BBC/HBO's Years and Years

A six part drama from Russel T. Davies of Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Queer As Folk fame. Anyone tuning in?

It started last night on BBC ONE, I'm not sure when it airs on HBO. It's about a speculative future, focusing on the exploits of a family called The Lions who experience life in Britain over the next fifteen years. Emma Thompson plays a "Little Ms" Nigel Farage who rises to political power with her "four star party" (named after the F word she utters on Question Time when replying to a question about her feelings regarding Israel and Palestine)

So far it's a decent thing. There's an exploration of what it's like to be trans-human, wanting to be identified not as a person, but as information, and what starts off as an already awkward birthday party descends into sheer primal terror when they catch word from a relative that Trumps's launched a nuke at a man-made Chinese island)

It got particularly eerie when they mentioned Doris Day's recent death. I suppose that was added last minute in post production

This week's episode wasn't quite as intense as far as climaxes go...I think the script ended up being underlength (the banks closing was the ideal spot for the credits to hit, but I knew they still had ten minutes), and was padded out by more talking and Emma Thompson

The daughter constantly finding new ways to upgrade herself is interesting but the Black Mirror elements with her often feel a little out-of-place. Thompson's use of the Blink device during her bi-election debate was loads better and something I can expect to happen in the future as opposed to her hand becoming a phone

Bury Your Gays got a mention in this interview with RTD (spoilers for episode IV)

Edited by Zarius on Jun 5th 2019 at 8:03:10 AM

Ooof, Rory Kinnear has it out for Danny's boyfriend. At first I thought he was going to free him, then it dawned on me he was transferring him to one of the Erstwhile camps...then you're made to think he feels guilty, then later they show a recording of the trasnfer and he's cracking a devilish smile

Really wish they hadn't shown a next time trailer featuring him freaking out. I wanted the imagery of last night to have remained burned into my brain for a whole week.

Liked the finale, didn't exactly love it, it became totally Torchwood in this one, like a happier version of Children Of Earth.

I guess the people behind Rook can never be brought to order possibly because that hasn't happened in reality just yet with who really pulls politician's strings? (I'm assuming RTD was hinting to the Illuminati here)

Edited by Zarius on Jun 18th 2019 at 11:58:11 AM

I really enjoyed this series. I've seen a lot of RTD's work and this is a good addition in this long career. Great characters, scary scenerios and conflicts and a potential future that leaves the nation in a much poorer state.