Years and Years, new Russell T. Davies drama

[+ E.T.Bass]

 

Anyone that's been a fan over the years (as I have) might be interested that Russell T. Davies has written and created a new TV drama, Years and Years.

The cast looks great: Russell Tovey, Emma Thompson for example. I love Tovey. Will never forget his part in Looking the Movie. So good. And Emma Thompson is a treasure.

 

The six-part drama is a co-production with BBC One, HBO and CANAL+. Hopefully that means it will air on HBO later this year, when it is scheduled to begin airing on BBC One. If anyone has better info on that please share!

 

From what I've read, those that have screened Years and Years are saying good things.

 

[LoveNDino]

In case you want plot points...

 

The focus of the six-part series is the Manchester-based Lyons family: Daniel is getting married to Ralph, Stephen and Celeste worry about their kids, Rosie is chasing a new guy, and Edith has not been home for years. Presiding over them all is Gran, the imperial Muriel. All their lives converge on one crucial night in 2019, and the story accelerates into the future, following the lives and loves of the Lyons over the next 15 years.

[LoveNDino]

Yes! It’s coming on HBO!

[+ E.T.Bass]

Yeah, good news.

 

Yes! It’s coming on HBO!

[TruthBTold]

The cast looks great. The gran is the woman (Anne Reid) who was one of the two main characters (the other Derek Jacobi) in the series Last Tango In Halifax. Great comedian. How could you go wrong with Emma Thompson, who is also a great comedian? Plus you have Rory Kinnear, a great British actor. And of course, it is a HBO, BBC, and Canal+ production. I can't wait.

[LoveNDino]

Clip

[+ poolboy48220]

Just set it up to record, starts on HBO Monday, June 24.

[TruthBTold]

Clip

 

It makes you realize even more that we (the Democrats that is) better win the next election because you do not know what is going to happen.

[TruthBTold]

I watched the first episode and really liked it and recommend it. The acting, of course, is great. Emma Thompson is particularly comedic in her Trump-like portrayal of a British politician angling to get elected to Parliament and beyond. Anne Reid is also great and uses her comedy skills as the grandmother in the piece. Russel Tovey is really good. I really had not seen him in anything especially as I had not watched any of Loving. He has a monologue that I could relate to and which I thought was a high point of the first episode about the feeling of having to live in the political atmosphere we must survive. Of course he has a gorgeous partner Ralph (Dino Fetscher) to make up for it but Ralph has some crazy, extremist beliefs, or at least seems to. Rory Kinnear, Tovey's brother, and T'Nia Miller are a couple who have some challenges parenting as society presents problems that technology may inevitably lead to. Both are great actors. Finally, the script by Russell Davies, who created among other things, Queer As Folk, Cucumber/Tofu/Banana, and a portion of Dr. Who, is both humorous and leaves you worrying about the future. Rotten Tomatoes states that "Years and Years scathingly critiques the present with a nihilistic projection of the future, leavening the devastating satire with a buoyant sense of humour and characters who are easy to become invested in." I found it well worth viewing.

 

P.S. The only real critique I had was that they filmed a scene with Russell Tovey showering in a glass shower and only filmed his head and shoulders. Give me a break.

[LoveNDino]

I like it but it’s depressing. Keep thinking...is this where we’re headed?

[Guest LeonTrotsky]

Been streaming it off the BBC and it is wonderful!

[TruthBTold]

I like it but it’s depressing. Keep thinking...is this where we’re headed?

 

Unfortunately, I think yes to a certain degree. According to the latest science we have very little time to work on managing the climate. It appears we do not have a way to get the heaviest polluters and thus those who could do the most managing to work on themselves or on cooperating with each other to manage the problems. And that does not even consider the need to make sure that nations or even worse, collateral groups, gain nuclear weapons or the knowledge to develop them. So it is not going to be a joy ride.

As to the family relationships (which I do not think that you mean) except for that somewhat ridiculous digital masking we probably already deal with family problems and attempts at resolutions already.

[LoveNDino]

Unfortunately, I think yes to a certain degree. According to the latest science we have very little time to work on managing the climate. It appears we do not have a way to get the heaviest polluters and thus those who could do the most managing to work on themselves or on cooperating with each other to manage the problems. And that does not even consider the need to make sure that nations or even worse, collateral groups, gain nuclear weapons or the knowledge to develop them. So it is not going to be a joy ride.

As to the family relationships (which I do not think that you mean) except for that somewhat ridiculous digital masking we probably already deal with family problems and attempts at resolutions already.

It wasn’t even these things. For example, are we approaching the point where to be considered “open-minded,” one should consider the possibility of a flat earth? It’s things like this that keep me up at night.

[TruthBTold]

It wasn’t even these things. For example, are we approaching the point where to be considered “open-minded,” one should consider the possibility of a flat earth? It’s things like this that keep me up at night.

 

I know what you mean. I suppose for purposes of the plot 1) as the years go on and the woman politician becomes more accepted (a la Trump) there are some who actually begin questioning science and commonly held precepts and 2) to precipitate the breakup of the Russell Tovey character the partner begins to accept these ludicrous beliefs - and he is a school teacher at that. But we can't scoff as we see some of that now, unfortunately.

[TruthBTold]

One of my favorite lines of the first episode referring to America, "The President you get you deserve."

[TruHart1]

The ending of the first episode caught me completely off guard - I never saw that coming.

 

Both Dino Fetscher (as Ralph, Russell's character's husband) and Maxim Baldry (as Russell's character's Ukrainian immigrant lover) are GORGEOUS!!!

 

DINO FETSCHER:

 

MAXIM BALDRY:

 

The entire cast is superb!!!

