Goodness me! If this pandemic doesn’t stop soon, I’ll go bankrupt over all the audio books that Richard is churning out.
I had rather hoped that his hinted at “special something” was a tiny little freebie, but ok, I am curious about the Chekhov short stories. Mind you, I *do* think it smarts a tiny bit, being offered another Chekhov after the previous Chekhov had somehow been “taken away” from us by the circumstances. Also, whatever happened to the children’s books recommendations that RA asked for? I somehow had it in my mind that he was going to release something in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital? But their fundraiser “2.6 Challenge” has come and gone, and I didn’t see an audio book or anything? Curious. – I’m afraid, I feel a little bit burnt by the débacle over the announced and retracted Poirot audio books. So I have only put the Chekhov stories in my wish list, not pre-ordered.
Time for another question from the Distraction Challenge!
What’s your favourite kiss?
This?
Look closely…
Ok, alright, so that’s not what was asked for. A kissssss from the oeuvre. I’ll ignore the obvious answer and settle for this:
I think that is up there with the NS kiss, don’t you think? One of the few redeeming things about season 9. Season 9? What season 9? I was going to embed a Lucas North/Maya video here, but unfortunately they all end with tragedy. So, no. What is nice about that kiss, is the gentleness and the slowness. Not one of those madly passionate liplocks but something far more realistic when the two characters have only just met again. Well, and Lucas is clever. He knows how to persuade an understandably reluctant woman. Well played, Armitage, well played. – There you go – dreamy subject of the day ticked.
PS: Am I the only one who thinks that Armitage has the most gorgeous sideburn-hairline *ever*? It’s just so perfectly formed… Unfortunately now overgrown by the shrubbery. Just another reason to petition for some lawn manicure!
Guylty Pleasure 
Audible won’t be getting my money either way-so i’m not fussed about his new audiobooks! lol
best kiss? that one from Spooks is great, because it’s so tender and unsure going into confident-very sexy
I def agree with Aninomori on twitter who posted about the kiss in Berlin Station with the journalist lass
I do feel N+S is stil my absolute favourite-the expression of utter love in his eyes is so compelling!
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oh G, could you edit my reply and take out that weird link please-that’s my keyboard going strange
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done.
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thanks
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Good for you. Not so good for people who enjoy audio books.
The BS kiss is definitely interesting (although a little acted OTT… I mean, he’s almost down her throat there 😬)
The NS kiss is just so obvious, I thought it was too boring to mention that here.
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ah sorry, wasn’t being arsey
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Yuu are right, that is one gorgeous kiss that hasn’t been on my radar for a long time!
And I love that Klimt painting, I have some history with it and have a huge reproduction of it in my living room. 🙂
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Oh my, sorry for misspelling you!
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Season 9 is always a bit of a no-no, so I often forget that relationship (and the kiss), too. But I found it very persuasive, even after several viewings.
The Klimt painting is a classic.
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I remember. Lovely kiss but nothing beats N&S! 😊
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Hehe, I know. But it was just too predictable 😉. I thought I’d bring something else to the table.
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I can’t decide whether to watch the lips, or the neck stretching and contracting like a turtle. Yummm to both.
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I wish I hadn’t read your “turtle” comment 😂
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Me thinks that’s a Mat Khal Klimt. Is it dark-haired Lucas, or Maya with short hair, kissing Porter?
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Now that you mention it, I think Mat and I must have been using the same photo editor. I do remember now that she also made a Klimt manip.
Not sure who the dark hair belongs to, but you are dead right – Porter is the kissing object!
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Ha ha! I’ve just noticed Porter Klimt! It’s so subtle but he really suits the style.
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Somehow his face colouring in the photo I chose, perfectly matches the golden glow of the Klimt. (I remember seeing it in a museum in Vienna – it is gorgeous in RL; a photo doesn’t do it justice at all. All of which applies to Mister A, too 😍)
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Heh heh, yes!
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Ode to a Kiss
Which RA kisses are the best?
Tender and sweet pass the lip lock test.
But I can’t say for sure you see,
Until his kisses land on me.
Kathy Jones
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Take a number and get in line, lady.
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Truth, Kathy, truth. I mean, what do *we* know? By all intents and purposes, those passionate liplocks could be awfully wet… Pity we won’t find out.
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Although Lucas and Maya made a beautiful couple, I find that kiss a bit too reverential to be my favourite (although it was tender as it should be). My favourite kisses are Daniel and Esther’s snogs with their passionate tension (putting myself in the love interest’s place obviously and preferring passion to tenderness). But you are not alone Guylty, Richard Armitage’s exquisite side-burns are an underrated part of his anatomy. I also love them on Guy where they grow as triangular points along his magnificent jawline.
