BBC One viewers shocked by sweary adaptation of A Christmas Carol

[snoop1130]

BBC One viewers shocked by sweary adaptation of A Christmas Carol

BY CHRIS EDWARDS

 

BBC/SCOTT FREE/FX NETWORKS

 

BBC One aired the first part of its A Christmas Carol adaptation tonight (December 22), offering viewers an alternative take on Charles Dickens' classic novel.

 

Starring Guy Pearce as Ebenezer Scrooge, Stephen Graham as Jacob Marley and Andy Serkis as the Ghost of Christmas Past, the mini-series is directed by Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight – and the two shows are certainly similar in tone.

 

Viewers were taken aback, however, when Pearce's Scrooge dropped a surprise F-bomb, setting a sweary precedent for the remainder of the premiere.

 

One person tweeted: "This is quite enjoyable, though it always throws me through a loop when people swear in period dramas. It's not an offence or anything and I'm not clutching my pearls, it just always seems to take me by surprise."

 

Full Story: https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a30308278/a-christmas-carol-bbc-one-swear-words-viewers-shocked/

[kotsak]

And on Easter they may play Tom Waits..

 

 

[DoctorG]

I don't mind if they swear in period series but it has to be appropriate to those times. Adding modern swear words instead of those actually used in that period is just being lazy.

 

[soalbundy]

Years ago when my father was running his business in London he sent out tiny christmas cards in big envelopes to his customers and suppliers the message inside read :-

 

"Money's short, times are hard,

Here's your f.....g christmas card"

 

I was a bit shocked but it went down well apparently. 

[neeray]

15 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

I don't mind if they swear in period series but it has to be appropriate to those times. Adding modern swear words instead of those actually used in that period is just being lazy.

 

Was the F-bomb not around at that time? Serious question, not sure when it became popularized.

[neeray]

5 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Years ago when my father was running his business in London he sent out tiny christmas cards in big envelopes to his customers and suppliers the message inside read :-

 

"Money's short, times are hard,

Here's your f.....g christmas card"

 

I was a bit shocked but it went down well apparently. 

Your father had a great sense of humour @soalbundy.

He sounds like he was a down to earth man who was not shy to call a spade a spade.

 

Have warm thoughts of him. Times are still tight and getting tighter.

[bartender100]

For what its worth i thought it was brilliant, but I watch with subtitles to get full story, dialogue was poor in sound only

[AhFarangJa]

24 minutes ago, neeray said:

Was the F-bomb not around at that time? Serious question, not sure when it became popularized.

Having a quick google on it, there appears to be no definitive dates, but some quote it as being of Germanic origin from the mid 1400;s.

However, there are more modern quotations listed. Here are some examples.....

Captain of the Titanic : "Where did all this f****ng ice come from"

General Custer : "Where did all these f****ng Indians appear from"

One of my favourites was the Mayor of Hiroshima : "What the f*** was that bang".

[DoctorG]

29 minutes ago, neeray said:

Was the F-bomb not around at that time? Serious question, not sure when it became popularized.

I was not referring directly to this series or to the F word in particular, just being general, but you are correct. The F word or similar is known to have been used since the 1300/1400s.

[soalbundy]

1 hour ago, neeray said:

Your father had a great sense of humour @soalbundy.

He sounds like he was a down to earth man who was not shy to call a spade a spade.

 

Have warm thoughts of him. Times are still tight and getting tighter.

It doesn't bother him now, he died from his third heart attack at 83 in Australia around 6 years ago. Yes he had a great sense of humour, when my sister visited him in hospital she sat on a oxygen tube running up to his mask causing his heart to palpitate, an alarm went off and a doctor came running into the room and dragged my sister of of the tube, my father's laconic remark, "spare yourself the bother doc, just cut my throat"

[orientalist]

The first part of the mini-series is really slow with all the philosophising from Scrooge, but the second part really gets going. It's different alright.

 

[wgdanson]

11 hours ago, neeray said:

Was the F-bomb not around at that time? Serious question, not sure when it became popularized.

 

[Stocky]

11 hours ago, neeray said:

Was the F-bomb not around at that time? Serious question, not sure when it became popularized.

I think Alfred the Great was reported as saying "<deleted> Ivar the Boneless".