"Bleak Midwinter." By Foyle's War. Season 4, episode 3 (in American markets); Season 5, episode 1 (in British markets). ITV. 11 February 2007. DVD. Acorn Media, 2007. If you're patient with British dramatic television series, they will usually reward you with a Shakespeare allusion or two—or even, if you're lucky, a quotation. For example, I detected no Shakespeare in the first season of the immensely-popular Downton Abbey, but they squeezed a quick quote (or, if you're particular, a quick truism—or even a quick cliché) from The Tempest into the second season's opening episode. If you're keeping score, the quote was "a brave new world" (see image below).
It took four (or five, depending on how you count them) seasons for Foyle's War to provide a Shakespeare quote (unless, as I readily admit may be the case, I missed an earlier one). In the clip below, Samantha Stewart is driving Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle from an interview with a witness back to Police Headquarters. She misquotes Shakespeare—only slightly—and we can see Foyle's hesitation before he corrects her.
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war!
—Julius Caesar, III.i.273
—Julius Caesar, III.i.273
I always want more, but hearing a Shakespeare quote like that is a bit like meeting an old friend on the street. And that's always nice.
Downton Abbey Quotes Shakespeare.
Links: The Episode at IMDB.
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2 comments:
Loved the Foyle's War Clip, quote from Julius Caesar "Havoc and let slip the dogs of war...." thank you. Nice piece.
Michael Kitchen must have enjoyed the "Havoc, let slip the dogs of war..." dialogue, talented and skilled actor as he is.
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