BBC "Dracula"

[Mr.D]

Quite possibly the worst pile I have ever been unfortunate enough to witness from the Beeb.

Dracula looking slightly less scary than postman pat's cat but with worse hair. I kept expecting "Marc Warren" to start speaking in his "Mr.Teatime" voice...actually that would have been an improvement.

All he seemed to manage was to wander about with filthy finger nails and snarl occasionally with some jam on his chin.

We were promised adult content and that big blonde bird playing Lucy didn't once get her baps out! The BBC should be done for false advertising.

The ending seemed like something from a school play where it all comes to a close in about 20 secs flat.

The locations seemed to consist of someone's nicely kept lawn in front of an old house . The inside of the old house with some branches left lying about the place the lights switched off and a big green light outside , a hillside overlooking Whitby ( or possibly somewhere in Wales) with some polystyrene headstones and some more branches left lying about.

You would have thought they could have gone to a bit more trouble considering every major plot development seemed to take place in this nondescript although slightly untidy graveyard . And it did seem a waste to then cart poor Lucy off to London for entombement in Highgate. And apparently it had some satanists in it who we never really got to see apart from their vacated clubhouse ( yet more abandoned branches jollying the place up).

And all this excitement because someone was a bit miffed their Dad had given them the clap.

Edited by a monkey trying deperately hard to forget they ever saw Coppola's version although secretly wishing they could copy it shot for shot.

What is it with BBC Wales ? Now that we've had Doctor Who forced upon us they can do no wrong in auntie's eyes it seems ?

Anyone read any newspaper reviews of this steaming turkey? If this isn't torn to shreds then I can only assume BBC Wales hospitality budget has been going down a treat all across Fleet Street.

[krish]

Originally Posted by Mr.D

...What is it with BBC Wales ? Now that we've had Doctor Who forced upon us they can do no wrong in auntie's eyes it seems ?

Anyone read any newspaper reviews of this steaming turkey? If this isn't torn to shreds then I can only assume BBC Wales hospitality budget has been going down a treat all across Fleet Street.

If I'm not mistaken this was a Granada Production (... or ChavTV Productions as its now known ) for BBC Wales; should have kept it themselves for ChavTV1

[pjclark1]

I always wonder why they feel the need to do these remakes.
There are several perfectly good Draculas ... why not save some money and play these again.

PS It was total pooh, I only managed the first 1/2 hour.

[Starburst]

I recorded it but in two minds now if it's worth watching, it'll probably stay on the hard drive until new years when I need the space for Star Wars

I did watch the The Real Dracula on The History Channel HD this morning and that was great stuff, that bloke was one blood thirsty nutter and you can understand how the myth came about

[the_pauley]

Just watched it tonight. Dreadful.

Wish they'd release the Louis Jourdan / Frank Finlay version the Beeb made in the late '70s. Have this on a DVD-R made from and old VHS off-air recording and would dearly love a shinier version.

[Garrett]

I did not bother with the think I seen some of the stuff coming out from the BBC and it not a patch on what they use to make, like the Quatermass, A for Andromeda and The Haunting of Toby Jugg the latter bore extremely little resemblance to the original story.

[drunkenmaster]

Another poor adaptation of the classic novel.... Every dracula prog or flick has different plotlines and changes here or there. So which one is actually true to Bram Stokers book?

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by drunkenmaster

Another poor adaptation of the classic novel.... Every dracula prog or flick has different plotlines and changes here or there. So which one is actually true to Bram Stokers book?

There is a version that quite near that I’ve seen, more or less Harker’s is not bitten like in the Hammer version, Dracula comes to England via Whitby, he has a manservant from a asylum that always eating flys. Which I think is the nears to the book , The Nasfaratu Max Shreck is a good version albeit as B&W silent film.

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Taped it, and then watched it last night, and like many of you, I was severely disappointed by it! Only watched about 25 minutes, and got so bored, I just gave up! very, very bad adaptation. Sadly, the same production team are already in the process of completing a similar version of "Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde" for airing later in 2007, entitled "Jeckyll"! This does not bode well, as they're likely to balls-up that story too.

Definite from me, and a self-inflicted slap on the wrist for recommending this show to you all. Sorry folks!


Pooch

[Jacob]

Absolute rubbish!

Leslie Neilsen did a better take on Dracula in some film I saw recently!!!! Says it all really!

[raigraphixs]

we all know the story so well, and Coppola's version would take some beating by the bbc and that was back in 1992!

Is there any other dracula story the bbc could of done?

The only question i have is does dracula ever go to the toilet?, thats all i take from this bbc version.

[gringottsdirect]

Wasn't going to watch this having seen so much vampire based stuff over the last few years, the movies, Buffy / Angel etc, thought it would be a typical melodramatic duff quality British tv movie.
It was on Sky+ so gave it a go out of curiosity without any great expectations, having seen nothing of the publicity beforehand. My first thoughts on the opening shots were how poor the visual effects were, the barges in front of the houses of parliament, the Holmwood residence in Whitby etc
Kept watching and have to say - really enjoyed it.
Noticed at the end it was BBC Wales/Granada/WGBH Boston so maybe the budget was bigger than I first thought.
The review on IMDB has a post by somebody stating Marc Warren was a terrible choice for Dracula - thought he was rather good.
Having read this thread it seems I hold a minority view.

[tichtich]

I thought it was watchable, but not good enough to justify remaking an old story. I'd rather they'd spent the money on something new.

I watched a couple of other BBC dramas over Christmas (Nicholas Nickleby and Ruby in the Smoke). They were all competent, but not really exciting. I suppose my expectations are rather high these days, with all the quality U.S. films and TV dramas that are on.

[ba' heid]

I turned this one off. Very poor indeed.

I hated Coppola's version too, Oldman chewing scenery instead of neck and Keanu was so wooden you could have sharpened his head and dispatched the count with it.

To be honest the only vampire to scare me is Max Shrek's ratboy Olaf from F.W.Murnau's silent classic Nosferatu.

I always enjoyed Chrisopher Lee's stately performance in the old Hammer films
at least he conveyed some menace.

Bela Lugosi's turn in the Tod Browning 1930s version is good if a bit stiff by today's standards.

The Pauly mentioned the Beeb's 1970s version with Louis Jordan and Frank Finlay. As I recall this was the most faithful adaptation of Stoker's novel and very atmospheric too.

[Kevo]

This was worse than that other bbc period drama a few days previous, Ruby in Smoke. Turned over after half an hour and watched a far superior drama on ITV ( ) with Chistopher Eccleston about faking it as catholics in order put their kid in a better school.
I've noticed a maked improvent in drama on ITV recently, certainlty better than the endless dreary period dramas that the beeb constantly putout

To make a period drama (i.e 18th or 19th century England) it seems all you need is the use of a stately home, a boating lake, a cobbledy street and a horse & carriage and you're away