Topic: Who saw Bodyguard?

[Simon]

What did you think?  I thought it was probably the best TV drama since Happy Valley, and the last series of Line Of Duty.  My heart was certainly in my mouth for a good part of last night's finale, but I won't post any spoilers in case people have still yet to see it.  

Suffice to say, it seems there will be at least one more series, and it was apparently the highest viewing figures for a BBC drama this decade. 

[Clive]

It's been an awesome series, we've certainly been gripped by it!  Unfortunately we haven't seen last night's episode yet as we have neither TV nor internet where we are staying in London.  Thank you for not posting a spoiler as it's unlikely we will see the final episode until we get home.

[Simon]

I think you're going to have to be very careful to avoid seeing anything about it, as it's all over the press this morning.

[Clive]

Yes, I know!   

[GillE]

Utter garbage.  I saw the first episode and hoped the second episode would be more credible - it wasn't.  I switched off after 20 minutes.

I binge-watched 'Killing Eve', however.

[Simon]

Utter garbage.  I saw the first episode and hoped the second episode would be more credible - it wasn't.  I switched off after 20 minutes.

I binge-watched 'Killing Eve', however.

I'm also watching Killing Eve, but week by week.  I was trying to place where I'd seen the killer before, then I realised she was the girlfriend in Doctor Foster, who was also a little psychotic!

Strangers on ITV is pretty good so far as well, and it's a change having a thriller series set in Hong Kong.

With regards Bodyguard, I guess if you have a security / military background, then there would be things in it which you would see as stretching credibility, but allowing for some dramatic license, it was a bloody good political thriller, which had me on the edge of my seat several times throughout the series, and I don't say that very often about TV or films. 

[GillE]

With regards Bodyguard, I guess if you have a security / military background, then there would be things in it which you would see as stretching credibility...

You don't need my sort of background to identify shortcomings in the plot.  Common sense should tell you that an ex-soldier with PTSD would never make it into the police, never mind being given a stressful job as bodyguard to a high profile politician.  Common sense should also tell you that a female would be assigned to a female, a male to a male.  Any bodyguard who had an affair with their principal would be sacked immediately.

Sorry, but these flaws should be obvious to the proverbial man on the Clapham omnibus and are sufficient on their own to discredit the script, without any special insight into how security operates in the real world.  Sadly, I don't think it would be wise to go into those details on a public forum but as I watched it I just thought, "Sheeeeeeessshhhh!!!!"




By comparison Mamma Mia! Here we go again was more credible.

[Simon]

You don't need my sort of background to identify shortcomings in the plot.  Common sense should tell you that an ex-soldier with PTSD would never make it into the police, never mind being given a stressful job as bodyguard to a high profile politician.  Common sense should also tell you that a female would be assigned to a female, a male to a male.  Any bodyguard who had an affair with their principal would be sacked immediately.

The point was though that it was all a set up, which you would have known if you'd seen the full series.  I don't want to give too much away, but what you've identified as shortcomings in the plot, kind of made sense at the end of the story.  And, of course, it was just a story. 

[Clive]

Former home Secretary Alan Johnson has said that the bodyguard would never have sat at a restaurant table watching the PM dine with a colleague and not even had a drink as that would have made him far too obvious.  When we get back home we will watch the entire series all over again.  Even better, they plan to film several more series of the Bodyguard.   

[Simon]

I kind of wish people would stop treating it as a documentary, and accept it for what it was, which was a fictional TV drama.  I guess they tried to make it seem as realistic as possible, but obviously, it's main aim was to entertain.  I'm sure the life of a real life bodyguard, is much more boring than was portrayed in this series, but watching a bloke stand outside a meeting room for three or four hours probably wouldn't have made very good telly!

[GillE]

I take the point that it's a story.  It's just like Snow White And The Seven Dwarves.  Or any other fairy tale you care to name.

Incidentally Snow White had seven diminutive bodyguards - they didn't do her much good  .