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Channel Hopping

The television highlight for most of us last week was of course Sky’s latest adaptation of the Terry Pratchett novel Going Postal. In fact, according to some reports, it was the most watched programme over the seven days.

This, of course, is not the first time that one of Pratchett’s Discworld novels has been adapted for the small screen but it is obvious from the opening credits to the close that this one has the greatest budget by far and although it wanes a little in the middle it is, by and large, an excellent production that frame for frame gives a lot of blockbusters out at the moment a run for their money.
The story centres around the post office and the residents of Ankh-Morpork, the capital city of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Discworld for those WHO are unfamiliar with the British author’s writings or other programmes based on this man’s work, is the setting for nearly all of Pratchett’s fantasy work.
The Discworld is a flat world balanced on four elephants, which in turn STAND on the back of a on a massive turtle, the great A’Tuin, who is slowly making its way through space. The books are known for the way in which they parody and draw inspiration from many of the great literary and fantasy works of the last two centuries.
The first episode of Going Postal was aired on Sunday on Sky One with the second on Monday night. I only had the pleasure of watching the first but, if previous Sky form is to be followed, both parts will be repeated again and again until, like the Hogfather before it, it is worn down to a tedious nub that is quickly channel-surfed over.
In the first part of the series we watch as a master conman is sentenced to death and hangs to within an inch of his life only to be saved and given a second chance. Instead of death he is given a job to manage and reignite the postal service. However, this is no mean feat. The postal service has been out of action for years, having been replaced by the clacks and millions of letters are lying idle in the central post office in the city.
The clacks system is a mode of communication in Discworld, a sort of telegraph business that converts customers’ messages to ticker tape, which are then relayed from one clacks tower to the next through the city and beyond by semaphore signals using opening and closing shutters at each tower’s top.
The system was the property of the Dearheart family until its inventor, Robert Dearheart, lost all of its money in a banking crisis and died. His business was sold and control of the clacks was then passed to Reacher Gilt (David Suchet). Gilt is a thorough cad and his unscrupulous business methods involve threatening employees into doing his bidding. More money-hungry than interested in communications, he has let the clacks system fall into disrepair by scrimping of the upkeep. Murder abounds in this programme and it is clear that Gilt isn’t above hiring assassins to eliminate anyone who gets in his money-making way.
This is where our reluctant hero, Moist von Lipwig (Richard Coyle), comes in. Although he has tried to escape many times, he cannot succeed because of his parole officer, Mr Pump, a Golem that resembles the Thing from the Fantastic Four. He has been assigned to Lipwig in order to ensure he gets the postal service up and running.
Lipwig is not a likeable character. Everything he does is for his own gain and his swindling has inadvertently caused the deaths of 22.8 people. He is a conniving, ruthless and money hungry. However, on meeting the young Miss Adora Belle Dearheart (Claire Foy) and a few hauntings from the letters in the post office, he begins to see that perhaps life as a postman might not be that bad after all. He is, however, creaming money from the sale of stamps and express delivery for himself. Old dog, new tricks and all that.
The post office is a character in its own right, of course, housing millions of undelivered letters that whisper to Lipwig and show him video reels of the damage he has caused in his life.
The letters haunt his every dreaming minute, forcing him to see the error of his ways. Of course Lipwig is not alone in this office. He has two assistants, the eager and older Mr Groat (Andrew Sachs) and the young simpleton pin collector Stanley (Ian Bonar). Both of the assistants are wonderful and their combination adds a comic element and simultaneous madness that heightens the production and adds to the frenzy of events.
There are some truly stunning performances in this piece and it is clear that each actor enjoyed their roles. Richard Coyle has, of course, been seen many times on the small screen in both Coupling and Strange. He is immensely impressive as Moist von Lipwig. Claire Foy’s performance is rife with sarcastic, sharp-tongued charm and compact strength in four-inch steel-tipped stilettos. Best of all, however, is David Suchet who is a fantastic and intense villain, Reacher Gilt.
Despite these performances, however, the episode felt long, lagging significantly in the middle. That said, is was an enjoyable piece of work and one I look forward to watching again – no doubt again and again on Sky.

One to watch
If you watch nothing else this weekend, watch the French Open. With Federer gone, there is a real chance for a fascinating final. This could be historic TV or it could all be over very quickly. But it’s a risk worth taking.
Also, despite my dislike for Desperate Housewives, I love John Barrowman and his appearance in it has raised my interest again. Tune in on Tuesday nights to see him scowl his way through a villainous role. Good job, Jack – I mean John.