Armitage DistRAction Challenge #1

On By EstherIn Richard Armitage

Guylty has a new Armitage distraction challenge up on her blog and in these times of home isolation due to the Corona virus I have a little bit of extra time. I started this yesterday evening, work has slowed down a bit today, so, yeah, I can’t resist finishing this post now. Here are the questions…

ADC2020

For a moment there I thought: do these all have to be Armitage related? Because otherwise for question 1 the first answer that pops up in my mind is Anne with an E; I’m still fervently hoping for a renewal there! But yeah, I guess this is an Armitage challenge, so I’ll just stick to Richard. I’ll be doing this in two parts, as most questions aren’t that difficult for me and I can do quite quick answers.

1. Which series would you like to have seen a sequel of?
I think that would be The Vicar of Dibley for me. Harry and Geraldine had such a whirlwind romance and wedding, I so wonder how they would settle in to life together! I’m sure there’s enough comedy to be mined there.

2. Which film/series do you think is underrated?
Hmmm… seriously, I think that would have to be North & South. While it is loved and very popular for many, I don’t think it has become the household period drama name that it should be. For me it should be up there with the legendary 1995 Pride and Prejudice. People in my real life will have heard of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy but no one I know in real-life has heard of Richard Armitage as John Thornton (except for a few real-life friends & family I have told about Richard and fandom friends).

3. Your current favourite show?
I think I’m still stuck on North and South for this one too. It’s the show that converted me to Richard-ism and while Richard has done some really great things since and I love his acting, I think N&S still remains my fave. Everything came together in that one for me: period drama, social issues, great characters and a heart breaking love story with a wonderful conclusion.

4. What’s your favourite episode of your favourite show?
Episode 4 of North and South. It has everything.

5. Least favourite episode of your favourite show?
I don’t know! Parts of North & South episode 2, possibly, that I sometimes fast forward?

6. Which question would you like RA to answer in a Q&A?
Dear Richard Armitage, how about an off-beat (romantic) comedy for a change with you as a sympathetic lead? I really don’t think you’re too severe/scary for that. Or anything a bit light-hearted, really, that doesn’t involve spying or murder or war (I still mourn the loss of Rockin’ Richard). These moments from Ocean’s 8 convince me you’d do it beautifully:

Yours sincerely, Esther.

7. What’s the best scene ever?
Look back at me… my heart broke and it was that moment when I definitely fell in love.

8. Which audiobook would you like RA to read?
Yeah, I think most readers here will know by now that audiobooks aren’t my thing. It’s great that he does them but, for me, he doesn’t need to and I have no preferences. I do like pictures such as these, though! So, for that alone, he can do all the audiobooks he likes as long as Audible keeps on releasing pictures of Richard reading.

9. Which show did you think you wouldn’t like but you did?
I can’t ever watch it again because it is too bloody and brutal for me, but that would have to be Hannibal. I was surprised at how good I found Richard in that and the story, though gruesome, was good too.

https://preoccupiedwitharmitage.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/giffing-francis-dolarhyde-the-er-strengthening-of-muscles/

10. Which show did you think you would like but didn’t?
Into the Storm. I kept on comparing it to Twister, which I did like at the time, and Into the Storm just fell short for me. Also, Richard’s American accent really felt off to me.

11. Which episode did you watch more than 5 times?
All North & South episodes, Richard’s Vicar of Dibley episodes, some parts of The Hobbit, some of series 1 Strike Back, parts of The Crucible. I think I’d do re-watches of Urban and the Shed Crew as well, if it ever becomes available to the wider public!

12. Favourite kiss?
I think, going by previous answers, you can guess?

But I loved The Crucible kissing too!

13. Favourite season finale?
Sounding like a broken record here, but yeah, North and South. See above, question 4.

Yes, there is a big lack of Robin Hood, Berlin Station and Spooks. None of them were bad (although BS season 3 was), but none of them could ignite my fire either. Also no mention of  The Stranger.  It was a show I liked well enough, more than the other three I just mentioned, but I can’t completely fall in love with it, due to too many red herrings and the ending feeling a little off to me. I am craving something new of Richard’s that I can totally fall for. Urban and the Shed Crew came pretty close (despite imperfections), but I only ever saw that the one time at the Newcastle International Film Festival.

