There is a "must watch" programme on BBC 2 tonight that should interest anyone who had an ancestor involved in The Great War - and that must be most of us. I can do no better than reproduce the preview from today's Daily Telegraph. "We are in danger of being deafened by declarations that we're living through a golden age of long-form TV drama, but here's a rare one-off that can hold its head up among the very best. A drama that in production is modest even by BBC Two standards but which, with a fabulous subject, a scintillating script, and a wonderful cast, manages to be bitingly funny and achingly poignant at the same time. The story - as befits a drama written by Private Eye editor Ian Hislop and his longtime collaborator Nick Newman - is of a satirical news sheet; one that was miraculously published in the living hell of the front line during the First World War by soldiers determined to wring humour from the alternating horror and boredom of life in the trenches. Ben Chapman is terrific as the mordantly amusing Captain Fred Roberts who, together with his subaltern, Lieutenant, Jack Pearson (Julian Rhind-Tutt), stumbles upon a printing press in a bombed out office in the Belgian town of Ypres (pronounced "Wipers" by the troops) in 1916 and decides it's an "ideal opportunity to poke acerbic fun at the top brass and the absurdity of war generally. The power of gallows humour is brilliantly conveyed through comic verse, absurd adverts and arch editorials, and the comfort of laughing in the face of death is captured in chillingly surreal song and dance numbers. Michael Palin also puts in a nice cameo as one of the few commanding officer who, crucially, got the joke." Ian Hislop was on BBC radio 2 yesterday saying that the drama is absolutely faithful to actual events, declaring that some of the humour would not be out of place in some of today's satirical portrayals. Unfortunately I am out but will watch it on I-Player later. Brian Binns

Hi Brian Good job some of us have iplayer isn't it, what a shame for those that don't What clot at the BBC thought scheduling WDYTYA and Wipers Times at the same time tonight was a good idea ? Because people interested in history or genealogy wouldn't want to watch both would they? Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 11/09/2013 08:52, Brian Binns wrote: > There is a "must watch" programme on BBC 2 tonight that should interest > anyone who had an ancestor involved in The Great War - and that must be most > of us. I can do no better than reproduce the preview from today's Daily > Telegraph. > > > > "We are in danger of being deafened by declarations that we're living > through a golden age of long-form TV drama, but here's a rare one-off that > can hold its head up among the very best. A drama that in production is > modest even by BBC Two standards but which, with a fabulous subject, a > scintillating script, and a wonderful cast, manages to be bitingly funny and

From: "Brian Binns" <bnbinns@gmail.com> > There is a "must watch" programme on BBC 2 tonight that should interest > anyone who had an ancestor involved in The Great War - and that must be most > of us. I can do no better than reproduce the preview from today's Daily > Telegraph.> It does indeed sound very good from the preview blurbs and, as it's the longer of the two competing programmes at 9.0 p.m. I shall probably watch The Wipers Times and record WDYTYA?, since I have only a vague idea of who the subject, Sarah Millican, is, never having seen her. However, Wipers Times will have to be pretty darned good to beat the black humour and mickey-taking of the top brass in WWI of Blackadder Goes Forth, which I never cease to watch again and again! -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Famous family trees blog: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/tag/roy-stockdill/ "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE

Roy, I also was thinking of Blackadder goes forth, but perhaps The Wipers Times will confirm the old adage, truth being stranger than fiction. I accept it might not be as funny as BAGF but just knowing that it was factual will add appeal. Sarah Millican is a female comedian from Newcastle who I thought quite funny when she first broke through, but on her late night shows recently I'm afraid she uses too many expletives for my liking. I'm not a prude but the F word every other sentence, especially from a woman, is not my idea of comedy. I'll still watch it though just for Family History purposes. Brian -----Original Message----- From: nottsgen-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:nottsgen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of roy.stockdill@btinternet.com Sent: 11 September 2013 10:24 To: NOTTSGEN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NTT] "The Wipers Times" From: "Brian Binns" <bnbinns@gmail.com> > There is a "must watch" programme on BBC 2 tonight that should > interest anyone who had an ancestor involved in The Great War - and > that must be most of us. I can do no better than reproduce the preview > from today's Daily Telegraph.> It does indeed sound very good from the preview blurbs and, as it's the longer of the two competing programmes at 9.0 p.m. I shall probably watch The Wipers Times and record WDYTYA?, since I have only a vague idea of who the subject, Sarah Millican, is, never having seen her. However, Wipers Times will have to be pretty darned good to beat the black humour and mickey-taking of the top brass in WWI of Blackadder Goes Forth, which I never cease to watch again and again! -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Famous family trees blog: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/tag/roy-stockdill/ "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE Notts Surname List http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hughw/notts.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NOTTSGEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message