Thoughtnesses: The Professionals Series 1
Done watching all of series one now. So let me put down some thoughts on it.
I am liking it. I just think I now have a better appreciation for Sam Tyler and his situation. I understand that this is a show made in the 70s and therefore I need to accept certain comments and situations as simply being products of their times. Not that it stops me from cringing when Bodie slaps a hysterical woman (or two), other sexist and racist comments get tossed about even by our heroes. Oh, not to mention the bit that made my jaw drop the most was that an actor actually had the ending credit of "Handsome Negro." Oh Em Gee.
So in the end, in a strange contradiction of my feelings for characters in say Life on Mars, I am preferring the guy who is actually more sensitive and understanding of minorities, is admonishing towards his partner for racial and social generalizations, and generally all around a "sensitive soul." That being Doyle. I just wish Doyle would get trousers that actually fit him. Good God, that cannot be comfortable. I should not be this distracted by a man's crotch unless I'm watching ballet. Even more disturbing that it's Martin Shaw's crotch. I'll never be able to watch anything with him in it again now without thinking about his crotch, because it's so prominently THERE.
It is rather fascinating the gross difference in television and movies between the 1960s and the 1970s. In the 60s, everything was camp and not realistic. And it seems as the decade clicked over, media had a growth spurt. Gone are the cheeky innuendos and mere hints of sexuality, not much racism because minorities are ignored all together. This is no longer about non-specific organizations who are bent on political overthrow by fake time-machines, or gas-dispensing toy balls. People are doing drugs, having sex, terrorists are coming with specific and realistic aims. There are white-supremacists, there's the IRA, young women being dragged into prostitution. I mean, there was an actual lesbian couple! And not just that it was obvious to pick up on, they actually talk about them being lesbians! Oh! And the violence. there's bloods, there's wounds, there are consequences. When someone's been mortally wounded, you know it. And as much as I do enjoy campy, innocent years of The Avengers and The Man from UNCLE, I will always appreciate how television has evolved to be more ballsy and gritty since then. Even better that the guy who mainly writes for this show was one of The Avengers' best writers as well.
I applaud the show most for having the introductory scene of our two top agents making them the most endearing as possible.
Not to mention I quite love the regular opening credits. There's a couple eps with the boss' overvoice, and then for some reason half-way through series 1 they changed it to a really weird sequence about them on a training course. It was dumb and confusing. So glad they changed it back.
In about every episode there's a guest star I recognize like Lalla Ward or David Collings (weirdly in the same ep was the actor who played Tulley from Assignment 2 in Sapphire & Steel.)
And of course...the slashiness. No matter how many girlfriends Bodie has, at the end of the day he loves Doyle above all else. And come on, even that intro scene they were already slashy. And it just gets worse and worse, especially since Bodie is so touchy feely.
Also? This is them flirting with a girl. STILL MASSIVELY GAY.
Already read one fic. Am quite excited to delve into the fandom and start seeing what certain trends and cliches emerge. Like who's the one who angsts the most over having gay feelings (I'm guessing Bodie for be ex-military), who goes where when it comes to the sex (honestly, sometime you can figure it out before you get into it, but here...hard to say, maybe will be like MUNCLE and there is no dominant (no pun intended) um...positioning), and what exactly is CI5's position on that-sort-of-thing? Will Cowley turn a blind eye, or do they agonize over what would happen should "the Cow" ever find out! Oh noes!
I am liking it. I just think I now have a better appreciation for Sam Tyler and his situation. I understand that this is a show made in the 70s and therefore I need to accept certain comments and situations as simply being products of their times. Not that it stops me from cringing when Bodie slaps a hysterical woman (or two), other sexist and racist comments get tossed about even by our heroes. Oh, not to mention the bit that made my jaw drop the most was that an actor actually had the ending credit of "Handsome Negro." Oh Em Gee.
So in the end, in a strange contradiction of my feelings for characters in say Life on Mars, I am preferring the guy who is actually more sensitive and understanding of minorities, is admonishing towards his partner for racial and social generalizations, and generally all around a "sensitive soul." That being Doyle. I just wish Doyle would get trousers that actually fit him. Good God, that cannot be comfortable. I should not be this distracted by a man's crotch unless I'm watching ballet. Even more disturbing that it's Martin Shaw's crotch. I'll never be able to watch anything with him in it again now without thinking about his crotch, because it's so prominently THERE.
It is rather fascinating the gross difference in television and movies between the 1960s and the 1970s. In the 60s, everything was camp and not realistic. And it seems as the decade clicked over, media had a growth spurt. Gone are the cheeky innuendos and mere hints of sexuality, not much racism because minorities are ignored all together. This is no longer about non-specific organizations who are bent on political overthrow by fake time-machines, or gas-dispensing toy balls. People are doing drugs, having sex, terrorists are coming with specific and realistic aims. There are white-supremacists, there's the IRA, young women being dragged into prostitution. I mean, there was an actual lesbian couple! And not just that it was obvious to pick up on, they actually talk about them being lesbians! Oh! And the violence. there's bloods, there's wounds, there are consequences. When someone's been mortally wounded, you know it. And as much as I do enjoy campy, innocent years of The Avengers and The Man from UNCLE, I will always appreciate how television has evolved to be more ballsy and gritty since then. Even better that the guy who mainly writes for this show was one of The Avengers' best writers as well.
I applaud the show most for having the introductory scene of our two top agents making them the most endearing as possible.
Not to mention I quite love the regular opening credits. There's a couple eps with the boss' overvoice, and then for some reason half-way through series 1 they changed it to a really weird sequence about them on a training course. It was dumb and confusing. So glad they changed it back.
In about every episode there's a guest star I recognize like Lalla Ward or David Collings (weirdly in the same ep was the actor who played Tulley from Assignment 2 in Sapphire & Steel.)
And of course...the slashiness. No matter how many girlfriends Bodie has, at the end of the day he loves Doyle above all else. And come on, even that intro scene they were already slashy. And it just gets worse and worse, especially since Bodie is so touchy feely.
Also? This is them flirting with a girl. STILL MASSIVELY GAY.
Already read one fic. Am quite excited to delve into the fandom and start seeing what certain trends and cliches emerge. Like who's the one who angsts the most over having gay feelings (I'm guessing Bodie for be ex-military), who goes where when it comes to the sex (honestly, sometime you can figure it out before you get into it, but here...hard to say, maybe will be like MUNCLE and there is no dominant (no pun intended) um...positioning), and what exactly is CI5's position on that-sort-of-thing? Will Cowley turn a blind eye, or do they agonize over what would happen should "the Cow" ever find out! Oh noes!