National Treasure (Channel 4) [** Spoilers **]

Mr E

I saw a review of this on Digital Spy this morning and I'd never heard of it. It looks like it started on Channel 4 last night.

From the DS Article:

Channel 4's National Treasure is the first British drama written in response to Operation Yewtree, the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal and its wider fall-out.

This first absorbing hour – one of four parts – introduces us to Paul Finchley (Robbie Coltrane), a faded comic turned TV host who's confronted with historic rape charges.

Also stars Julie Walters.

The trailer gave me chills, this looks like a cracking watch. I'll check it out tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgEyemOszjU

curiousoranje

Was very good, not much revealed in the first episode beyond the allegation but it is played out well with plenty of tension and subtlety. Coltrane and Walters play their roles brilliantly, as you would expect. The private detective (Mark Lewis Jones) is going to be a big character I reckon.

Quite surprised there's not much interest in it here.

Basq

They've been advertising it a fair bit..

.. but missed the first episode last night.

Will give it a watch later.

Harry Palmr

Pretty good, more subtle than you might be expecting it's clearly not designed as a Savile (who was referenced by name by the accused national treasure) type shocker. The only thing that bugged me was that the colourist had gone mad - blue blue blue. That was not subtle at all.

Avatar MIA

curiousoranje wrote: »

Quite surprised there's not much interest in it here.

Great actors, but horrible subject.

_Tombstone_

Aww, was hoping for a TV show like those Nicolas Cage films, that'd be good.

Skid X

I enjoyed it. Nice pace to the plot - his 'national treasure' and nice guy status was established very early, then a few character flaws emerge to make him less likeable and possibly less innocent than he appeared at first impressions.

Birneybau

_Tombstone_ wrote: »

Aww, was hoping for a TV show like those Nicolas Cage films, that'd be good.

Yeah, was a bit eh, not like that.

RyanDrive

Could anyone explain to me what the scene with the daughter telling him a story about her and Dave was about. Didn't quite get it?

Skid X

RyanDrive wrote: »

Could anyone explain to me what the scene with the daughter telling him a story about her and Dave was about. Didn't quite get it?

I think she was describing a dream she had, not sure if it was recurring or recent.

Birneybau

RyanDrive wrote: »

Could anyone explain to me what the scene with the daughter telling him a story about her and Dave was about. Didn't quite get it?

Thought it was implicating something murky from their past, just adding to the atmosphere.

Alfred Borden

Really good episode so far tonight

Lisha

This is amazing tv. Compelling, hellish, disturbing and addictive. I'm disturbed but I can't stop watching.
Julie Walters is a tour de force. Coltrane excellent too.

Lisha

Skid X wrote: »

I think she was describing a dream she had, not sure if it was recurring or recent.

Yes that was a dream.

Lisha

Holy hell!

fryup

its the family friend isn't it ??

Harry Palmr

This and the late great Utopia share a number of technical credits, hence it starting to look and sound like a fevered dream/nightmare. Not sure it really works though esp as the drama is within the context of stated real events.

wigsa100

fryup wrote: »

its the family friend isn't it ??

What do you mean?

wigsa100

Think this is brilliant television. Channel 4 really does lead the way when it comes to television I think. Between the news, their innovative reality television which is a nice change from the same mundane **** that everyone else has been peddling for a decade, and their drama they really are an excellent station.

Lisha

Lisha wrote: »

This is amazing tv. Compelling, hellish, disturbing and addictive. I'm disturbed but I can't stop watching.
Julie Walters is a tour de force. Coltrane excellent too.

Sold it to me there, /stops reading thead.

fryup

fryup wrote: »

its the family friend isn't it ??

wigsa100 wrote: »

What do you mean?

he's the abuser, not the father (i think)

wigsa100

fryup wrote: »

he's the abuser, not the father (i think)

Right...based on what?

philstar

strange episode tonight, hard to tell where this is heading

Harry Palmr

Well it appears his daughter will be his potential saviour having been estranged and even uncertain about her father as his wife goes from sticking by his man to potential hostile witness. National Treasure is less about "torn from the headlines" shock horror and more about shifting allegiances within the familial circle (plus the accused professional partner - who's attitudes towards the wife and his own leery behaviour might or might not be a ruse)

Thundercats Ho

While I am enjoying it, it's not overly clear what's happening, and maybe that's it's goal?

the flashback scenes don't tell anything concrete, and are left open to interpretation.
Ditto for the family and relationship dynamics.

The comedy partner taking a run at Pauls missus at this point in time is a bit strange too.

At least it looks like it'll be wrapped up next week (promo shows him in the dock, and the judge saying 'do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty').

If i was to call it, i'd say he'll get off, but at the end there'll be some reveal that he was / is a nonce.

Birneybau

Was it implied that he's Irish, not Scottish?

