Friday, November 4, 2011

Masterpiece update

I thought it was high time for a Masterpiece update. For the past three weeks, Masterpiece Mystery has been airing Case Histories which was a total bust as far as I'm concerned, except for this:


I couldn't resist. *wink*

This Sunday, Masterpiece Contemporary begins with a brand-new drama entitled Page Eight.


I'm actually quite curious about this one -- I love me some Bill Nighy, and the rest of the cast is fabulous -- Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon! Here's a bit about the story:

What happens when spies grow older in a post-9/11 world? Sixty-something MI-5 agent Johnny Worricker has amassed an impressive art collection, an amicable collection of ex-wives, and a droll, unflappable relationship with the work he enjoys alongside his boss and best friend, MI5 chief Benedict Baron. But when Benedict brings to light damning evidence of British complicity with illegal American torture operations, it falls to Johnny to do the right thing. And the right thing, in this morally ambiguous new era, is unclear — as unclear as the motives of Johnny's neighbor, Nancy, who draws Johnny in with her sad beauty and a secret of her own.

Starring Bill Nighy (Love Actually, He Knew He Was Right), Michael Gambon (the Harry Potter films, Cranford), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) and Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives), Page Eight is written and directed by David Hare (The Hours), whose stylish spy thriller resonates with today's uneasy coexistence of security and uncertainty.
And here's a short trailer:



I'm not sure if I'll be watching this one live -- the draw of Once Upon a Time and Pan Am on Sunday nights is pretty strong. But I will definitely be checking it out at some point. If you watch Sunday night, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

7 comments:

Heidenkind said...

I'm excited about this one, too. Thank god Case Histories didn't last more than three weeks. :P

Charleybrown said...

I really enjoyed Page Eight but then again I've always been fascinated by any performance I've seen by Bill Nighy. It's a quiet drama but solid performances by so many familiar faces! Hope you don't miss it!

Debbie Wiles said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Charity said...

Love most of the cast in this. I'll give it a go -- I lasted ten minutes of Case Histories, got bored, and deleted it off my DVR. =P

Unknown said...

@heidenkind - NO KIDDING.

@Charleybrown - Nighy is such a great actor! I'm looking forward to this one -- if I miss the broadcast I'll definitely rent it!

@Deborah - Thanks for stopping by!

@Charity - Our reaction to Case Histories sounds pretty identical. :P

Amber Holcomb said...

Of the contemporary season, A Song of Lunch sounds really interesting to me! Especially since it stars Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. :) But I'm not sure what the rating is...

I noticed that the PBS Masterpiece website now has the schedule up for the Classic season!! :D And that means we're that much closer to the Mystery season and *hopefully* the second season of Sherlock!!

~Amber

Unknown said...

@Amber S. - I would like to see Song of Lunch at some point too -- my friend Lori watched it on YouTube, I think, and really enjoyed it.

Thanks for the tip about the schedule! I too am missing Sherlock this fall. :/