Part two of this challenge will follow in time. 🙂

29 thoughts on “Armitage DistRAction Challenge #1”

  1. Oooh, lovely. This was a great read, Esther. Thanks for taking part. There is a lot of stuff in there that will probably influence my future answers. I have to say that I already have second thoughts about my answer to question 2. VoD is such a good idea. That show had everything that would make a sequel compelling.
    And with all that love for NS I feel I need to schedule a rewatch of the show, even though I was always non-plussed about it.
    I wholeheartedly agree with you, though, that Richard needs to get some more light-hearted projects under his belt. UV, of all things, has really highlighted for me that he could be great in a comedy. I really hope that the gods of film and telly will hear our prayers!

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    1. Ah, these Armitage challenges of yours are always fun.
      I know N&S is not everyone’s greatest love but yeah, I do love it so. 🙂
      Yes, UV highlighted the humour for me too, as did his little bit in Ocean’s 8. He can totally do it. If he wants to challenge himself he needs to do that. 😉

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  2. Esther VOD is just fabulous and is one of my automatic go to comfort watches when I’m blue
    North and South is no 2 go to watch and yes absolutely ep 4 is pivotal there!
    No thanks on The Stranger twice is enough
    BS3 is atrocious
    Hannibal Richard is phenomenal and very sexy
    Spooks is worth another rewatch for me many subtleties I inevitably miss
    Hope you all are well hunkering down
    My gym and library are now closed so we are probably to follow soon

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    1. Yeah, those are great comfort watches. 🙂
      I’ve not even watched all of BS season 3, I got so impatient with it….
      Spooks – it’s a spy show, not really my thing even though I never found it bad.
      And yes, we are indeed doing well here at home.

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      1. Esther
        So glad you all are comfy on your new couch!
        BS3 just ruined Daniel and his Esther and ruined the whole tempo of the show. I cannot even watch the first two seasons again
        Spooks aka Lucas grew on me although I love Spy books 😉I think Lucas is the most clever and gifted in the roles he played and until his recent tweeting antics Teddy Bear John Standring to me was most like the real him
        Hugs to the kitties too😻

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  3. Servetus

    This helps me understand your relationship with RA fandom a lot better — I hadn’t realized that you weren’t excited about so much of the series TV he’s done.

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    1. Yeah, for a while there after N&S I thought it was only John Thornton I loved and not necessarily Armitage but when I kept going back to him even in things I wasn’t fond of, that’s when I knew it was not just the character but also the actor that had drawn me in.
      OK, honestly curious what you have come to understand better now.

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      2. Servetus

        Over the years, I’ve admired (and wondered about) what has seemed to me like a high level of detachment on your part, i.e., it’s not just that you’ve got other crushes, it’s that you have seemed somewhat calm about this one. I knew there was some intensity there after witnessing your “Anne with an E” responses, but I thought it didn’t seem to apply to Armitage. Even if he’s the one you write most about and travel for. I get it now — if you don’t enjoy some of his longer-term projects.

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        1. Thanks for explaining!
          I started blogging when I was around 8 years into being an Armitage fan, so the initial Richard intensity had ebbed by then and yes, that was also due to the projects I wasn’t too fond of. What remains is an underlying steady love, that doesn’t seem to go away; he remains my fave actor. I save short intensity for other actors/projects now but few of them retain the longevity of affection that I have for Richard. 🙂

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          1. Servetus

            I was definitely in a phase like that before I saw Vanya (not liking most what he is doing), but my fantasies have really kept the crush alive despite some big blows.

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  4. I agree with many of your answers Esther, N&S wins so many categories. Although I like RA brooding and sinister best, it would be wonderful to see his comic talents more – they tend to come out in interviews more,

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  8. Oh my gosh, you and I must meet one day, Esther, because I think we are psychically connected. I agree with you on every single point, even to the levels of which shows are complete drek (Into the Storm) and which are pretty good but I’m not going to suspend all my judgment (The Stranger). I’m also a “broken record” about North and South. And number 7, the “look back at me” scene?. Me, too, one of my favorites, especially the point where his eyes drop and you can see his whole demeanor turn inward, signaling that the carriage has turned the corner and is out of sight. Guuuuuh, Richard, when you have good material to work with, you are a genius!!!

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