This is England '86

Anyone else watching?! 

http://www.channel4.com/explore/this-is-england-86/

We loved the first episode - finally something good on TV again!  We enjoyed the original film quite a lot as well. 

We liked it so far, but I wonder how / if they will cover how / why Banjo and Meggy are now part of the group, given the violent history? 

I think they will, because if you look at the 'Cast' bit on the website, after Meggy & Banjo (link at the bottom, keep clicking 'Next')...looks like Combo (the really mean-a** guy) is going to turn up at some point perhaps?

Love the soundtrack!  Looks like they are going to release an album of the soundtrack at the end of the month, but I imagine you could get all the individual songs & such yourself on downloads though.

I'm well excited for it! DH recorded the movie and he's recording all of the shows as well. Haven't watched any of them, yet, though.

I watched the movie and I want to say that I loved it, because I kind of did, however, I found it terrifying and disturbing (which is obviously what the director wanted) and I did watch This is England 86 on the Catch up TV today while my baby was having a nap on me, and I did enjoy revisiting the characters.

I just hope it doesn't get too disturbing, I haven't read too much about it.

I had enough of being chased and terrified by skinheads when I was going to gigs in the '80's without watching a TV programme about them!

We watched the movie today, and decided to delete it off the DVR after. Once was enough, we both agreed.

DH said what happened in the movie is why he's a bit cautious about people who put out the St. George flag during the FIFA game, and just never took them out of their windows.
 The NF stuff freaked me out(of course).

We watched the first of the This Is England '86 episodes tonight, too. It was a bit too intense, but, I liked it a lot-esp the music!

So I have been watching it on TV and while I think its beautifully shot, the sound is terrible and the storylines are a bit blah, two weeks of not much happening is enough. I am going to stick it out until the end, if only for the girls fashions, but besides the amusing scenes between Gadget and the older lady, its not great really.

Bleak, intense, heartbreaking. The light bits are delightful, but my overwhelming impression is dark and dramatic.

For me, I'm just not sure I want to go on this journey with these people.  I saw the movie a few years ago and remember the characters fondly but distantly, now all of a sudden I feel immersed in this unpleasantness.

Like when a stranger or associate starts telling you about their problems and you're not prepared to take on their crap on top of your own. 

But I'll keep watching to see how it goes and agree that it's a fine work of art.

Yes, Combo has showed up!  

Enjoyed this week's epi - it's not meant to be a happy-go-lucky show, no.

Had to laugh last week when Trudy called herself 'Mrs Robinson' as she prepared to seduce Gadget.  

Eeep- just read, only one more episode. 

love the moped guys "engines off!!" .. "we're here for the ging!!"   

Wow - just wow.  Saw the finale on I-Player this evening.  So chilling and powerful.  We enjoyed this drama series.  I hope they'll do another series following up - Shane Meadows said he would do another season if this one was successful.

Just in case not everyone's seen it yet...  (say if you have, then we don't have to hide spoilers)

Spoiler: show

Combo goes back to jail.  I kind of thought his motivation was a little of two things - wanting to redeem himself as what he told Lol, but also I had the sense that he wanted to go back to prison as well.  What do you think?  I wish there had been a little more on what happened to him, how things went down in between the film & the series, etc, but they only had 4 episodes to work with & I do think the other characters were a lot more interesting.  But the fact that he took the fall for Lol was so surprising, and makes me want to believe there is something redeeming about him, plus the sympathetic way that they showed the situation with his going to see his dead mum  ...especially not knowing what happened to him in between.

theres speculation that he "found god", cause in his mothers bedroom, he is sitting on the chair praying.
Im not too sure why they didnt give reasons for his entrance though,he was covered in blood and all that.
if they do make an "this is england 89" i can totally see Lol not wanting to marry Woody and holding out until Crimbo gets out of prison to be with him. Its obvious shes told him about the abuse beforehand. But yet she never told Woody,and it didnt say at the end of the series,if she even hold him yet.

Or was it that Combo was mates with her dad (the family) or something?  Is that how he knew, or sensed it?  I hope she marries Woody - I like Woody! 

I had the vague impression in the closing 'collage' sorta scene (not sure how/what to call it?) that Woody kind of knew by then.  Hmmm - I hope they do another one so we find out!

Just can't get that near-the-end scene out of my mind.  My benchmark of a good film/TV show/etc is if I'm still thinking about & feeling riveted by it later on (the next day, the next week, etc), vs something being instantly forgettable (i.e., most chick flicks, IMO).  That whole Lol going to confront her dad scene - before she pulls the hammer out:  the dialogue, the language, the vocal inflections, the way they are looking at each other, circling each other, their posture, their body language, their eyes, the rage, the way she is smoking the cigarette...and the whole time, I'm on the edge of my seat thinking 'holy s*** - what's going down here!'  And no, there's nothing pretty or nice about it - it's absolutely horrible.  That was genius - the acting & direction.