I prefer full price Richard Armitage
Series 2 of Sanditon started in the U.S. tonight. I watched it out of curiosity (I was curious to find out how they’d write themselves out of the ending of series 1, which I really liked). I was a bit annoyed that they decided to roll that back somehow (and was not that into Theo James anyway). Then I was looking at the Vulture snarky recap (open in a private window if you hit a paywall, where I ran across this:
(The actor in question is Tom Weston-Jones.) I don’t know that I’d love it if Richard Armitage were in this (he’s probably a little too old now for this kind of role), but it does warm the heart to know that pop culture critics at least know who he is.
Me + Richard Armitage 
I watched tonight and I get that there is no story to loosely follow as what Jane Austin had wrote was in the first couple episodes in the first series at best. I guess I need to watch some more. Tom Weston-Jones was really good in Copper. I would not say that he is a Richard at all, he is his own actor. Hopefully I can get into this series and that reading Georgette Heyer don’t ruin it for me. I have both Jane Austin and Georgette Heyer.
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I think it’s likely to be more like Heyer, but maybe not quite so much like Heyer as Bridgerton is.
I wish Jane Austen had written more!
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Looking forward to it! Theo James grew on me, I must admit.
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That series of Sanditon really grew up on me, less so James, though.
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That’s great to hear and for RA to be recognised as top bar, rather than compared with Hugh Jackman. (Does this make TWJ a bargain basement HJ (to some?). Am enjoying imagining RA in Regency military uniform.
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Those red coats! This is why people wanted him to play Poldark, inter alia.
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Including me (although it was more to do with him wearing a tricorn hat!
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I wonder if the diehard Poldark fans would have called Armitage “Imposter Ross” the way they do Aidan Turner.
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Apparently those in the Poldark Society wanted him played by RA, who would have shown more of the character’s gravitas, worldliness and complexity than Turner did (good as he was).
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I remember when that happened and what a big deal it was. I thought Turner did just fine. But apparently SueBC is in the “imposter Ross” club! Robin Ellis forever!
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I am actually with SueBC but if there must be a remake of that impeccable series then RA would be the man for the job.
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Apologies for the late reply but I’ve been locked out of WordPress ( don’t ask). I consider myself a bit of a Poldark geek having read all the books several times and seen the original series and as much as I like Aidan Turner as an actor he was miscast as Ross Poldark. RA would have been much better. In my opinion the casting agent had only a scant knowledge of the books as quite a few of the characters *. were jarring. But that ship has sailed and for a generation of Winston Graham fans the adaptation is ruined. What a shame.
*The exception being the actor who plays Warleggan – who is superb.
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I agree Bollyknickers (am holding out, against reason, for RA to return as older Poldark.)
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I’m sure I will watch it in the end. Now that I’m actually watching my streaming services and not just paying for them.
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Interesting. I read all the books twice (once in the fall of 2019, and once last summer — both times after the new adaptation reappeared on PBS here). My general impression was that the new adaptation was not great overall, rather than focusing it on individual actors. I liked the TV version much less well after reading the books. (I have never seen Robin Ellis, although apparently the original adaptation is on one of my streaming options.) The new one was way too soapy in comparison to the books, I felt. But those books are weirdly compelling. I probably would have reread them a third time if I hadn’t forced myself to take them back to the library.
I also thought the women in the new adaptation were not usually well cast (with the exception Ruby Bentall as Charity Blamey). I didn’t care for Jack Farthing as Warleggan but I put that down to the new adaptation wildly overwriting everything, which affected all the male villains to some extent. I also liked Richard Harrington as Blamey and have sought out a few of his other projects. re: Aidan Turner — I can’t see him and not smile. But I think the new adaptation made him much less dangerous and much more virtuous than the Poldark of the books.
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I do recommend watching the original, if you ever are in need of a Poldark fix. There was an authenticity about it (not that I have experienced living in the 18th c.!) and I enjoyed the books too. The series was shown again about 15 years ago and it hadn’t dated – much. (You might have seen Robin Ellis, because he played the judge in the remake!)
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did not watch the show, not available in here but I don’t think Richard would be “too old” for this kind of roles, he’d certainly “stealt he show” again anyway. Well, as a fan of Jane Austen I wish she’d written more, for sure but fate decided otherwise…have a nice day
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Armitage is 23 years older than Rose Williams. May-December is something I don’t enjoy seeing.
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I think I might expire if RA put on breeches again.
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There is that.
In Mark Rylance’s latest film (“The Outfit”) there is a brief moment where he puts on some kind of tailored pant and I found myself thinking that it was actually quite flattering. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Armitage in any kind of more formal clothing.
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How cool! I’ve read a first review which seemed very mixed about Sanditon 2. Oh well, I will watch it anyway, especially if there is someone in there that seems a bit like Richard. 🙂
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I really liked Sanditon one because I felt like it straddled the line between prestige project and soap opera is really well (a lot of people like Austen projects for the romantic elements, but they are really social commentary). I also felt the ending was more realistic than Austen would have made it, had she finished it. One episode of Sanditon two seems to suggest that it is deciding firmly for the soap opera side of the line. Which may not be bad, just maybe not so much my thing.
The men that are supposed to be potential romantic interests are all good looking, although they seem to have written Young Stringer out.
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Yes, I was thinking they could make Young Stringer the real endgame for Charlotte, I really liked him! Apparently that’s not in the cards.
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I guess he’s not in series 2, although they have already greenlit a third series, so maybe he’s the very, very long endgame.
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I would have preferred Young Stringer as endgame for Charlotte as well but when Leo Suter decided to not continue, that was the end of that.
I just watched a short interview clip of Tom Weston-Jones talking about his character and there was an air of RA to him.
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ah, so he’s definitely not coming back. Oh well. It would have worked out well dramatically, but I suppose maybe that’s more true to life. You pass up a romantic opportunity and it doesn’t typically come calling again.
I’ll have to look for that interview. Although I don’t think anything will move my affections from Armitage at this point!
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It was really more of a snippet in a package advertising the new characters this season. https://youtu.be/Z6dWfqzD8NE
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Thanks for coming back and posting this. I can see what you mean about him having a little bit of the vibe. I agree.
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[…] I prefer full price Richard Armitage (March 21): response to snarky comment in Vulture’s weekly recap of season 2 of […]
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2022 at “me + richard” | Me + Richard Armitage said this on December 31, 2022 at 6:34 pm |