sanditon
Bangers and cash
Dear reader! What a charming and even very unexpected event to encounter you at the beginning of this petty critique in which, as you know, we will try to assess recent TV entertainments.
No doubt there is no need to remind you that Sanditon (ITVX) is the most important, as you know that it is inspired by the unfinished last novel of our beloved Miss Jane Austen, who…
There is no point! Anne Reid, Kevin Eldon, and the rest of the Sanditon cast could go on for hours on end with this elaborate explanation, but the more they summarize the plot, the more annoyed I get.
Anne Reid, Kevin Eldon, and the rest of the Sanditon cast could go on for hours with this elaborate explanation, but the more they summarize the plot, the more annoyed I get.
Sanditon lacks the one thing that defines Austen’s sublime novels: subtlety. The dialogue is as understated as a Dowager Duchess in full regalia
They tell each other their names so often that they might as well wear ID cards around their necks as delegates at a hotel conference.
“You’re about to marry my dearest friend,” Georgiana (Crystal Clarke) says to Mr. Starling (Cai Brigden), as “dearest friend” Charlotte (Rose Williams) smiles and nods, grateful for the reminder.
Georgiana also needs a reminder: “In accordance with your father’s wishes, you are taking possession of your inheritance today,” entrepreneur Tom (Kris Marshall) tells her on her 21st birthday. No doubt fortune had forgotten her. One obvious explanation is that Georgians, like goldfish, have memories that fade in the blink of an eye. That’s why, despite all the desperate repetitions, they throw big balls every night and fall in love with the people they swore to hate forever.
One character exists solely as a mnemonic. Lady Susan de Clement (Sophie Winkleman, otherwise known as Lady Frederick Windsor and a true aristocrat) is constantly strolling the promenade for other characters to rush forward and reveal their news.
Poor Lady Susan, although she clearly lives for gossip, seems to know nothing about anyone. She must be more goldfish than most.
Sanditon lacks the one thing that defines Austen’s sublime novels: subtlety. The dialogue is as understated as a Dowager Duchess in full regalia, and new plot developments erupt like a carriage and horses hurtling across the landscape.
Bladder! Here’s the eligible bachelor Duke of Buckinghamshire (Edward Davis) who stumbles out of a bathing machine on a beach, straightens his tie after a fumble with another dude… and crashes right into Miss Georgiana.
Prrrang! Meet the world’s hottest tycoon, Rowleigh Pryce (James Bolam), a man with mysterious connections to Lady Denham’s past – leading the great Anne Reid to exaggerate as a French maid in a West End farce.
Almost as antique as Austen was, a 1925 Talbot coupe looked as shiny in the Bangers And Cash (Yesterday) showroom as the day it rolled off the production line
Kerr-unch! Here’s Alexander Vlahos as the shady Charles Lockhart esq, kicking the ball and yelling, “Stop the music!” before announcing that it is he, yes he is the true heir to the young lady’s fortune.
Sanditon was canceled after the first series on ITV, but was rescued by US cable channel PBS Masterpiece (the Americans love a bit of bonnet drama). It certainly looks lavish, with that star cast, the CGI landscapes and beautifully composed candlelit scenes. But it does make you feel like you’re swimming in circles.
Almost as antique as Austen was, a 1925 Talbot coupe looked as shiny in the Bangers And Cash (Yesterday) showroom as the day it rolled off the production line. This episode was the first of a new series and also featured a convertible VW Golf and a 1961 Facel Vega – but for most viewers it doesn’t matter if the show is new or rerun.
The format is unchanging: auctioneer Derek Mathewson collects a few classic cars, shines them up and resells them. It’s unmemorable, but always enjoyable… the Georgians would have loved it. Such a shame they didn’t have cars.