The Detectorists

Well those who know me are familiar with my abiding notion that I hold that there is no real point in getting a huge HD screen for your tele as there is nothing on the ruddy thing anymore and yet I discover new bands (Wilful Missing) from watching such drivel (Waterloo Road since you ask) all the time but I have a new favourite show and this is a prime example of what we Brits do best I feel and why I still feel like owning a tele. I adore these gentle clever comedies we produce without so much as a bell, whistle or a flag [sometimes too quietly I feel] so we'll I'll give it a plug here.

My new delight is 'The Detectorists' written and directed by the wonderful Mackenzie Crook and starring both he and another hero of mine, Toby Jones (son of, IMHO, our greatest character actor, Freddie Jones, and who, after playing Truman Capote and other roles of late where hasn't put a foot wrong, is giving his Dad a run for his money!) after his recent success in the simply divine 'MARVELLOUS' earlier this month, this is Toby at his best in an understated tour de force as they both play nerds of the highest calibre, men in love with their metal detectors. Of course!

Toby Jones as Neil Baldwin in 'Marvellous'

The theme song featured this week in the story lining as the boys, Andy (Mackenzie) and Lance (Toby) do Lance's plaintive love song inspired by his wife (ex!) at an open mic night down the pub
It is delicious and made me check out the singer guitarist Johnny Flynn who has done some lovely work here and elsewhere (not least also with the peerless Laura Marling - see below)
get the single here
 The Detectorists theme (removed . . and hey! put back up again . . . . )

Mackenzie can also have some perks in the writing presumably as they have cast his partner with the delicious Rachael Stirling who catches him flirting inadvertently with a much younger student Sophie played by Aimee-Ffion Edwards and if you are going to be working with such story lines then I guess it is a perk to have actors as beautiful and clever as this [lucky dawgs!]

It also features Lance's ex-wife Maggie [played by Lucy Benjamin] who runs a 'head shop' or alternative life style crystal shop and the rest of the casting is sheer genius also as witnessed by the rival detectorists leader the 'Antiquisearchers' with the excellent Simon Farnaby (Mighty Boosh, the excellent Man v Weird etc) the head of their own group being played by the brilliant Gerard Horan and his wife played by a favourite actor of mine Sophie Thompson (google her it's worth it!)

All in all it had me laughing out loud and squirming with embarrassment (cue the song which actually is surprisingly good! watch out for Johnny who goes on the open mic night first much to the chagrin of our heroes) I could watch this over and over and probably will until the DVD comes out it is in short sheer genius (you can tell I like it can't you?)
It is by turn pathetic, bathetic, hilarious and I found myself revealed in several characters!
Enjoy! I will

and meanwhile in addition here's Johnny Flynn with Laura Marling . . . . . . The Water