Martin Freeman News

[Convict13]

 

Much as I love Next Generation, I can imagine you would prefer to see something actually British on the BBC! Lord knows they have plenty of material. Did you get Broadchurch, and do you have Downton Abby in the US? I also love Who do you think you are, where famous people investigate their heritage. There's a very touching one with Martin Freeman, to keep on topic.

 

Downton Abbey (like Sherlock) is shown on PBS here.  But Broadchurch apparently is shown on BBC America (when they can spare the time from ST:TNG).

 

Seriously, considering all the backlog of classic BBC programs they could be showing on BBC America, to say nothing of the current crop, why are they running episodes of one particular classic American program as often as eight times a day?

 

 

I picked up the DVDs of Broadchurch at the local store and watched it all in one weekend.  SO good,  

[Carol the Dabbler]

What kind of show is it?

 

[Tunguska]

A murder mystery - but it's 10 episodes for a single murder so there's lots of time for character development and story telling. A kid is found dead in a small village and a new outside detective (David Tennant) with a dark past comes to solve it. I'm not very good at selling these things but it's an exciting, sad, really good whodunnit.

[Convict13]

Highly recommend,  I think they are making an American version, with David Tennant as well,  Gracepoint I think it is called.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I have been trying to find any sign (e.g., a pre-order opportunity) of an Eichmann Show DVD, with as yet no luck on Amazon (US or UK) or the BBC America shop.  I've tried numerous times to check the regular BBC Shop, but it's been months since that site would even load for me -- presumably because they don't ship to the Americas.  Could someone from a country that they do recognize (e.g., the UK, most of Europe, Australia) please have a look?

 

[Tunguska]

I don't see it on the BBC website I'm afraid :(

[Carol the Dabbler]

*sigh*  Thanks for checking!  Maybe one of these days....

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

The show does, however, seem to be available on the BBC iPlayer for a couple more weeks -- for those of you who actually live in the UK.

 

And it's very well reviewed -- The Times (favorable as far as they'll let you read without a subscription), The Guardian, The Telegraph, and so on.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I just found one basically negative review (though it does say, "Martin Freeman was, as you would expect, utterly convincing...."), another opinion from The Guardian.  It basically says the show tried to cover too much, and spread itself too thin.

 

[Arcadia]

Highly recommend,  I think they are making an American version, with David Tennant as well,  Gracepoint I think it is called.

They already made it, it was excellent, unfortunately it got interrupted by the holidays (poor scheduling, Fox!!!) and I missed the last episode. :( Although I think it's still available online, must remember to watch.....

 

Added: I must admit, hearing an American accent coming out of David Tennant's mouth was a surreal experience...

[Arcadia]

*sigh*  Thanks for checking!  Maybe one of these days....

I'm still hoping it will pop up on PBS, preferably sooner rather than later... after all, they're well aware of how popular Mr. Freeman is with their viewers ....

[Carol the Dabbler]

PBS and a DVD, please!  PBS for sooner, DVD for extra goodies (including subtitles).

 

I'm not seriously expecting this to show up on PBS, though -- BBC America seems far more likely, since they've been posting some articles about it.  Checking their schedule again -- ST:TNG is on ten times today! -- but no Eichmann Show this week or next.  I don't see anything at all about it on the PBS website.  I have queried Sherlockology, just in case they've heard something.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

There's finally some preliminary news about The Eichmann Show being available in the US:
 

The Weinstein Co. has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “The Eichmann Show,” which stars Martin Freeman and Anthony LaPaglia.

 
The Hollywood Reporter added:
 

It wasn't immediately clear whether TWC is planning a theatrical or television release in the U.S.

 
If the name Weinstein sounds familiar, you may have been reading the Imitation Game thread -- Weinstein is also the US distributor for that movie.  Hopefully we won't be in for as long a wait with Eichmann!

[Arcadia]

Yeah, I saw that but the details were so sketchy I didn't post it.

 

PBS!!! I don't get BBC America anymore..... (not that I'm missing much, imo... just Star Trek! :P )

 

Does anyone else in the world get WETA UK, or is it strictly local? All British productions, 24/7. It's a godsend.

[sittything]

WETA UK?  Don't get that.  Also don't get BBC America unless we drastically increase our cable package, so it's just PBS for us.  I really wish you could pick and choose your stations.  I really want BBC America and HBO for John Oliver, but we're already paying a fortune.  Ugh.  Then there's all the stations in our current package that I could not care less about.

[Carol the Dabbler]

There's nothing about this news on the Weinstein website yet.  Looks like their idea of "news" is promotion, though, and it may be a while before they firm up their plans and are ready to promote Eichmann.

 

So I have no idea where to expect the show to turn up -- possibly even in theaters, as Hollywood Reporter conjectured (above).

 

[sittything]

Theaters I could live with.

[sittything]

This is not to start a Benedict Cumberbatch vs. Martin Freeman war, but as someone who is guilty of spending too much time focused on BC and Sherlock because I'm totally enamored with the character of Sherlock (just call me Molly!), it was nice to see Martin get some love in this article:

 

http://decider.com/2014/12/12/martin-freeman-bigger-deal/

 

 

[sfmpco]

Honestly, I was not at all familiar with Martin's work (and still am not terribly well-versed) until I saw SHERLOCK.  I had never seen THE OFFICE.  I had seen LOVE ACTUALLY but didn't know who he was.  Even when I saw THE HOBBIT, I didn't know who he was, but I forced myself to sit through it because I loved THE LORD OF THE RINGS so much.  Needless to say, I have a lot of catching up to do.  

[sittything]

I had seen him in The Office and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I loved both (and him).  I own Love Actually, but don't even remember seeing him in that movie at all.  Have no clue who he is or where he was in it!  lol

[sfmpco]

I had seen him in The Office and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I loved both (and him).  I own Love Actually, but don't even remember seeing him in that movie at all.  Have no clue who he is or where he was in it!  lol

 

He was the stand-in for the porn star.

[sittything]

Baby-face Martin:

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Honestly, I was not at all familiar with Martin's work (and still am not terribly well-versed) until I saw SHERLOCK.  I had never seen THE OFFICE.  I had seen LOVE ACTUALLY but didn't know who he was.  Even when I saw THE HOBBIT, I didn't know who he was, but I forced myself to sit through it because I loved THE LORD OF THE RINGS so much.  Needless to say, I have a lot of catching up to do.  

 

Not like it's gonna be hard work!  :D

 

I had seen him in The Office and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I loved both (and him).  I own Love Actually, but don't even remember seeing him in that movie at all.  Have no clue who he is or where he was in it!  lol

 

He was the stand-in for the porn star.

 

Right, the naked guy.  But I'm still not sure what sort of film his character was supposed to be a stand-in with -- actual porn or European-type romance?  Maybe some of you Europeans can give us your opinions -- and maybe even explain the difference!

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

According to IMDb and several websites I've never head of, they've started filming Taliban Shuffle.  Dunno if Freeman has flown over yet -- it'd sure be nice if the poor fellow could get just a few days off first.

 

[Arcadia]

If it's any consolation to anyone (such as Carol :P ) in my circle I think there's a lot more people who know Freeman than Cumberbatch, largely due to The Office and Hitchhikers. Heck, I'm still teaching my friends just to SAY Cumberbatch. (really, why is it so hard? It sounds exactly like it's spelled! )

 

I do still run into people who think we're talking about Morgan Freeman....

[Carol the Dabbler]

And now he's playing Milton Fruchtman.  :D