sensible, older Watson (and a wonderful RL friend to JB in his many troubles), but Burke is so warm, so young at heart, so adorable and so very much Holmes' man to the last breath.

Shallow time! I much prefer Holmes' hair neat but not slicked right back, as here. It makes him look younger, but I know the pursuit of pefect reproduction induced Brett/the showrunners to try to reproduce Holmes' obvious male pattern baldness in an actor who didn't have any.

And the clothes!From Roylott's country tweeds to Helen Stoner's gloves...costume porn for me. Thanks, Granada :-)

[sabrinaphynn.livejournal.com]

I am fairly certain that the images mirroring Paget were completely deliberate on Granada's part. And yes, especially in the first series, Granada (and Brett) were very faithful to the canon, except when it made good sense not to, such as the leopard.

My absolutely favorite part is the poker scene. Ham sandwiches all around, but I just love it!

Burke's Watson is younger, more joyful, and he displays the wonderful sense of humor that makes us adore Watson.

(I do also enjoy Hardwicke's Watson as well- it made sense to do the switch where they did as it served to show the impact that the Hiatus had on Watson)

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

I have to agree on the bombastic acting being part of the appeal. It can be too much, but we wouldn't still be watching it if it was boring.

Burke!Watson is lovely. Honest and good and kind. But I have to side with Hardwicke!Watson on this. He's smarter, swifter, and bolder. I like that in a Watson.

As for Victorian fashion porn, I'm always a sucker for the waistcoats and white shirts, but it was Holmes' pinstripes in the low light of the stakeout that caught my eye in this episode.

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm SURE the Paget frames were intentional -- that's why they're so wonderful. The attention to detail in Granada is a large part of its appeal. They made sure to get it right and that makes it timeless.

[flawedamythyst.livejournal.com]

Finally watched it - a week late! I did enjoy it, and the adaptation was great, but this is never going to be one of my favourite stories so the episode still left me a bit eye-rolly.

That said, I did love some of the stuff they did with it - Watson's footprint-tracking was great, especially combined with Holmes's 'what are you doing?'