Pennyworth: Season 1 [DVD] [2019] [2020]

Rewritten after 2nd viewing.Well, some of the same people behind Gotham, but barring a few VERY American touches, this is a very British affair, especially the Executive Producers!This is more like the 1960s than Gotham was like the 1980s; but with certain changes to soften the edges - believe it or not.It mixes fact, rumour, legend and produces a fairly credible alternate timeline.As for the gallows humour, it's all done in the best possible taste (yeah right), but there's a hell of a lot of hanging around in this first season especially the 2nd and last episodes.Britain has always been on the verge of another Civil War, after the first one and its consequences - still felt today.This show portrays the dilemna that most people are decent enough, but very few really are "live and let live" - someone always hates something about someone else, usually whatever it is within themselves which they despise.To paraphrase the old saying: Consenting adults should do what they will, just not in the street: you might frighten the horses.Macabre, Gory, EVERY shade of Comic Book AND Graphic Novel - in essence this is the more sinister R Rated version of Heroes; not a patch on "Watchmen", but very good nonetheless.I assume it was to balance all of that, that it is roughly 50 percent humour, almost something for everyone.It DOES reflect SOME of the attitudes of the time, mostly mysogyny and queer bashing, but lacks the obscene racism which pervaded back then and which has never gone away; just like the misogyny, (insert hated group here)-bashing....Do I think they overdid the "Michael Caine" motif?No, MC typifies 1960s London, yes the "Micklewhite Avenue, E2" gag was a nice touch, even twice; BUT blink and you'll miss it the first time.Jack Bannon is eerily a composite of Alfie, Harry Palmer and Charlie Croker rather than a younger version of Michael Caine's Alfred. More restrained in this first season than the 2nd.I bought the 2nd series at the same time - it grabs you (by the throat almost) and if you are not repulsed - keeps hold of you.Frankly if it were not for the ridiculous humour making up nearly half of the show, it would be unwatchable.Special mention of Paloma Faith, alone and as a double act with Polly Walker - WOW! I've only seen her (PF) in bit parts, in THIS show she really lets rip and gets better in series 2.The violence is theatrical, even operatic in places - and needs to be.There really is not any casual violence.At least it does not trivialise it when used, although the viewer is left to put it into context.As Tom Baker once said, make a big deal of it - show it hurts and make people think before being violent themselves.The 3rd season will be full on V for Vendetta apparently, as opposed to the seeds of that world to come in the preceeding 2; having seen VFV I see where they are going.In the likely event this series makes your jaw hit the floor, the second is MUCH more restrained, especially the violence, but not as funny as it did not need to be to counteract the violence.And to the reviewer complaining about historical accuracy: this is a comic book style work of fiction set in alternative timeline / parallel dimension, not a docudrama.IF you want the grim details, search "Derek William Bentley", "1957 Homicide Act", "Peter Allen and Gwynne Owen Evans" and "Sidney Silverman MP".ANY number of resources will tell you about the other gorier elements shown in this first season.Obviously there was no original Civil War in this timeline so Charles I kept his head and Divine Rights, no Bill of Rights, Reform Acts etc.EVERYTHING depicted COULD have happened in the 1960s, just as it DID happen centuries before.The public spectacles were intended to terrorise the population, no mass surveillance in those days.Bear in mind the real English Civil War resulted in the Witchfinder phenomenon - even more barbaric!

If you like the Gotham TV series you’ll probably like this series, which is about Alfred the Butler in his younger days, as long as you won’t be put off by bizarre historical inaccuracies.This is set in an ‘alternate reality’ or strange parody of 60’s Britain, where British and World events are similar but often very different.Most noticeably there are medieval gibbets, stocks and public hangings on the street corners of 60’s London, as though the changes and reforms made by the Victorians never happened.There are public executions and hangings (reminiscent of the French Revolution perhaps), whereas the last hanging in the UK was 1963 after that dramatic ‘Let Him Have It’ trial that tipped public opinion.The prison where the main character Alfie is sent to is akin to a 17th Centaury debtor’s prison, with everyone lumped-in together and free to wander about. (Haven’t the producers of this series ever watched an episode of Porridge?!)Most shockingly there’s casual mention of ‘The German Reich’ still controlling Germany, suggesting that WW2 had a different outcome or the Nazi’s remained in power – so a grim prospect for Europe and the whole world.In this series Scotland is independent and is at risk of being the first target of the fascists should they come to power in England. Unfortunately there was no EU in the 60’s so a small independent Scotland standing alone would have found itself in great economic difficulty – likely resulting in poor Scots sneaking across the border to come and work for peanuts in England (like Mexicans and the USA)!The famous occultist and magician Aleister Crowley appears in the series – although he was dead by 1947 – so perhaps he found a way to return from the grave?!Some of the characters in the series are 60’s London gangsters – but theres no mention or hint of The Krays or The Richardsons Gang which seems a missed opportunity.The music is enjoyable but very anachronistic – there’s lots of stuff from the 70’s (such as The Clash and a cover of Black Sabbaths Paranoid). Theres music from Status Quo who were around then but should be playing psychedelic stuff like ‘Tales of Matchstick Men’ rather than ‘Rocking All Over the Word’! Musically this seems a missed opportunity, they could have included some good genuine 60’s classics (the Animals, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Small Faces, Hendrix, etc).The producers of the series don’t seem to understand ‘fascism’ or what this is about either. The no-nosed Fascist leader ‘Lord Harwood’ seems to be loosely based on Oswald Mosley (who was around in the 30’s) but for a racist it is surprising that half the staff working for him at his mansion are black, as are the bulk of his audience at a public rally he hosts! Hmmm….The English Civil War and Magna Carter doesn’t seemed to have happened either as the Queen (who has a surprising large part in a few episodes) seems to wield massive power and influence over the nation – such as the power to have people dragged away and executed without trial. Scary stuff!!Despite all these strange paradoxes and sweeping historical inaccuracies the characters are interesting and enjoyable, with fine acting and enjoyable fast-paced stories – the main character is almost a reincarnation of Michael Caine as ‘Harry Palmer‘ but that seems to work well.This is an 18 certificate but its very similar in style and vibe to the Gotham tv series – just slightly more gory, a bit more sex and several naughty words per episode.If you can forget all you know about history and loved the Gotham series, then enjoy!!