The thirty-first TV show: #307 Brideshead Revisited
I guess it was about time I did a historical drama - should have done more than one in fact. They're not my favourite genre, as the details can be a bit tedious and for some reason they feel like they have to be made slower - often to show how close they got to history. This show certainly had its moments of that, and we both had times when we figured we could get away with checking something else at the same time.
I (of course) haven't read the novel yet, so can't comment on the quality of it, but it doesn't feel like one. Sure, there's some voiceover, but it all flows together well. The adaptation is shot and written well in that sense.
It also helps that the actors seem to be in great form. They make it all feel natural - especially where the nobles can be nobles and students are students. It comes across that way. Jeremy Irons, as the lead, does this especially well, playing it slightly detached. He's the narrator and authorial insert, and plays it as if he really is that bit more disconnected, observing what goes on around him. It makes his Charles a slightly ambiguous character - it's never quite his fault - that works really well.
The characters' growth is interesting, becoming an interesting investigation into the family and those surrounding it. Executed well, and looking gorgeous.