Talking about his father fighting for the fcuking Brits.

Lisha

Birneybau wrote: »

Was it implied that he's Irish, not Scottish?

Talking about his father fighting for the fcuking Brits.

Yes, Irish living on a tenement flat. Think he had his family in U.K. Though.

Harry Palmr

He's Scottish of Irish parents.

Tigger

fryup wrote: »

its the family friend isn't it ??

i think they just confirmed it with the asthema

Lisha

Tigger wrote: »

i think they just confirmed it with the asthema

Or they were both dirty baastards:(

Tigger

Lisha wrote: »

Or they were both dirty baastards:(

i think they were both dirty baastards but the friend is the bad b3stard

Lisha

Please find him guilty

Lisha

Oh feic

Devastating

fryup

so it was the fat bastard all along

brilliant drama well acted,

ncmc

Overall, I thought it was good but not great. Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane were excellent. The daughter got on my nerves a bit as did the cinematography will all the garish colours and people sitting in dark rooms. It was an interesting watch, one got the impression that Paul probably didn't see either attack as rape. You could see him justifying the babysitter as her coming on to him and the fan wanted it really. It did give an insight into the mind of these rapists.

I didn't really get the end though, Marie has obviously left him? But why spend so long showing him searching for her and shouting at the back door? Bit of a disappointing end.

Lisha

ncmc wrote: »

Overall, I thought it was good but not great. Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane were excellent. The daughter got on my nerves a bit as did the cinematography will all the garish colours and people sitting in dark rooms. It was an interesting watch, one got the impression that Paul probably didn't see either attack as rape. You could see him justifying the babysitter as her coming on to him and the fan wanted it really. It did give an insight into the mind of these rapists.

I didn't really get the end though, Marie has obviously left him? But why spend so long showing him searching for her and shouting at the back door? Bit of a disappointing end.

For me showing him searching illustrated that he depends on her utterly and that he needs her. She is his foundation and he is totally at sea without her.

Harry Palmr

ncmc wrote: »

Overall, I thought it was good but not great. Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane were excellent. The daughter got on my nerves a bit as did the cinematography will all the garish colours and people sitting in dark rooms. It was an interesting watch, one got the impression that Paul probably didn't see either attack as rape. You could see him justifying the babysitter as her coming on to him and the fan wanted it really. It did give an insight into the mind of these rapists.

The sound and vision was by the Utopia team, quite why the producers thought they'd be a good fit for the material I dunno.

ncmc wrote: »

I didn't really get the end though, Marie has obviously left him? But why spend so long showing him searching for her and shouting at the back door? Bit of a disappointing end.

Well I suppose Paul was desperately hoping she'd stick by him and certainly not show him up. In the end he was showing himself up of course.

fryup

the cinematography didn't bother me at all, gave it a certain atmosphere i thought

Lisha

ncmc wrote: »

Overall, I thought it was good but not great. Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane were excellent. The daughter got on my nerves a bit as did the cinematography will all the garish colours and people sitting in dark rooms. It was an interesting watch, one got the impression that Paul probably didn't see either attack as rape. You could see him justifying the babysitter as her coming on to him and the fan wanted it really. It did give an insight into the mind of these rapists.

d.

Yes it's disgusting to think that people in his position really think that sex is something to be taken. Frightening really.

Harry Palmr

fryup wrote: »

the cinematography didn't bother me at all, gave it a certain atmosphere i thought

I didn't actually mind the visuals but I'd have made it less obviously mannered in style, however the chiming, tinkly, woo-woooeeee (!) music did seem quite wrong at times.

Lisha

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I didn't actually mind the visuals but I'd made it less obviously mannered in style, however the chiming, tinkly, woo-woooeeee (!) music did seem quite wrong at times.

For me it added to the feeling that the mother and daughter's lives were based on a nightmare. They knew deep down that he was a fuucker but they didn't want to open Pandora's box.

fryup

and i presume the daughter saw what happened to the babysitter, but deluded herself that nothing happened that night...thus resulting in her mental illness

JimmyTClarke

What was with the ending? The tension and build up in the final moments led me to believe that Paul was going to find Marie dead, having committed suicide because she couldn't live with herself knowing she had helped him evade justice when she knew (deep down) that he was guilty. It would have been a fitting end. Yes, he won his case, but at a much greater cost than he could have anticipated. Instead, Marie just.........left? It was a bit anticlimactic in my opinion.

ncmc

^^^ this! I thought he was going to find her floating in the pool! It felt very anticlimactic.

fryup

JimmyTClarke wrote: »

Yes, he won his case, but at a much greater cost than he could have anticipated. Instead, Marie just.........left? It was a bit anticlimactic in my opinion.

she just just popped down to the shop for some ciggies

nah! it was obvious she had enough of his BS and left him for good