Pen Talar

I'm English, but my family hail from Flintshire, North Wales. My experience of Wales was annual holidays spent visiting relations in and around Rhyl, where we were politely ignored as all conversations were in Welsh, with an occasional bit of English thrown in. It gave me a skewed view of what it meant to be Cymraeg, and I have to admit that Pen Talar has opened my eyes to what being Welsh actually means. I don't believe that the English understand how vital the Welsh language is to the people of Wales. It was no hardship to follow the plot through the use of subtitles, and I think a lot of the drama would have been lost if it had been in English. The truth is that Wales is very different from England, Pen Talar shows the richness and depth of Welsh culture, and by using an historical approach provides a view of how much Wales has changed over the last 50+ years. Excellent entertainment.

I've seen three episodes of the nine so far (on dvd). The first two, with Defi as a young boy on the verge of puberty and then on the cusp of leaving school for university were both excellent in pretty much every way, though I have to say that in the shooting of John Kennedy the world could not be said to have "lost its innocence", as Defi's dad would have you believe, was a pretty silly thing to say: had he never heard of Hitler, Stalin, Mao and the other socialist atrocities?However, when Richard Harrington entered the scene in episode three as an allegedly twenty year old Defi -- he looked closer to forty than twenty -- the temperature dropped, and much of the intensity was lost. Some actors can 'carry' a show, and on the basis of that single episode, Harrington isn't one of them. Admittedly he was misery and anger personified all the way through, but his acting was mechanical -- he went through the motions of shedding tears but it all seemed fake to me. Which is why I've deducted a star. I hope he redeems himself in the later episodes. he could learn a thing or two about acting from Mali Harries.(Addendum, a few weeks later):I've seen the entire show now. While I still say that it was a huge casting blunder to pretend that the middle-aged Richard Harrington could pass for twenty in episode three, his performance certainly improved as the show proceeded. The drama was indeed quite engrossing, though not, I imagine, with the same intensity for a non-Welsh viewer such as myself. So my four stars stands.However, the show could have been so much better. There are numerous resounding speeches, poetical or political, expressing devotion to the Welsh language and the concept of Welshness. In fact, that was the motivation for the series as a whole, seen through the prism of one family and punctuated by significant political events. But ... we we never given even a glimpse of what this allegedly irreplaceable Welshness might have consisted of -- nothing about Welsh culture or history which might have given an inkling of why it was worth preserving. Much ado about the language, but that was it. A serious omission, which undermined the supposed point of the thing.But it was very watchable all the same.

The story of a friendship, a family, a house, a culture and a nation, spanning half a century since the early sixties.Tranquil settings belie the turbulence and constant state of flux that exist beneath.Outstanding drama, great story well told. One of those television experiences you yearn for, and only comes along in a very blue moon.If this was in Danish with English subtitles it would have been aired by Channel 4 or BBC2 and esteemed critics would be showering it with prizes and praise. Yet at the moment it remains in relative obscurity and, despite various nominations, its only significant award was for the music. Beautiful and haunting as that is, it is only one of its several attributes.This is a rich and sweeping production that should reach a far broader audience.

This TV series is brilliant. As it follows Deifi Lewis from his childhood through to adulthood. The old ways are beginning to fade away and a new breed are emerging who wish to change Wales both culturally and politically. This series follows these changes and sees Deifi change with them. Some wish to see change via the ballot box, whilst others take a much more radical stance with bombing campaigns. If you have Welsh blood in you, this is a must see series. There are English subtitles available, which may put off some people from seeing it but take the plunge, watch it and you won't be disappointed.

This strikes me as a Welsh equivalent to "Our Friends in the North", which is high praise in itself, and it doesn't suffer from the comparison, though it is less ambitious and wide-ranging. Intriguing, instructive and moving, and the lead actors are every bit as impressive as they are in the excellent "Hinterland".

I have been eagerly awaiting this DVD since I saw it on S4C. It is history, interesting in its own right, as seen through the eyes of the beautifully drawn characters as they develop in a fascinating and exciting story line. Lovely lush scenery as you would expect. Probably as good as anything I have seen on TV.

This is a very striking production which works especially for its "Welshness". The acting is great throughout and there are heartbreaking characters to bring the recent Welsh history and the personal stories to life. I think that the last 2 episodes are somewhat weaker, in the general depressive setting of the whole series here the drama extends too much and too tediously. Also, I think the former teacher reappearing after almost 50 years in the end is somewhat improbable, he would be well over eighty and still so much in business...Nevertheless I will watch this again and hope to get even deeper into the fascinating Welsh spirit which is conveyed so well

A great series which I found most watchable. The fact that the dialogue was in Welsh (with English subtitles) added to the atmosphere. If you like "hinterland" you will probably like this.