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I see your point, although I didn’t see it as reverential but cleverly persuasive in its tenderness. I think I need to rewatch the Danesther liplocks…
Oh yes, Guy’s meanie sideburns were a thing of terrible beauty. Quite clearly designed to make him out as a baddie. But oh, the hairline even under that fringe was gorgeous.
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I really don’t know. Is there a fangirl cut of all his kissing scenes back-to-back-to-back? For science? Because we need that!!
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*ooof* yes.
Approach with caution.
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OMG that video is spectacular! Now, can we ask (beg) her to update it by adding recent productions, please, please???
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That was my thought also. I had a look at the user on YT but unfortunately this video is all she ever created… in 2007…
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Well, that cost me an hour or so of my life. Totally worth it though! 😘
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Sometimes, wasting time is actually a good thing…
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😀
Wie viele habendie wohl brav gehorcht und genauer hingesehen bei dem Bildchen?
Gute ADC-Antwort übrigens.
*seufz* S9. Interessante Idee, gut gespielt, aber sooooo ein Fehlgriff in der verwendeten Figur. 😦
Wer diese Entscheidung abgenickt hat, müsste eigentlich mit Musikantenstadl nicht unter 200 Wiederholungen bestraft werden.
Zu Audiobooks sag ich nur zwei Dinge: Die “humorvolle” Werbung eines gewissen Anbieters ist oh-so-lustig… NICHT! Und das eine Audiobook, das mich dazu bringen könnte, vielleicht mal Hörbücher zu testen, ist nicht erhältlich oder – wenn doch mal – unbezahlbar. Da les ich lieber selbst. Notfalls auch laut, uneditiert, mit Räuspern und Verlesern.
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LOL – das ist in der Tat eine ziemlich üble Strafe, Musikantenstadl. Gerecht, denn ich empfinde die Storyline von Lucas in S9 nach wie vor geradezu als unehrenhafte Hinrichtung einer bis dahin tadellosen Figur. Das verzeihe ich der BBC niemals!
Jo, das mit dem Audiobuchanbieter ist schon wirklich zum 🤮. Ich höre ja mittlerweile die Hörbücher richtig gerne, aber habe jetzt von Audible so die Nase voll, dass ich nicht mehr vorbestelle. Ich finde sowieso, dass Richard da ein bisschen *zu* aktiv ist.
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Ich frage mich schon seit einer Weile, was RA selbst eigentlich will.
Nüchtern betrachtet:
– Jeder Schauspieler, der auch nur drei funktionierende Gehirnzellen hat, möchte genug Arbeit haben, um davon zu leben.
Der Punkt dürfte für RA abgehakt sein. Am Hungertuch wird er nicht nagen müssen.
– Bei einigermaßen gesicherter Existenz dürfte in einem ernsthaften Schauspieler der Wunsch aufkommen, unterschiedliche Produktionen zu machen, große, kleine, Haupt- und Nebenrolle, verschiedene Genres, Film, TV, Theater.
Abgehakt, abgehakt, abgehakt, abgehakt, abgehakt, abgehakt, abgehakt, abgehakt.
Aktuell geht ja eh nicht viel, jedenfalls nix mit vielen Leuten … Hörbücher kann man allein einlesen, notfalls im Wandschrank. 😛
Und in Zukunft, irgendwann …?
Die große Frage ist: Was will RA? Genug Arbeit, um sich produktiv zu fühlen? Um ein regelmäßiges Einkommen zu haben und sich “berufstätig” zu fühlen? Um seinen Namen nicht ganz verschwinden zu lassen? Theater, wenn es eine für ihn reizvolle Sache ist? Nicht mehr vor der Kamera stehen, nur noch für Sachen, die ihn interessieren? Oder lieber ein Platz dahinter? Wir wissen es nicht.
Sein Twitterverhalten wirkt auf mich so, als strebe er ein gesetztes Leben abseits der Öffentlichkeit an.
Vielleicht bin ich aber auch nur gerade schlecht drauf (eindeutiges Ja) und lege alles blöd aus.
*seufz*
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I think he did talk about Chekhov’s short stories before because I remember looking at the Ward 6 one. Some are incredibly brief and I think it will only be my wish to hear his introduction which makes me purchase them. I don’t understand how Audible can get this out in June but our American cousins have to wait till October to hear the Poirot ones.
I still feel the hurt from The Hirelings debacle.
I hope he takes on board the information that Audible isn’t global when he does the next promotional blurb.
I had vouchers to compensate for the tickets I had purchased for Uncle Vanya and I wonder if the theatres will extend their ‘to be used by dates’
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Yve, I signed into Amazon.com (or set up account – can’t remember) and managed to download The Hirelings, with Richard’s narration. I don’t know if we will be able to do the same for the Christie ones. I hope so, I’ll be spitting feathers if not.
