Brit middle-class tv dramas: Classic Or Dud?

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Think 'This Life', 'Teachers' and - my new love - 'North Square'. Smug, prissy middle-class bullshit with whining characters who never realise how good they've got it, or (momentarily ignoring the existence of Buffy) the greatest stuff on TV evah?

― Tim, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't like the way they're so focussed on far fetched relationship neurosis and equally far fetched slapstick scenarios.

― Ronan, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not convinced that it is class which defines these series rather than the youth of the lead characters (university educated may = middle-class though I am not sure it is a useful comparator when all we are really trying to say is university educated). Personally I can't stand 'em.

That said I like the way they seem to pander to the theory of relativity and conservation of misery.

― Pete, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Like Buffy, this stuff strikes me as asking *real life* questions about people and ethics, but locating them at the site of the relationships between characters rather than within plot devices. As with Buffy's vampires and monsters, on 'North Square' the legal issues are the context but never the subject of the show's investigations. This is what distinguishes it from much of 'The Practice', whose characters are constantly reactive but rarely - beyond each character's core values and habits that are displayed archetype-style - the stimulus for power shifts, relationship changes, personality development etc. And I like The Practice.

Also, Daniela Nardini (from 'This Life') is one of the few women I'd consider converting for.

― Tim, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I didn't go for This Life, but I HEART ^2 TEACHERS. These shows are just extensions of the chick-lit genre, which is just tarted up professional modern Mills'n'Boon (didja see that story/PR-release about M&B going more into the genre?).

My addiction to these books is utterly incomprehensible to everyone that has known me for more than a year, but they are ace. I'm on my second Jenny Colgan now, having raced through all three of Lisa Jewell's. If you are ever tempted by any of these pastel-covered fancies, I have one simple pieced of advice: DO NOT READ JEWELL'S "ONE HIT WONDER". It's awful, like someone else has written the fucker. jeez.

Why is everyone looking at me like that?

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

tim you are a mentalist! i hate these programmes. aaargh. there is a teachers/this life thread on ilm if anyone wants to trawl through the archives.

and daniela nardini?????????

― gareth, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

if teachers is "middleclass" then my wookie just got bent => they areTEACHERS foax, not lawyers!! They are v.v.v.poorly paid and bashed about, and have no time to post on ILE.

― mark s, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am the anti-Alang! I thought This Life was excellent, but I hate Teachers with a passion, it's just shit.

― chris, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hence my point re: university educated instead of middle-class. Though traditionally of course teaching would certainly be lumped in as a middle-class profession (hence the particular travesty of it being so devalued in comparison with doctors/lawyers....)

The idea of using aspirational careers (lawyer especially) means you can drag in the kids who want to be lawyers too. Also law has the conflict built in. But do we really admire lawyers? The shows allow those of who are now grown-up but don't feel grown up that its alright - "professionals" are anything but. I have never needed reassuring of this so dislike the shows.

― Pete, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well, duh. It's about teachers - how can that possibly be interesting? This Life was cool though.

― Jonnie, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But 'North Square' is better than 'Teachers' or 'This Life' because it focuses less on the characters as flawed (relationship- obsessed) creatures and more on the characters as deployers of emotional manipulation. The web of dependencies and manipulation that layer the show (virtually all originating from the Senior Clerk Peter McLiesh) give it a hall-of-mirrors type feel. I have to tape it and watch scenes twice just to get all the characters (minutely arranged) individual reactions to eachother.

― Tim, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Re: "Teachers" and "middle-class". "Teachers" was def. middle- class in spirit. It's as much about the feel of the show as anything else. eg. "East-Enders" is definitely working-class, "The Bill" is less so and Helen Mirren's character on "Prime Suspect" is pH 7.

― Tim, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Would 'Attachments' fit into this category too? I have only ever caught little bits of it but it seems extraordinarily irritating. As is Teachers, bloody Andrew Lincoln is the drippiest most useless specimen ever. But I did like This Life.

― Emma, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like Teachers because it has belle and sebastian on it. I manage to watch the whole thing most weeks, usually slighlty puzzled as to why i am watching it. I wouldn't video it.

