Have You Seen "The Fall"?
Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 3:00PM A wee break from Oscar talk since a few of you will surely need it.
I bingewatched The Fall this weekend a serial killer drama from Northern Ireland and tweeted this...
does mainlining entirety of THE FALL the day after 50 SHADES OF GREY mean I really wanted Jamie Dornan to strangle Dakota Johnson?
— Nathaniel Rogers (@nathanielr) February 17, 2015
I thought it was *so* good (despite a molasses slow first episode) with intoxicatingly subtle handling of its relatively blunt ideas and horrific storyline. I particularly loved its very confrontational finger to the audience in a videotaped sequence from the serial killer (that'd be Jamie Dornan as the Belfast Strangler though that's not a spoiler since we know who the killer immediately) and Anderson's completely self-possessed intimidating performance... there's not a single moment where she's asking for audience favor and her Detective Super Intendent is ice cold.
Because I don't follow TV closely I ask those of you who do: was this not eligible for Emmys? I'm noticing it had no Emmy or even BTCA attention, not even for Jamie Dornan (who received some overseas nominations) or the superb Gillian Anderson (who, like Marisa Tomei, just keeps getting better looking with age). Is this just not well loved or widely seen? I understand there's no official word on a Season 3 yet. That's the danger of bingewatching I suppose unless a show is already off the end and you know when the end is coming.
Reader Comments (17)
Not to toot my own horn but if you check your comments in an Emmy post from last year, I was shouting about this show and Anderson's performance and why in the world she wasn't being considered. (Her Blanche in "Streetcar" was similarly fearless and riveting last year.) I bet some of it has to do with Netflix focusing their awards push on Orange and House of Cards. And with only a few episodes a season (5 or 6) it might feel "slight" compared to longer series. I've heard it is VERY popular in the UK though and, if they can get Anderson around her busy schedule, I'd imagine it will get a 3rd season.
I loved it too. I got my DVD from amazon.uk (Season 1. I haven't seen season 2). When I got it, it hadn't been shown here yet and no DVD was available. This was only a year ago so the showing on Netflix is recent. It's isn't a purely British production having been made with RTE (Raidió Teilifís Éireann, --the Republic, not the North). The second season was made with Netflix. I don't know why it hasn't gotten awards notice, but honestly, this is the first I have heard that it is available here. No publicity as with OitNB, House of Cards etc.
According to an interview with Hitfix from Jan of this year, Season 3 is planned but on hold because there are threats to remake the series here in the States and the BBC is totally fucked up right now. It makes no sense to remake this as it is already in English, is accessible and has recognizable stars for US audiences (Anderson, Dornan, Panjabi). I would think they would pay a little more attention to the fates of Prime Suspect and Broadchurch and how those remakes didn't translate and just leave it alone.
Anderson is terrific. She anchors the piece beautifully.
I also binged on The Fall this weekend!
I loved it. The pacing, characterizations, feminist themes and performances are all superb. Anderson is just mesmerizing; I have to admit I haven't seen the X-Files or really watched her in anything, but what a showcase for her talent and beauty. She's a cryptic, sensual, immensely intelligent performer.
Her blowout deserves an Emmy.
I honestly thought you were talking about the 2006 film with Lee Pace...
Yeah, I am so out of touch with television.
Henry-yes! American producers MUST STOP this nonsense of recreating an American version of every single good thing that comes along. If they don't, then Americans WILL NEVER learn to deal with subtitles. The Fall, The Bridge, Broadchurch, Let the Right One In, Les Revenants (The Returned), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Office, and a ton more films and TV shows are so much better in their original language (including English English!)
A friend who saw 50 Shades (and hated it) said she wishes she could have just sent her ticket money to the producers of The Fall for more Jamie Dornan episodes, cuz he is so much more dangerous and sexy in that.
Nathaniel, I watch the BBC on iplayer, and have been raving about this "The Fall" for over a year now. I am not sure why it wasn't nominated for an Emmy, but I think it just got pushed out because there were so many good mini series last year. Broadchurch and The Honourable Woman were both slightly better. (IMO) But it definitely deserved to be as well known as Top of the Lake. Season 2 was very popular but not quite as good as season 1.
Watching it I came to admire both Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan. Both of them were so unflinching in their roles.
I prefer what I'm seeing on TV because the roles for women aren't limited to "f**able women under the age of 30. Olivia Coleman, Gillian Anderson, Maggie G. are given great roles in these series.
Henry: I'm not sure what you mean by BBC being screwed up -because right now I'm enjoying "Wolf Hall" - adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novel, & "The Casual Vacancy" adaptation of J.K. Rowling's novel - both are engrossing and excellent dramas. Hugely popular as well, and yes woman over the age of 40 are in both.
Pam: Until "The Fall", I suspect Jamie Dornan known mostly as the ex boyfriend of Keira Knightley, but then with this series he became known for acting talent as well.
Make no mistake he isn't just a genetically gifted, he can act. Dangerous, sexy, and very seductive.
I haven't seen 50 shades yet, but the main reason I was considering going was Dornan. He is very popular in UK, but if "The Fall" is now on Netflix his career will go even more stratospheric.
I really hope they aren't going to "remake" this, why do they feel the need?
Like "The Slap" - just watch the Australian version - Essie Davis doesn't need to be recast with Uma Thurman.
I haven't seen it. I strongly recommend Togetherness with "our" Melanie Lynskey.
Just checked the Emmy eligibility list from last year and THE FALL is not on it.
Anyways, this has been in my "to-watch" list for the longest time now. I'll get to it eventually!!!
I hadn't seen Gillian Anderson in the X-flies until recently. But she deserved more than one Emmy. She is devastating in The House of Mirth (should have been nominated for Oscar) and Bleak House. No one does distanced coolness with tragedy lurking underneath better than Anderson. It is great that the British know how to utilize her talent.
I hope there is no remake of The Fall. The list of remakes keeps getting longer and longer--Secrets and Lies and The Slap being the latest additions. I don't understand why Melissa George was kept while the best parts--Sophie Okonedo and Essie Davis--were recast.
Emmy eligibility for foreign productions is tricky, but it essentially boils down to the fact that it requires a main American producer to have financial and creative input.
So Downton Abbey and Sherlock are eligible because PBS is deemed to have that whereas Broadchurch and The Fall aren't.
I loved The Fall. Seen both season on two weekends. I even contemplated going to 50 Shades because of Jamie Dornan but from the ads I've seen that he shows up without the beard ... so I didn't.
@Lady Edith: The BBC is having funding issues among other things (pesky little pedophile scandals, new directors, etc.) and isn't green lighting any new projects right now. If the US remake (which would include the rights to the series) falls through, I"m sure season 3 will be funded.
Arkaan: In that case, season 2 should be eligible as it was co-produced with Netflix.
After seeing her fantastic work on Hannibal I can't wait to see what the third season has in store for her. I also want to watch The Fall and the whole series of The X-Files while I'm at it. :)
Gillian Anderson just gives me life on this. Season 2 was weaker in general, but she was topping herself every episode, so I didn't mind. Stella is quite possibly my favorite character on TV right now, and that's a really tall order (and it will even taller when Hannibal and HoC are back and I remember how much I love Hannibal and Will and Claire Underwood...). But Stella just landslides everyone with so much class.
Series 2 was terrible. The creators said they had written the show knowing that there would be 2 series but the quality was so poor it's difficult to believe it. And while Gillian Anderson was exceptional in the first, she just came off as affected - speaking slowly and over enunciating everything - having an unintentionally comedic effect.
I hope there isn't a third series, or is there has to be, for it at least to refocus itself on a new crime.