Misanthropy

I loved the Scarlet Pimpernel TV miniseries with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. I watched it when it came out on TV and I had a really, really bad copy of it on VHS, taped from the fuzzy (no cable for us!) TV. Nevertheless, I watched it many, many times when I was young(er) and inflicted it on other people as well. When I realized it was out on DVD, I had to buy it, but I was a little worried about seeing it again. It had been a long time since I had watched it, and although I still remember most of the lines, I didn't want it to have lost it's cheesy charm. But no worries--on recent rewatching, I loved it just as much as ever (and no commercials to fast forward makes it even better!).

In celebration, I decided I should check out the new version (done by the BBC, I think). Okay, could only stand about an hour of it before it got turned off. (They killed Tony? For no good reason. And he was played by Jamie Bambar? Off it went.) But it wasn't just that. It was flat out boring. SP should be silly and funny and fill you with glee. I had no glee. I think I may have even fallen asleep for a while. Odds Fish!

This bodes ill for Sharpe, which I have been thinking about trying. I read those books in my younger days, and I don't know if I can stand to watch another bad adaption.