― alix, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I hate Teachers because it has Belle and Sebastian on it, because it ruined by giving up B&S for lent. Actually I've never watched it. I'd probably like it.

― Graham, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But don't you just want to grab Andrew Lincoln by the neck, slam him against a wall and yell PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER AND GROW UP MAN at him? He is our flatmate's hero (not Pete, I hasten to add).

― Emma, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yes, he is a feckless twat

― chris, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I hate the lot. Beat that.

― DG, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Um - what IS 'North Square'?

― Sarah, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lawyers in Leeds. Much better than that sounds.

― RickyT, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

LAWYERS. Hmph.

― Sarah, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh no actually lawyers are okay! It is solicitors who won't tell you things about June Brides tickets which is annoying ha ha.

Teachers/This Life have never really been on my radar, perhaps its a generation gap thing but MEH the thought of them bores me. Stuff This Life on the Adam and Joe show howevah was funny (to someone who's seen TL abt once) as Egg was actually... an egg. HA.

― Sarah, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This Life would have been WAY better if Egg had been an Egg instead of a whingeing moaning punchable twat.

North Square. Hmm I watched it if I was in. I am very fond of Helen McCrory, I think she is lovely.

― Emma, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ackcherlee, i must admit last two eps of Teachers a bit poor. but first couple of the new series wuz v funny (i larfed non-stop). i am hoping for a good dilemma in final ep based on boring "development" stuff in the middle of the series.

(This is why Empire is also rubbish [tho Jedi delivers quite well despite presence of Ew*ks])

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yes, mark but the idealized (financially) portrayal of teachers, shows them as middle class, no? they all live in nice houses and that...

― gareth, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

no they don't, they live in pokey flat-share flats (where they live— who they share with — is a constant running gag)

it is not inner-city urban, ie they have more space than londoners do, and it is not grim rundown estates, but that doesn't make it middleclass

possibly this second series andrew lincoln is too much of a prick

anyway i larf non-stop and so does my sistah (an actual real teacher)

― mark s, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

where IS it meant to be set? bristol?

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It is set in Teachersville, Teacherland, in a Teachergalaxy far far away.

― Emma, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

bristol then

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Can't you tell from the twangy Wurzels accents that the kids have?

― Nathan Barley, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

teachers is effectively "ally mcbeal" set in a school in bristol, although second series has been lighter on the disturbing fantasy sequences (and also less concentration on andrew lincoln's character), and i like teachers but can't stand ally mcbeal. this life was special bacause it was the first (blimey there's a statement waiting to be shot down) of its type, and broke lots of old moulds, but hten everyone used it as the new mould...

also kurt and brian should have their own show :)

― CarsmileSteve, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i prefer to think that the fantasy bits (and general comic use of televisual shorthand) in Teacher's owes more to the visual/directorial flair in Spaced than rubbishy old Ally mcsqueal.

But yes kurt and brian!! it's the relentlessness of their "games" ("sonia from eastenders with Momus's arse, or The Queen Mum with Tom Ewing's beard?" sort of thing)

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not sure this makes any sense, but I really liked This Life despite hating several of the characters, and I now avoid these damn shows like the plague. Anything that's billed as the new This Life is anathema to me.

― Martin Skidmore, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

I liked the episode of Teachers that was on last yesterday, with the mail-order bride. Partly despite myself, in fairness. But why did no-one inform me that it stars Nick DaStoor?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

The bits I enjoyed did seem quite influenced by The Office, while the bits I didn't like seemed to be original.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i have only started watching teachers this series, ie with no andrew lincoln. it would be awful with him in it, i think the current cast have pretty good timing and are pretty funny, esp as they are all unknowns (are they?). in fact this is the only show (apart from neighbours) that i make a concerted effort to watch every week , btu thats partly because my girlfriend is a teacher and gets excited about it.

also, the silyl sight gags about the kids kicking the shit out of each other in the background still makes me laugh.

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

But why did no-one inform me that it stars Nick DaStoor?

Do you meant the cute gangly one? He's called Ewan. My flatmate really fancies him. He looks more like Gael Garcia Bernal than Nick, but he is a bit like Nick.

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

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