Is it just me who thinks that this has completely lost its way? It's been starting to deteriorate in quality ever since Archie left, and this series it has just become such a farce I can't even bring myself to watch it anymore. It's just so boring. 99% of the likeable characters have left in bizarre and unbelievable, mostly unexplained ways - the only remaining member of the original cast is Golly, and even he has been transformed into this boring sentimental character, rather than his previous hard-man character. The programme's main emphasis has shifted from just the Glenbogle estate, to the whole village, and it is now far less appealing. Most of the storylines are fragmented, unbelievable and an effort to try and understand, and all these new characters who have been brought in are impossible to get emotionally attached to. It was far better when the programme centred on the estate itself, and just a handful of characters you really felt you knew. Now it just feels like it's turning into Last of the Summer Wine. It's a farce. And not in a funny way.
I seem to remember a similar thing happening to Ballykissangel. I'd like to say that I think it could be saved, but I think it's too late now. Surely this is going to be its last series.
I have to say I'm still quite enjoying Monarch. Okay, not as much as in the early days when Archie was in it, but still enough to watch it live and dump Bremner Bird and Fortune onto tape to watch afterwards.
Bothering to watch something live is a measure of audience appreciation in my book and I still do that with Monarch.
Tom Baker as Donald, and his interaction with Ewan is a delight in this series.
Every series has gone a bit "mad" in the middle episodes. I don't think that's anything unexpected if you've read Sir Compton's originals.
I think it's got another series or two to go before it runs out of plot.
Ideal Sunday night escapism for those of us with quite enough worries to keep us busy from Monday to Friday, in my opinion.
I had never even heard of Monarch of the Glen until Tom Baker was announced to be in the new series. I forced myself to watch it as he was in it. You're right though, most of the time it's just completely boring and just not worth watching. But all of Tom Bakers scenes make up for that.
I was talking to Tom's agent and he said they should have just cancelled Monarch and put a new series starring Tom in it's place as it would of worked much better and I agree. This weeks episode was good with Donald and that other old geezer doing the racing, but apart from that it was boring drivel. If Tom wasn't in it, i wouldn't watch that show on death row to save my life!
Five, I think. I have some dealings with the production team and each new series brings a newly incorporated company, e.g. "Monarch of the Glen Series Five Ltd".
