Garrow's Law

[nickd]

Hi friends.
Episode One of the new 4-part period courtroom drama "Garrow's Law" will be shown on BBC One on Sunday 1 November, 9:00-10:00pm; it will presumably be available online for a period after that (though unfortunately only to U.K. viewers, I believe). Sir Arthur Hill, played by RG, is described as "sharp, witty and ambitious." Hmmm...
Go to http://www.garrowslaw.com for further information, including an interview with co-creator and writer Tony Marchant (who incidentally wrote the script for "Different for Girls" some years back).
Best wishes to all.
Nick D.

[Ross Eldridge]

Hi there!

I'm looking forward to this short series too. I've become a fan of Andrew Buchan after "Party Animals" and "The Fixer". Particularly the latter. Thank Heavens for the iPlayer and BT Internet features as I also want to see "Doc Martin" airing at the same time!

Wild and stormy in North Northumberland ... so perfect night for some great British telly.

R.

[carol]

Hi Ross, Nickd, Everyone,

I'm looking forward to seeing 'Garrow's Law' too, though I don't know when that will be. One good thing is our cable network has new channels this month with more British shows. I loved Andrew Buchan after 'Party Animals' but haven' t seen 'The Fixer'. Read an article where Andrew B was talking about the show, apparently he fancies Rupert's wife in the story. I can well imagine him in the role of a fiery lawyer trying to bring some order & justice to the law.

I recently enjoyed Tom Hardy in "Wuthering Heights" Peter Bowker's script was much more interesting than what Andrew Davies usually serves up.

It was the Melbourne Cup yesterday , a holiday in our city & all Australia stops to listen to it. I can remember in primary school in Sydney (many moons ago)we stopped lessons to listen to it.!

I'ts warmish & unsettled weather here, spring is in the air & the gardens are blooming.

Cheers Carol

[Ross Eldridge]

Hi there, Carol,

GARROW'S LAW was really excellent viewing. Rupert was not on as much as one would wish, but all the actors were first rate. Most of the action takes place inside a rather crowded and raucous courtroom. I'm assuming all of this is an accurate portrayal. One can only be glad the system is a bit fairer these days. In the courtroom where Garrow is practising, there's precious little evidence, hearsay seems welcome, the jury don't retire, just whisper to one another in front of everyone. The foreman calls out "Guilty!" and the judge's assistant places a black cap atop the judge's wig. The judge says "You are to be hanged..." and the poor (innocent) creature found guilty of stealing an apple is dragged off to Tyburn. The judge's cap comes off and he calls out "Next!" I had to wonder how many hangmen there were on the public payroll.

You'll likely love THE FIXER. Andrew Buchan is a sort of secret agent with licence to kill. Bond without Miss Moneypenny, Q and M. If necessary, he'll rip the person he's after (perhaps a leading drug dealer, or child pornographer, or slave trader ... one really looks forward to their demise) apart with his bare hands. Very violent, but fantastic acting and dialogue.

Fireworks popping all around ... Last night was Guy Fawkes, and people are firing rockets and setting off catherine wheels and Roman candles whenever the rain eases. Fortunately, my little dog seems okay, though he's buried himself under a blanket.

R.

[carol]

Hi Ross,

Garrow's Law sounds terrific, I love a good drama & thanks for the info on 'The Fixer" I must keep a lookout for it , if you don't know the name of the show you can easily miss it. Sometimes if the actor is not well known they don't put his name on the tv guide.
Guy Fawkes night hardly gets a mention here but for the last 20 years or so Halloween does , the kids in the street go trick or treating ( too much American TV if you ask me ) they never did when I was a kid. We had bonfire night 24th of May, Queen Victoria's birthday but the do- gooders put the kibosh on that many years ago .
The nanny state is alive & well & thriving in Australia Ross, which i'm sure you will be pleased to know.

[jack1]

have a look at it

[Ross Eldridge]

Welcome aboard, Jack1 ...
Hello others ...

GARROW'S LAW has finished its four episode run ... and far too soon. As those who have watched the short series will know, Rupert Graves has an interesting (and unfinished!) character. He plays a generic "member of parliament, and government, elected in a rotten borough, with a pretty and younger wife" ... and his wife has fallen for Garrow. As the series ends, the younger wife is "with child" ... Not Garrow's, but her husband's. And one finds that a bit creepy, eh?

The producers of the series have set a wig on Rupert's head, not the "spaniel wig" of CHARLESII, which must be a relief for Rupert. Some of the characters are overly-wigged, Garrow has a simple pony-tail (we are to think it his natural hair) if not wearing his lawyer's courtroom wig. Rupert is playing the older generation, on its way out, and kicking and screaming at going. Andrew Buchan's Garrow is the new generation. Of course, parliament, government and justice were totally corrupt at the time Garrow's Law is set in. Much like today?

Stand-out actor may be Aidan McArdle (who plays Simon's father in the hilarious series "Beautiful People") as the snobby prosecutor, who really doesn't like Garrow in any way.

One hopes LAW will return and that the difficult threesome will battle on. Rupert's character must surely be a loser as history moves along, but what excellent acting on Rupert's part to make the man so obnoxious, yet compelling.

R.

[nickd]

Hello Ross and all ...
Ross, thanks for the end-of-series post on Garrow's Law, and your thoughtful comments. They whet the appetite for the Region 2 DVD release (scheduled for January 2010). And let's hope the powers-that-be order a sequel: it sounds like a really well-done show.
As this is the day-after-Thanksgiving here in the U.S., let me add best wishes to everyone who reads this, and thanks for the ongoing friendly and positive energy of SHARING that infuses RG Online ...
Nick D.

[nickd]

Hello, all.
Good news for everyone (including the present writer) who enjoyed the first series of GARROW'S LAW: a second series of 4 episodes has been commissioned, to start shooting in late June, for transmission later this year - this according to an interview with Executive Producer Dominic Barlow (who presumably should know...).
Best,
Nick D.

[nickd]

Hello, all.
Good news for everyone (including the present writer) who enjoyed the first series of GARROW'S LAW: a second series of 4 episodes has been commissioned, to start shooting in late June, for transmission later this year - this according to an interview with Executive Producer Dominic Barlow (who presumably should know...).
Best,
Nick D.