THE GENTLEMEN
Netflix
Confession: I can take or leave Guy Ritchie’s cinematic oeuvre. Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998) was arguably the apogee of British 1990s Lad ‘Culture’ – which, it’s fair to say, has long had its day.
Like fast food, Ritchie’s films offer temporary sugar highs followed by empty cravings for something to fill the void. When marriage to Madonna saw the Queen of Pop wearing tweeds at shooting parties and propping up the bar at their Mayfair pub, it was clear Ritchie enjoyed blurring the lines between real life and fiction.
So, I wasn’t excited by the prospect of The Gentlemen, his first substantial foray into TV (after a 2000 mini-series of Lock, Stock…). I didn’t even know it was a spin-off of a 2019 movie (starring Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell and Matthew McConaughey), mostly because I hadn’t heard of it.
L-R: Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito and Vinnie Jones in The Gentleman on Netflix
‘Mum! How can you not have heard of The Gentlemen?’ exclaimed my 17-year-old when I told him what I’d be watching – so, shoot me!
However, the eight-parter has a very tangential, thematic relationship to the original and there’s no need to have seen it to enjoy this series, which (albeit just three episodes in at the time of writing) I am, to my surprise, enjoying very much.
The premise is great fun, and it’s witty and pacily written. Upstanding young aristocrat Eddie Horniman (Theo James, The White Lotus) is a British Army officer called home by big brother Freddy (a brilliant Daniel Ings, Lovesick).
Their father, the Duke, is on his deathbed. ‘Tonight. Tomorrow morning latest. Pretty sure Mum’s been dipping her beak in Dad’s meds,’ confides Freddy.
When the will is read (in a fabulous scene, stolen by Ings) it’s revealed His Grace has bypassed his feckless party-loving heir, handing the title and estate to Eddie instead. Eddie then discovers his father’s wealth is largely due to him growing a very lucrative crop indeed.
We’re entirely in Ritchie’s comfort zone: a top cast grappling a sweary, blood-spattered plot with Vinnie Jones, gangsters, shooters, motors, and Giancarlo Esposito effectively reprising his Breaking Bad character Gus Fring by another name. All of which Ritchie pulls off in spades.
An attempt to de-Lad proceedings by making one of the crims a woman means Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario, Skins) is effectively a beautiful bloke in a skirt; very on-trend. But it’s a minor complaint; strap in and enjoy the ride.
Even if, like me, you don’t think his message is for you, it seems TV is probably Ritchie’s perfect medium.
Mary & George: Sparkling, but please turn the lights up
Sky/Now
Inspired by Benjamin Woolley’s non-fiction book The King’s Assassin, Sky’s gorgeous new ‘limited event’ (whatever that means) series Mary & George tells the story of widowed Mary Villiers (a luminous Julianne Moore) and her ambitious scheme to place son George (Nicholas Galitzine) at the epicentre of the nation’s social and political landscape.
Mary & George tells the story of widowed Mary Villiers (a luminous Julianne Moore, left) and her ambitious scheme to place son George (Nicholas Galitzine, right) at the epicentre of the nation’s social and political landscape
The 17th century’s most ruthless ‘Tiger Mum’ was determined to carve out a future that was far better than her past. Bankrolled by a fortuitous marriage made after the death of her first husband, Mary’s social climbing ensures that the bodies start to pile as high as the secrets and lies.
Meanwhile, George not only seduces King James I (Tony Curran) – much to the fury of the incumbent gentleman in the King’s bedchamber, the Earl of Somerset – but bags himself a knighthood to boot. M&G juxtaposes 21st-century dialogue with a period backdrop, and the acting is top notch. Moore is always a treat, of course, and there’s Nicola Walker as Lady Hatton too.
However, while filming by candlelight is clearly an energy saver, having to squint through the resulting televisual murk is why I’ve awarded this otherwise sparkling drama just four stars.
You bet I’m tuning in!
Celebrity Big Brother last ‘graced’ our screens in 2018, when it was packed with reality TV ‘stars’.
No wonder big names started steering clear; from Vanessa Feltz’s meltdown (2001) to (once-seen-never-forgotten) George Galloway pretending to be a cat (2006), it was guaranteed to reveal more than its celebrities ever wanted.
So, will I keep tuning into the ITV reboot hosted by AJ Odudu? You bet!
Nordic noir a bit too close to the bone in these gloomy times? If not, Prisoner (BBC iPlayer) ticks all the gritty, subtitled Scandi drama boxes. The big name in a fine ensemble cast is The Killing’s Sofie Grabol as a prison officer playing by rules many colleagues prefer to bend.
Elsewhere, idealistic new recruit Sammi’s learning curve is steep and swift. On his first day a colleague shows him the kitchen: ‘We call the stove “the snitch scaffold”.’
Excellent telly – if you’re in the mood.