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That was my hope, too…
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Sorry, meant Audible.com (still Amazon though)
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The introductions are what I am curious about. Otherwise I am not really a fan of short stories in general. I don’t like short form writing – I prefer to get immersed in a story.
I had forgotten about The Hirelings debacle. But yes, it’s kind of adding up – promises that are never kept, patronising fans, asking for questions and not coming up with the promised Q&A, advertising for books that are not available. I’ve had it with Audible.
I have just checked in my e-mails and I can see that ATG never got back to me regarding the rescheduled tickets. Another company that I am fed up with. At this stage, I want my money back because frankly, I do not want to travel to London for at least another year or until a vaccine has been found.
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Caroline says ATG said she’s getting a refund finally. She said she had best luck when she called them out on twitter about it
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Yes, let’s all use Twitter! I got a reply from ATG that my refund was approved but would take 30 days to hit my account. I wrote back that in today’s modern world of all-electronic banking, it takes 3 seconds, not 30 days, for money to be moved from one account to another, and threatened them that there are several hundred of us Armitage fans who bought batches of seats for multiple nights–I told them to check their international sales and look for links between names on bookings and online screen names (some are the same or similar)–and that we all know each other and are organized, and we will “crucify” them on social media, if they don’t cough up the money immediately. I will let you know how that goes. Especially since I know nothing about social media and will need help from someone to enable this crucifixion.
Also, I learned, fyi, because I did this with my airline ticket, that’s it’s really easy to file a “dispute” with a credit card company (even for a charge that is 9 months old, in my case). Essentially, you are telling the credit card company that “I’m not going to pay for this charge” and give the reason (which I wasn’t even asked as soon as the rep on the phone saw that it was for an airline ticket), which is “the service was cancelled by the vendor”, and they refund your money then go fight with the vendor themselves. Sweet. I will let you all know if there are negative ramifications to that.
When the guy asked me why I had not tried to contact the airline (British Airways) myself, I told him because they make it impossible to find contact methods on their website, except for a London phone number which would have triggered international fares on my phone vs. calling “you” (the credit card company) which is a U.S. number. He was speechless for a second, but how could he argue?
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Kudos!
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Well done. It looks as if that is the only way to go. (I am still majorly pissed off at them about the way they handled my cancellation in March. Their unwillingness to be accommodating to a customer has translated into *my* unwillingness to simply gift them my ticket without asking for a refund, as a way to support theatre. But no, not them. They didn’t want to help me out – I am not going to help *them* out. Not even for the love of Richard. Sorry, Rich.)
The air fare issue will come up for me at a later stage, too. British Airways cancelled my flights themselves and informed me that I receive vouchers for new flights within the next 12 months. Well, sorry, I have no intention of travelling to the UK in the coming 12 months. I want the money back. And I hate that there is even a dispute over that. *They* cancelled the flights – so imo the onus is on *them* to reimburse.
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It has left a bad taste in my mouth and soured me on the idea of EVER doing this again. I was looking forward to meet-ups with fellow fangirls, touring London in packs (I spent months researching museums and historic houses), the whole bit — a once in a lifetime “treat” of a ridiculous trip for a ridiculous purpose — to watch a celebrity crush live on stage in his own country. Never again. In the future, I will be satisfied to watch Mr. A on screens.
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That’s a very useful recommendation. I have got it on my to do list today to get in touch with them and get the refund sorted. Thanks for the advice!
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Did you complete the online form on their website? I did get my tickets refunded in the end by ATG, although it took a while. I’m not saying this to gloat but to give hope. They said they were dealing with requests in order of performance. First ATG offered vouchers but I rarely go to the theatre as it is so expensive. Then they offered me a ’Special offer’ on top, which I hoped was a midnight tryst with Richard Armitage but it turned out to be 10% off another ticket. Nah! I have to say that everyone I corresponded with at ATG was courteous and helpful and they did keep their word. They didn’t give the impression that they weren’t professional just inundated with requests at an unprecedented time.
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Ha, that recommendation was gold, J! I have just filled in the form and asked for a refund (on the basis of not leaving in the UK and being unable to travel in the near future). Fingers crossed that it works out.
LOL on the “special offer” thrown in. I mean, *that* would be the least they could do if they want me to refrain from asking for a refund…
And no, I don’t think they were unprofessional way back in March, either. They were merely not accommodating – which looked like profiteering to me. Very very disappointed with that experience with them, and my goodwill is lost forever.
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Good luck and fingers crossed for your refunds.
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Thanks 🙂 – high hopes.
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