Having seen only episode 1 so far, I both look forward to, and dread, seeing the rest of this series! :oops:

 

TruHart1

[TruthBTold]

I am glad there is some humor in it otherwise it would be really somewhat depressing. I watched all of Chernobyl but really had to force myself to do so even tho the technical aspects and acting were superb.

[LoveNDino]

"The President you get you deserve."

I believe this.

[TruthBTold]

OK, I enjoyed the second episode as much as the first (if you can use the word "enjoyed). The scary part for me is that much of what is happening in the series is a mirror to what is happening here (or even what has happened in our recent past). At the same time it can portray what is in our future because we have let things get out of control (even a President Pence - how scary is that). The acting has maintained its top-notch status. I forgot how great Rory Kinnear can be. I guess you must learn something if you spend enough time at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theater. I also learned (maybe I had forgot) how truly disgusting acting Emma Thompson can be. Her Trumpian politician sends chills up my spine. On a more petty level, you learn how bad of a dancer Russel Tovey seems to be as compared to his lover Viktor. Also you get to see that at least as far as they are showing us Russel is the bottom. Finally, you get to see for a split second what a great tongue Viktor has. Plenty to eat you with, my honey.

[+ E.T.Bass]

OK, I enjoyed the second episode as much as the first (if you can use the word "enjoyed). The scary part for me is that much of what is happening in the series is a mirror to what is happening here (or even what has happened in our recent past). At the same time it can portray what is in our future because we have let things get out of control (even a President Pence - how scary is that). The acting has maintained its top-notch status. I forgot how great Rory Kinnear can be. I guess you must learn something if you spend enough time at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theater. I also learned (maybe I had forgot) how truly disgusting acting Emma Thompson can be. Her Trumpian politician sends chills up my spine. On a more petty level, you learn how bad of a dancer Russel Tovey seems to be as compared to his lover Viktor. Also you get to see that at least as far as they are showing us Russel is the bottom. Finally, you get to see for a split second what a great tongue Viktor has. Plenty to eat you with, my honey.

 

It is scary how the story mirrors today. To think that Viv appeals to Rosie, yet in the end, the handicapped will suffer at the hands of the 4-Star party. The mentally handicapped are already in their sites. Yet my sense is that Rosie will not understand that Viv is at fault, until long past the time when the die is cast, and Rosie is sold down the river along with the rest of the mentally and physically handicapped. In fact she may never get it, the most scary aspect of it.

[TruthBTold]

It is scary how the story mirrors today. To think that Viv appeals to Rosie, yet in the end, the handicapped will suffer at the hands of the 4-Star party. The mentally handicapped are already in their sites. Yet my sense is that Rosie will not understand that Viv is at fault, until long past the time when the die is cast, and Rosie is sold down the river along with the rest of the mentally and physically handicapped. In fact she may never get it, the most scary aspect of it.

 

True. I chuckle to myself because if an IQ test had been instituted as the Trump/Rook character wants think of many less votes would have been cast for Trump.

[TruthBTold]

The fourth episode was very depressing and I was disappointed in one aspect. The quality of the production has stayed high. The Edith Lyons (Jessica Lynes) character especially has a really wonderfully acted scene where she basically threatens her sister's new boyfriend in an attempt to protect her. It is really chilling. And more despair arises as the Viv Rook (Emma Thompson/Donald Trump) character becomes Prime Minister and the U.S. is thrown out of the United Nations after it performs several anti-humanitarian deeds.

Now, SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO LEARN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PLOT.

So, as they reveal in the trailer for the episode Daniel (Russell Tovey) concocts a plan to bring his boyfriend Viktor back from mainland Europe without a passport. This obviously involves a great amount of danger and money. However, this has been only been the 4th episode in which Tovey has appeared and he has been a key and enjoyable character. So I did not think he would be removed so early. I am not exactly sure why this had to happen. To have a fully functioning gay character in a drama of import was a boon. Oh, well.

[TruHart1]

Thank you for the spoiler alert, @TruthBTold. I had read some comments on the UK sites from posters who were so devastated by episode 4 that they wrote they were through with the series and did not plan on watching the final two episodes!

 

Me though, I'm curious now just how the Lyon family's story will play out. Will the final two episodes lead to a satisfying season finale or not, and what will happen to Viktor? Will there be a season 2 or will this be a one season series?

 

TruHart1

[TruthBTold]

Thank you for the spoiler alert, @TruthBTold. I had read some comments on the UK sites from posters who were so devastated by episode 4 that they wrote they were through with the series and did not plan on watching the final two episodes!

Me though, I'm curious now just how the Lyon family's story will play out. Will the final two episodes lead to a satisfying season finale or not, and what will happen to Viktor? Will there be a season 2 or will this be a one season series?

TruHart1

 

Me, too. While the other characters are very interesting as is the writers set-up as to the political scene, for me personally it becomes something I do not have as invested of an interest. I guess with Viktor, while he is a gay character, again he is an underground, hiding personage. It is almost like television just finds it so difficult to have a fully evolved gay character that can stay an integral part of the plot for long. I guess perhaps it is too hard to accept that gay people can be boring and accepted.

[+ E.T.Bass]

+++++++AGAIN spoiler+++++++++++++++++++

 

Holy sh!t. Yet I am not surprised. It's Russell T. Davies. This has been his schtick, e.g. Torchwood, killing off central characters.

 

Hard to watch, Viv getting elected while Viktor and Daniel are going through Hell, and then the terrible outcome. Really hard stuff.

 

All the while Rosie is still crowing how they need Viv to fix everything.