The Child in Time

I really enjoyed it, much more than I'd expected, having read some of the comments here. It was quite compelling. I agree the thing about his friend was s bit weird.

I did have to sit and concentrate, usually I'm doing more than one thing when watching TV. Very pleased I watched, just goes to show we're all different. I often quite enjoy the things the critics pan too.

I am another who found "On Chesil Beach" rather stretched my credibility. It will be interesting to see how they dramatise that.

That is amazing Grandma I told DH about that incident in the story and we discussed how strange it was.
I could understand how they never stopped looking for the child. The parents of Madeline McCann and Ben Needham must be the same - every face they see.

Well I enjoyed watching it too and understood the message to be about lost childhood. When his mother spoke about seeing him through the pub window it gave me quite a start because when my DGS was a baby I had a strange vision of him walking towards me smiling, down my hallway at about age 14. I will never forget it and have never had another such experience. He is now 10 so I have 4 years to go to see if it had any meaning!!

Well it seems the range of opinions on here reflect exactly the feedback out there - seems to be a marmite programme. I understood what it was trying to do trisher but too much got in the way for me. I still think the most florid overwrought aspect was the whole Charles story

I thought it so moving, was Charles searching for his childhood?

We recorded it and watched it tonight and we're surprised that actually we quite enjoyed it .

I watched it today on iPlayer and thought it was wonderfully acted and a very moving story. I did have to concentrate quite hard (not easy at the moment), but found it worth the effort. Written pre-McCann it shows how times have changed; the ease with which access to a classroom and delivery room was gained seems quite shocking now.

I agree trisher - I thought it was quite deep with the character of the high flying friend who hung himself - a terrible childhood where he was not allowed to be child - sent him mad really.
I thought it showed the hope that parents never really give up on a child - like many mothers who were forced by one thing or another to give up a baby. I thought the wife had almost become devoid of feeling as her grief was so overwhelming.
The book is on our book club list for December - my copy arrived last week - looking forward to reading it and hopefully seeing the thoughts of the characters.
On Chesil Beach could be a hard one to dramatise.

That's me Kittye cry at everything but that didn't move a muscle for me I was just glad it was over and I could go to bed

Phew! Glad someone else enjoyed it. I shed a tear at the end, but then I always do when watching "Long lost Family". ?

I read it years ago and thought this was an excellent production and very moving. If you don't understand that sometimes characters are there as metaphorical figures I suppose the actions of Charles wouldn't be understandable. The story was about the loss of a specific child but also about the loss of childhood in general and the responsibility of authority in promoting the loss. Yes there were some things that wouldn't happen now- the school being an example. but the emotions portrayed, the loss, the hope and the unexplained coincidences or events that sometimes happen in life were brilliant.
I agree with you about "On Chesil Beach" grannyticktock

I had read the book, many years ago, so I knew not to expect a fast-moving plot or a totally happy ending. I enjoyed it and thought the screenplay and acting very good. I must return to the book again, and see what they left out.

Of course there are nitpicky things, like Cumberbatch's mother appearing to be only about ten years older than him, but overall it was pretty well done.

There's a film coming out, I think, of McEwan's "On Chesil Beach". That will have to do a lot to win me round, as I found the book disappointing. The whole story hinges on one blundering attempt by newlyweds at having sex; not only will the details of this be hard to film, but I found the consequences
of the blundering stretched my credulity. I will say no more, for the sake of others who might want yo read it or watch it.

The DT television critic gave it 5 stars out of 5.
I am just not intellectual enough, but I always knew that.

kitty we have a 20 minute rule - if after 20 minutes the story line/acting doesn't grab us, we look at each other and say "It's on the list" (meaning the ditch list).

At the moment, the list is l-o-n-g. ... Outlander just went on the list, it became way too samy (sex and lingering looks).

Yes have to agree with a lot of posters. I didn't think it was terrible but couldn't see the need for the strange friend topping himself in the woods. I thought Cumberbatches' acting was good but the mother didn't ring true too me.

I recently posted about Manchester-by-the-Sea which I found such a moving testament to grief on the loss of children and parental guilt and its impact on the parental relationship. With that so fresh in my mind, I suppose The Child in Time didn't have a prayer.

I haven't read the book so I didn't know what to expect, I found it overwhelmingly sad and shed a few tears at the end. I've read a couple of Ian McEwan's other books, Atonement which I loved and Enduring Love which I can remember very little about other than a hot air balloon featured in it. The Children Act is on "my to read list"

I watched ten minutes and decided it wasn't for me. I read the Children Act, well written, readable and a fairly realistic presentation of the complex issues facing Judges in these kind of situations. It will make a good tv drama I expect.

There was nothing wrong with Cumberbatches acting but the story was severely diluted by having a second 'problem' introduced I thought it was totally strange to suddenly have a very unbelievable man running round the woods and then standing in the bathroom shaving his bits !!!! Things just didn't fit in what was the point in the staring through the pub window and the mother explaining she'd been there x number of years before
The marriage seemed totally weird too I understand couples often do split through internal turmoil and sadness can drive them apart but I felt no belief in that marriage or chemistry between them
You see Nelliemoser I think you ve hit the nail on the head when you said how sad you felt ...... I didn't feel any great emotions for them at all, the story should have been incredibly sad and I didn't feel emotional at all I wasn't crying ( which I would normally be )

I think Ian McEwan's books are generally a bit odd and confusing. I can't get on with them very well (although I'm enjoying The Children Act at the moment) and I'm not sure they adapt well to TV or film as they seem to have quite complex structures. The film Atonement was lauded by all the critics when it was released but I loathed it because it just didn't seem real to me. I also thought Enduring Love was very strange.

I didn't really know what this screenplay tonight was meant to be saying - and I think possibly the whole thing was too compressed to get across the ideas that the author was experimenting with. I think it was meant to be looking at ideas relating to childhood/adulthood, memory and the passing of time but I found it confusing and unsatisfying and actually quite distressing.

The book was written 29 years ago when you could and it being updated to the present day didn't take account of the changes in security

I didn't find it confusing but not brilliant either though I thought the actor who played Charles was excellent.
The thing that had me shouting at the TV was that he could just walk into a school and go roaming down the corridors. This wouldn't happen, especially in a primary school.

But do listen to the Archers

Don't watch soaps