Indian Summers v The Casual Vacancy – what we learned from this weekend's TV
|
Version 0 of 1. Power goes to the heads of the English And then some. While The Casual Vacancy is about petty local power, as the church parish council faces a crucial election when one of its members dies unexpectedly, Indian Summers is the ultimate in global power play. We are not dealing with some poxy parish here, but a large chunk of the world: “March 1932. A few thousand British civil servants run an entire sub-continent.” I’m already calling this Homeland crossed with Tenko, and I love it. As for The Casual Vacancy? Midsomer Murders crossed with Harry Potter, as scripted by Nick Clegg’s press office in a Broadchurch accent. Come on: you know you want a bit of that. Red paint is a bugger to get off – and it’s very annoying trying to find a document in the pre-computer age Kudos to the Dalal family in Indian Summers. They’re intriguing, compelling and original: upstart bureaucrat Aafrin Dalal (Nikesh Patel), the one who was sent on a wild goose chase among the 1930s equivalent of a tsunami of Post-Its, and Sooni Dalal (Aysha Kala), who dyed her hands red while painting pro-home rule graffiti over a mural of Queen Victoria. Wholly believable characters who manage to be likeable and flawed at the same time – and a great foil to the British buffoons who are too worried about getting their silky bias-cut dresses laundered to see what’s really going on. Julie Walters with a marcel wave is 50 shades of wonderful. Mind you, so is Julia McKenzie in a Country Casuals bodywarmer Ambassador television commisioners: with these delicious matriarchs, you are truly spoiling us. Julie Walters as Cynthia in Indian Summers was clearly channelling Cynthia Payne: a joyously sadistic and sly performance of the queen bee pulling all the marionettes’ strings: “Wash your hands before dinner.” Meanwhile Julia McKenzie, playing Shirley in The Casual Vacancy, the wife of the parish council chairman, has the most extraordinarily mobile face. Her every expression screams awkward, apologetic, passive-aggressive Englishness. “Always better to get such appalling news in person ...” The devil in support hosiery. Worth watching both programmes for these two performances alone. No one does sexy disdain better than Keeley Hawes “The parish shitting council? Why can’t you stand up for yourself, Miles? Tits, Miles. Grab a handful.” JK Rowling evidently wrote the part of Samantha Mollison, owner of Pagford’s premier lingerie boutique, Samantha’s Boudoir, with considerable relish, and Keeley Hawes, poured into spray-on leather jeggings and fiddling with her push-up bra, is more than up to the task. Fabulous character, beautifully done. TV commissioners don’t care that we suddenly have too much to watch These two series have been (intentionally?) pitted against each other, and a lot of people will be watching both and muttering about waiting ages for one great British series only to have two come along at once. With both screening at the same time, I watched The Casual Vacancy (cost: £5 million) on iPlayer, and particular enjoyed ticking a special box warning me about obscene language. Bonus. And, for once, it didn’t disappoint. There was even a “bell-end”. Thanks, JK Rowling! (She is credited as screenwriter, alongside Sarah Phelps. Having read the book, it felt like they had preserved a lot of the original dialogue.) As to which will “win” (in ratings and in praise), it’s too close to call. But, early doors, my money is on Indian Summers (cost: £14 million). It has “British TV classic in the mould of Brideshead Revisited” written all over it. The Casual Vacancy has some extraordinary performances, but I’m worried Rory Kinnear is going to be underused in his role as “The Ghost of Barry Fairbrother”. And, tonally, this is – like the novel – a tough piece, uncomfortably balanced between sinister and slapstick – and already veering dangerously towards preachy. JK Rowling’s guide to life and death is simple It’s possible that JK Rowling did not intend the words of one of the characters in The Casual Vacancy – brilliantly idiotic teenager Stuart “Fats” Wall – to be her epitaph. But let’s suggest it should be anyway. “When it comes – death – your last thought is never going to be, ‘I wish I done less shagging.’” Note: this episode also featured an ejaculating penis. On BBC1. In cartoon form. Again, thanks, JK! |