British Banter in Atlanta
  • Home
  • Chat
  • Nosh/Grub
  • Gallivanting
  • Down the Shops
  • Telly
  • Dosh
  • ABBA
  • Gallivanting 2
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Nosh / Grub
  • shopping links
  • A Brit in America
  • Telly posts
  • Affiliate disclosure
  • more nosh

​Telly / TV
​
​Brit flicks

Stonehouse

2/19/2023

1 Comment

 
The Rise and Fall of John Stonehouse -
​an enjoyable BritBox political romp


Picture
Photo credit: BritBox, used with permission
BritBox’s Stonehouse is an entertaining 3-part mini-series that delves into the life and times of the disgraced British politician who faked his own death in the 1970s. Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen stars as the ambitious and determined Labor MP who hatches a daring plan to escape his mounting financial woes and political scandal.
The series traces Stonehouse's rise to power, from a humble background to becoming a powerful politician with a taste for luxury and a fondness for the ladies. Macfadyen captures the nuances of Stonehouse's personality, bringing out both his charisma and his flaws. He imbues his character with a magnetic charm that makes it easy to see how Stonehouse was able to captivate the British public as well as his Parliamentary colleagues. 
As the plot unfolds, the series delves into Stonehouse's complicated personal life, his extramarital affairs and his financial troubles, which eventually lead him to take drastic measures to escape his problems. As political scandals go, this one is pretty outrageous. At one point, Stonehouse is even mistaken for Lord Lucan, and given the timing and context,
that’s not actually as absurd as it might sound.



Keeley Hawes is absolutely magnificent as always, playing saintly Barbara Stonehouse, the archetypal politician’s wife, standing loyally beside her man through thick and thin. The fact that she and Macfadyen are real-life husband and wife makes this on-screen partnership even more fascinating. 


The tone is light-hearted throughout and Stonehouse features laugh-out-loud moments with witty quips from the likes of Harold Wilson, believe it or not, to lift the mood. I particularly enjoyed the 70s styles and fashions, and a script that is refreshingly un-sweary too. 


Overall, Stonehouse is a must-watch for anyone interested in political drama and the fascinating true story of a man who was willing to risk everything to stay in power.  Highly recommended. 

1 Comment
Reggie link
2/19/2023 06:05:28 pm

Your review was spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed the series, but it seems that a lot of Britbox subscribers didn't like it. I thought McFadyen and Hawes were brilliant.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

             Author

    ​Living and loving life
    ​in America - by a blogging Brit.
    ​
    I am a wife, teacher & writer originally from the UK.
    Now metro Atlanta is
    ​home-from-home.

      Sign up for all the latest news

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    Archives

    February 2023
    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Our Fab Advertisers

    Picture
 powered by Weebly

​All content ©Mary McCarney 2022 unless otherwise stated. Click for privacy policy & terms.

  • Home
  • Chat
  • Nosh/Grub
  • Gallivanting
  • Down the Shops
  • Telly
  • Dosh
  • ABBA
  • Gallivanting 2
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Nosh / Grub
  • shopping links
  • A Brit in America
  • Telly posts
  • Affiliate disclosure
  • more nosh