UKC

Couldn't find a comment on here. Recorded this a while back and just watched it: really rather good if maybe a tad gently done (even WW1 gets rose tinted edges to dial down the blackness?). It's a true story of the discovery of a small printing press in the ruins of Ypres early in the war and its subsequent use to produce a series of satirical rags that poked fun at the establishemnt, but was tolerated (especially by Micheal Palin's cameo as a general) in order to retain morale.

In reply to Offwidth:
I really enjoyed this. Personally I thought the more upbeat, gentler (if you like) approach was incredibly refreshing in the face of an increasingly clichéd WWI fiction landscape which peddles the same tired stereotypes again and again. I think this was the first genuinely original piece of WWI fiction I've seen in quite a while.

In reply to Offwidth:
My other forum of choice is the Great war forum, this was highly praised there as being a very good story well told, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended.

In reply to Only a hill:


I agree -it was rather good and went against the usual accepted narrative (that is about 75% wrong anyway).

In reply to DerwentDiluted:

I thought this was a great war forum??

Anyone out there under 30 that liked it???

In reply to Offwidth:
Oi, I'm under 30

In reply to Only a hill:

Profuse appologies... you just come over as being so wise . I was just wondering if good TV is becoming a generation thing, like music (with honerable exceptions)

In reply to Offwidth:

I've got the complete set of the Wipers Times. Excellent and very funny reading.

I like the correspondence columns with comments about the noisy neighbours to the east, and the complaint to the Ypres Borough Surveyor about the appalling state of the Menin Road being full of pot holes.

In reply to Trangia:

They need to be on an elctronic archive so everyone can see.

In reply to Offwidth:

Not under 30 I'm afraid, in fact pushing the Big 50, but I thought it was very good too. I hardly watch TV these days as I find it either too banal or too graphic, but having stumbled upon this, I was refreshed.

In reply to Trangia:
Presumably not the originals, or you wouldn't want to risk reading them!