TV Gold

Good morning, and a very happy new year to one and all!

After the domination of the Communist movement plot (admirably spearheaded by Patrick Stewart?s Lenin character), the seventh episode, <span style='color:blue'>?Dearest Nicky?</span> presents, as is typical of the series, yet another pleasant change of pace, highlighting, as it does, more domestic issues for the Russian Tsar. We open, unusually, with Kahzer Wilhelm II narrating the latest of his regular letters to his cousin, Tsar Nicholas II. These scenes do crop up, from time to time, as the episode progresses and certainly go some way to illustrate Willie?s position on foreign policy. It is clear that Nicholas and ?Willy? have a good relationship (illustrating the bond between the houses of Hohenzollern & Romanov), however, polite though he is, Nicholas avoids relating how he does not share the Kaisers taste in the art he continually sends him and his wife. We focus more on Nicholas in this episode as he has to face up to the growing unrest from the people about general living conditions as well the continuing tensions with the Japanese. In the latter issue we certainly witness a difference in style regarding how best to deal with the escalating conflict from both Willie and Nicholas. Although this is no doubt an important aspect to the episode it is the growing civil unrest in Russia situation which takes greater prominence beginning with Roman Catholic Father Gapon?s initial meeting with local workers. In this scene they convincingly convey the historic situation that had developed in St Petersburg towards the end of 1904. With suitably drawn features Gapon (played by Kenneth Colley) passionately begins a moral crusade, insighting the people to take their protests directly to the Tsar himself. With Nicholas relating the terrible events, excellent use of archive photos and sound effects convincingly convey the ?Bloody Sunday? atrocity of January 1905 that resulted from their peaceful protest. So to sum up I?d say that despite being relatively free of familiar faces in the cast (apart from those appearances I have already mentioned in previous episode comments) the actual plot is interesting and really quite engaging.
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Although the events of the previous episode are briefly mentioned, <span style='color:blue'>?The Appointment?</span>, set during February 1905 develops Russian events further with the arrival of a new St Petersburg Chief of Police, in normal times, a fairly minor position. However in this period of civil unrest the incumbent of the position had the power to direct the policies of the regime either towards reform or towards repression. In my opinion the motivations and background of the slightly shifty looking Ratchkovsky (played by Michael Bryant) is central to this eighth episode of the series. It was on the advice of his generals that Ratchkovsky was considered for the post however the former Finance Minister expressed his concerns which in his detailed conversation with the Nicholas clearly leave an indelible impression on the Tsar. Although confronting him about what he has learnt Nicholas duly appoints Ratchkovsky. It is clear that Ratchkovsky?s investiture in the role has unsettling effects on the other members of the Tsar?s staff however Nicholas retains authority and respect for his new Chief of Police. I particularly enjoyed the ?medals ceremony? which directly relates to the Japanese conflict mentioned in the previous episode. As a small representation of the suffering the Russian forces endured it also conveys the love that these service men have for their Tsar and pursuance of their duties, resulting in the overt, somewhat farcical and seemingly unexpected outpouring of emotion that rather overwhelmed Nicholas and his staff. At first sight this episode seems once more to be bereft of further guest stars but look closely and you might come across a few familiar ?Cult TV? faces. Playing Hesse is, Michael Cotterill whom certain viewers might connect to his somewhat gruesome Androgum gourmet character, Shockeye o? the Quawncing Grig. Although here minus his red hair and slightly ?suspect? completion I quickly nailed the actor from the 1985 Doctor Who story ?The Two Doctors?. And while we are on the subject of Who related actors (you might have gathered I have a bit of an interest) if you have ever wondered what Peter Pratt (who featured in the 1976 tale ?The Deadly Assassin?) looked like then pay close attention to the operatic singer featured briefly when Rathkovsky meets with Alexandra towards the end of the episode. The episode draws to a close with intriguing black and white archive film footage matched with Michael Horden informed narration interspersed with a short scene of Ratchkovsky leaving both his Police Chief position and the series from the same secluded setting into which he walked into at the beginning of the episode.
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Prior to FoE, the only roles in which I'd seen Charles Kay (Nicholas II) was as the anal-retentive headmaster Alcock in To Serve Them All My Days, and as a senator in one episode of I, Claudius. How interesting to see him as a slightly romantic figure here (and certainly one with more hair!) I also just saw him in Fortunes of War, the 1987 mini-series about British ex-pats in Romania and elsewhere during WWII, starring Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson (they met while filming). Worth a peek if you haven't seen it.

Also popping up from TSTAMD in the Nicky episodes is Frank Middlemass (Algy Herreis) as Stolypin.