One is dead, and is mad, and I have quite forgotten

[nineveh_uk]

*Drum roll* BBC4 Saturday night once again brings us must-see Scandinavian programme, this time, costume drama.

1864! A year to echo down the ages. 1864! A year of blood and infamy, of heroism, of folly, of despair!

1864, the year of the Second Schleswig War!

*screeches to a halt*

Yes, it's an eight-part epic costume drama on the Schleswig-Holstein question, subject of about 15 minutes at A-level lo those many years ago. It stars the usual suspects of Danish TV, and has prompted dialect!fail wank on the internet. I can't wait.

Comments

[oursin]

I hope this comes with helpful maps and genealogical charts!

[naraht]

Oh my, I must remember to record this...

[nineveh_uk]

I wouldn't say no.

[nineveh_uk]

Enjoy it! Incidentally, there is an Icelandic police drama/thriller coming later this year...

[antisoppist]

Ooh good thank you! Just in time to set the box, which hopefully isn't 95% full again.

Having done Scandinavian history at university, the Schleswig-Holstein Question occupied us for much more than 15 minutes. At least a weekend of tortured essay writing. I don't think Denmark ever managed to understand it. I can't imagine why they thought we could.

Barbara Flynn as Queen Victoria!

[nineveh_uk]

I liked it, surprise!bestiality notwithstanding. I had been a bit suspicious about how the parallel modern storyline would work, but so far it seems to. It helps that it is not the bog-standard one of British novels, "extraordinarily wealthy and successful and yet somehow discontented upper-middle class woman retreats to the country pile where she spent her childhood and is disconnected from, and discovers a Family Secret." Also, I can see why the Danish right-wing hated it.

I am looking forward to Barbara Flynn next week, and wondering just how people could get to be deluded enough to choose to go to war with Bismarck.

[naraht]

Thanks! I did start watching it but for some reason my attention span for tellie is not very high at the moment, so I've put it aside for another time.

I assume the police drama/thriller is Trapped? (AKA Ófærð, which means something more like "impassable" or "no travel.") Though I'm not such a huge fan of thrillers as a genre (I feel I've seen enough inventive serial killers on TV already), I did love The Killing and quite enjoy The Bridge, so I'll certainly give it a go.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

It starts back at the end of the earlier Prusso-Danish War, doesn't it? Lots of room for background and Danish and German nationalists debating over weeks...

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure when it starts, but the trailer does seem to imply lots of nationalist debating* - I just hope they tell us which year it is!

*Meanwhile in 2015, Mr Outraged of Jutland complains on the internet that non-soenderjysk actors cannot possibly understand the True Meaning of 1864. Seriously.

[sonetka.livejournal.com]

Oh God, I would be ridiculously out of my depth trying to watch that. All I can remember about the Schleswig-Holstein question is that it existed (sort of like the Irish Question in 1066 And All That). Also that the Holstein is a very popular kind of cow. Still, glad the usual suspects of Danish TV are finding work!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I quoted 1066 and All That on the Irish Question in my A-level C19 British History paper. I like to think it gave an examiner a cheery moment.

*looks up Holstein cow* Ah, we call them Friesians. No doubt there is some complex trans-Atlantic history thingie going on here. I wonder whether they show up in the series - and whether there is "wrong cow" wank on farmer message boads.

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Thinks back to the 'how to recognise cows' part of pre-clinical studies.

Technically, Friesians and Holsteins are separate breeds, although a lot of the black and white cows in the UK are now crosses between the two. Holsteins are bigger and produce more milk IIRC.

I'm sure one breed is grumpier than the other, but I wouldn't swear to it.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Four legs and an udder, bigger and less woolly than sheep.

I didn't realise that you'd trained as a vet! Did you ever practice? I had a few James Herriot stirrings myself, until I did work experience, which usefully informed me it wasn't for me.

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

:-)

I practised on and off for about six or seven years. My main problem was the general public and their lack of interest in real science (which seems to be getting worse all the time).

[auntyros.livejournal.com]

My brother, aged 5, already an expert on breeds of cow was asked by his primary school teacher, 'What animal is that?' His reply, disdainful as a small child could manage, 'It's a nothing cow.'

I think we can safely assume there will be 'wrong cow' wank.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up on this, I rather enjoyed it :)

Although there is nothing like watching a continental drama to realise quite how illiberal our attitudes to sexuality on TV are in the UK - I cannot imagine a British historical drama ever showing underage boys wanking or cow-shagging... And given all the fuss over Poldark topless, I think all the nakedness might have caused a few heart attacks!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Just when one might be tempted to say "Oh, British TV is so much more ~enlightened than US, you get underage wanking*/bestiality. I suppose at least we showed it, even if we wouldn't make it.

*I was considering this on a walk this morning, and decided that it was thematically relevant in terms of the contrast between the essentially innocent solipsism of childhood, against the masturbatory arrogance of the Danish politicians. Or something.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

*applauds brother*

I decided that I had to look up whether there was cow-wank. Having had the Danish spelling of cow provided by Google translate*, I have come up with the glorious headline of "[Politican] angry over gang-rape of cow". Actually, I thought that the cow-scene didn't really work in the drama, but were I a politician that is not the angle I would have chosen!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Oops! So far I am not aware of chicken-wank in relation to this particular series. However I am hoping to see a recent Danish film "Men and Hens"*, which has no doubt sparked it.


*Seriously.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

But why can't you treat the cat with homeopathy?

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Not to mention all the vaccine disputes.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

I think it was how matter-of-fact it all was that really struck me. That sounds an entirely plausible theory!

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

Oh bother, I'd forgotten that, and I may not get round to watching it on iPlayer for a while. If I miss the first episode, will I be hopelessly lost?

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

You've missed two episodes, sadly. And yes.

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

I discovered recently that my grandmother's great grandmother was from Holstein.

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

I have been puzzled for ages over how the local homeopath manages to be happily married to a vet and have finally discovered that she is a homeopathic vet.

Confirming that Holsteins are definitely not Friesians. You cross them for milk yield and being able to sell the bull calves to be reared for beef. Don't AI a Jersey with a Holstein bull. Jersey pelvises can't cope. (many an hour we spent reading the Bull Power semen catalogue, mainly for the names).

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

Oh, bother. I'll see what can be done with iPlayer, then! Thanks!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

That is some impressive geneaology! But did she speak Danish or German (or variety or either)???

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Sorry, it does definitely need iPlayer!