Baby Reindeer.

[Roger Kettle]

Netflix has a series running at the moment called Baby Reindeer. It's a dark, Scottish comedy-drama and is topping the ratings all over the place. I don't have Netflix so I haven't seen anything of it other than a few clips. The reason it interests me is that the creator and star of the show, Richard Gadd, is from my village. He is a friend of my son's and, as a teenager, was often in my house. A smashing lad and a great character, I'm so pleased to see him doing so well. He won the top award at the Edinburgh Fringe a few years back and has been commissioned by the BBC to produce a series for them.
While we're on the subject, my friend's daughter, Hannah Donaldson---also from the village---returns this week on BBC in her lead role in Granite Harbour, the detective series set in Aberdeen. The critics were unanimous in praising her performance in the first series and I'm confident that will be repeated. I've known her all her life and she's a lovely girl and a hugely talented actress.
Move over Hollywood---our wee village is taking over!

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I started watching it last week, Roger, and found it a little too dark for late-night viewing, so abandoned it half-way through episode one. I've since gone back... twice... and am now 5 minutes away from finishing it (the first episode I mean). At this rate, I'll have a full review of the whole series by Christmas (it's already giving me nightmares). I'll try watching it a little earlier in the day perhaps...

Good to hear of Hannah's progress. I've not watched Granite Harbour at all as yet, so a bit of binge-watching to do there. I'm off to the Granite City on Saturday, hoping for a thriller at Pittodrie.

Hopefully, I'll get over to your village soon too, to congratulate you on Dundee United's splendid return to the top flight, thanks to all those ex-Saints players in the squad. That's assuming I can fight my way through the throngs of paparazzi lining the streets of the multi-talented village these days, not least outside the home of the creator of Beau Peep!

[Roger Kettle]

Mate, I've a horrible feeling that Dundee United's return to the top flight will be brief but I'll enjoy the moment!

[Mince]

Move over Hollywood---our wee village is taking over!

Not to disparage your indulgence in 'Our Village's Got Talent' show, but I have never been interested in what celebrities get up to based solely on their geographical connection. Admittedly, as a two-time winner of 'Town's Most Apathetic Resident' and sole curator of 'Local Celebrities I Couldn't Care Less About', I ought to point out that this kind of naive jingoistic banner-waving hometown love is what leads ultimately to intertown Christmas-decoration fights, re-enactments of flower-arranging battles or even, at its worst, supporting Dundee United.

In all seriousness though, hats off to Richard and Hannah for putting your wee village on the map!

[Mince]

Mate, I've a horrible feeling that Dundee United's return to the top flight will be brief but I'll enjoy the moment!

Have they considered having Richard and Hannah play for them?

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Move over Hollywood---our wee village is taking over!

Admittedly, as a two-time winner of 'Town's Most Apathetic Resident' and sole curator of 'Local Celebrities I Couldn't Care Less About', I ought to point out that this kind of naive jingoistic banner-waving hometown love is what leads ultimately to intertown Christmas-decoration fights, re-enactments of flower-arranging battles or even, at its worst, supporting Dundee United.

Don't forget reigning champion for at least a decade of 'Resident Who Most Exemplifies The Town Name's Only Anagram'.

How's the weather in Newark this morning?

[Roger Kettle]

Fnaar!
By the way, the author Stephen King, is now raving about Baby Reindeer. In a hugely complimentary essay, he wrote that the penultimate episode of the series is one of the best things he's ever seen on television OR film. High praise indeed.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I've just finished watching episode 2. I think any tv series has made me feel so uncomfortable and anxious before in my life. It's totally weird.

I binge-watched both series of Granite Harbour last week, in preparation for my trip to Pittodrie on Saturday. No contest as to which was the more entertaining by a country mile (although watching the grandkids developing a gambling addiction at Codona's Amusement Park before dragging them off for the match was quite good fun).

Hannah looks exactly how I remember her Mum from around 40 years ago.

[Roger Kettle]

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't seen any of Baby Reindeer but it's clearly one of those "love it or loathe it" shows.
The Sunday Times recommended Granite Harbour, saying that it had a brilliant cast. They were not quite so enthusiastic about the series itself. That pretty much summed up my own thoughts.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

The Sunday Times recommended Granite Harbour, saying that it had a brilliant cast. They were not quite so enthusiastic about the series itself. That pretty much summed up my own thoughts.

And mine, Roger. I suspect being restricted to three episodes per series didn't help, and possibly the reason you saw very little of the principle characters' background lives. Hopefully they'll get more time and better scriptwriters for the next one... if there is one. Still enjoyed it enough to get to the end, though I've no recollection of most of the plot of either series after less than a week. Nice to see lots of the location shots for the Aberdeen tourist industry, although Traces did that better for Dundee (but also a bit of a patchwork script).

I'm still not sure which way I'm going to go with Baby Reindeer, but I'm determined to get to at least the penultimate episode after Stephen King's glowing recommendation.

[Mince]

My favourite YouTube reviewer, The Critical Drinker (from Scotland), has nothing but praise for the show. Gee, I might have to watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XALEQwf14g

I'll watch the show with my wife and at the end tell her, "Did you know that that man there, Richard Gadd, the star and writer, was a friend of Roger's son, so Roger can now tell him that he's had someone genius and famous like me watching his show."

[Roger Kettle]

I was chatting with Richard's dad in the pub last night. Again, he's someone I've known for years. He told me that, when Richard arrived in Los Angeles earlier this week, there were loads of fans with Baby Reindeer placards waiting at the airport. The whole thing is just crazy!

[Diane CBPFC]

I tell ya Roger, I've not been so disappointed in a movie title after watching the first episode, since I watched "Dances with Wolves" - no dancing wolves, no baby reindeer. 

[Roger Kettle]

Love it!

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Well, I’ve just finished binge-watching the remaining five episodes, and I can see a bucketload of awards heading to your village, Roger.  I somehow managed to miss from your opening post the fact that Richard not only wrote the whole thing, but starred in it too, and the penny’s just dropped on that one. Amazing performance.

Not the easiest of watches, but absolutely riveting, and if you stick with it to the end, Diane, all will be revealed about the title (which I reckon was a stroke of genius, and a large part of what intrigued the masses of Netflix viewers to give it a go in the first place… me included).

Powerful stuff!