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Post by nostradamus on Oct 4, 2011 13:18:56 GMT -5
Which portrayal of the leading lady from the series impresses you the most? Is it the working girl from the early days, or the career-minded woman from the later episodes?
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Post by ryan1992 on Oct 4, 2011 14:06:25 GMT -5
If I had a choice I would take Phoebe Bamford.
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Post by nostradamus on Oct 4, 2011 14:24:22 GMT -5
If I had a choice I would take Phoebe Bamford. I agree, ryan1992.
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Post by jobsta on Oct 4, 2011 19:26:56 GMT -5
I'm in the same camp. On my most recent re-watch Phoebe's nagging Gary over his songwriting career in that later series really bugged me.
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Post by ibindere on Oct 5, 2011 6:43:43 GMT -5
phoebe bamford for me !! :-)
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Post by tintwistle on Oct 6, 2011 8:22:43 GMT -5
Yes, it's Phoebe Bamford for me, and doubly so when Eric was still around. Phoebe's early innocence and mid-20th-century sense of propriety make her all the more intriguing.
Tintwistle
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karl
Junior Member
In every generation,there is a chosen one.
Posts: 64
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Post by karl on Oct 9, 2011 10:21:28 GMT -5
phoebe bamford for me !! :-) Me too!
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pat10
Junior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by pat10 on Oct 9, 2011 13:07:25 GMT -5
Yeah phoebe bamford for me too !
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Post by nostradamus on Oct 9, 2011 14:04:42 GMT -5
Not a lot of love for Mrs. Sparrow..
* but then again she is married * :-0
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Post by jobsta on Oct 9, 2011 20:42:17 GMT -5
Indeed, it's a clean run for Bamford.
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Post by jrichard88 on Oct 9, 2011 21:37:45 GMT -5
Yes, it's Phoebe Bamford for me, and doubly so when Eric was still around. Phoebe's early innocence and mid-20th-century sense of propriety make her all the more intriguing. Tintwistle I agree with this post. It's so easy to see why Gary falls for Phoebe in the first place. And to some extent, we the audience do as well, which makes Phoebe Bamford the superior characterization, in my opinion
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Post by royaloakregular on Oct 12, 2011 14:17:33 GMT -5
Definitely Phoebe Bamford.
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col
New Member
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Post by col on Nov 7, 2011 15:47:08 GMT -5
That ooohhh Gary thing she used to do when Gary gave her present always makes me smile ;D
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Post by maximus on Nov 20, 2011 7:07:12 GMT -5
I only recently bought the DVD set of the show, and after my first run through the six series I would have agreed with the rest of you that Phoebe Bamford was the best version of the character. However, I am starting to change my mind about it.
Firstly, it would have been impossible for Liz to portray Phoebe in the same manner that Dervla did. Actors always bring a bit of themselves to the character. I think Liz brought a lot of sunshine to the role. Not least because she has a lovely smile. In some ways she was more playful, and it is difficult to imagine Dervla in some of the latter episodes.
Secondly, I really do think the singing created an extra dimension to the character. Dervla wouldn't have been able to pull that off. Also, I liked how the addition of Michael brought out Pheobe's maternal side. It made her more playful.
I think in the end Gary is the anti hero of the story, although I do sympathise with him. Phoebe had to develop into being a hero of sorts for the story to progress.
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Post by ryan1992 on Nov 20, 2011 13:17:32 GMT -5
I only recently bought the DVD set of the show, and after my first run through the six series I would have agreed with the rest of you that Phoebe Bamford was the best version of the character. However, I am starting to change my mind about it. Firstly, it would have been impossible for Liz to portray Phoebe in the same manner that Dervla did. Actors always bring a bit of themselves to the character. I think Liz brought a lot of sunshine to the role. Not least because she has a lovely smile. In some ways she was more playful, and it is difficult to imagine Dervla in some of the latter episodes. Secondly, I really do think the singing created an extra dimension to the character. Dervla wouldn't have been able to pull that off. Also, I liked how the addition of Michael brought out Pheobe's maternal side. It made her more playful. I think in the end Gary is the anti hero of the story, although I do sympathise with him. Phoebe had to develop into being a hero of sorts for the story to progress. If Dervla had continued playing Phoebe beyond season three, her character would never have been a singer. It was due to Elizabeth Carling's background as a singer and her suggestion for Phoebe to go down the singing route.
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Post by maximus on Nov 20, 2011 18:01:20 GMT -5
Exactly my point. I remember Dervla saying in an interview two years ago that she couldn't sing or dance. She is no doubt a very fine actress, but there wouldn't have been an evolution of the character if Liz hadn't come along. They might have still rented the club, but Pheobe would have continued serving drinks. That stagnation would have quickly become obvious.
Anyway, I felt very disappointed during my first run through the six series with the change of actress, but subsequent viewings have altered my opinion.
Off topic- As I type this, I am half way through the jack the ripper episode. I have really noticed the change in Gary on the run through. He has become much less likeable in this sixth series. He is more self centred and Pheobe is left to hold the family and business together by her self. I wonder was this a deliberate change by the writers? Perhaps to make it clear before the show ended that Gary was the anti hero...
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Post by royaloakregular on Dec 14, 2011 15:57:29 GMT -5
I liked Pheobe Bamford... mostly because I found Dervla to be the most attractive of the two actresses... and I liked Dervla's accent more.. for example the way she said "Sparrow" as Sparrah"
I actually thought she was a cockney, only discovered she wasnt a few years ago.
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Post by maximus on Dec 14, 2011 21:26:03 GMT -5
Does anyone else have trouble joining up the two versions of Pheobe? I feel like Pheobe Bamford ends with Dervla leaving, and Pheobe Sparrow is a new character. It is particularly awkward when Gary refers in the latter series' to things he did with Pheobe in the first three series. It's like Liz's Pheobe is a completely separate character.
By the way, I can at least understand why people prefer Pheobe Bamford because of Dervla's looks; however, I don't think Pheobe Sparrow is much harder than Bamford. Dervla could be quite strong with Gary too. The obvious exception being series one, in which Pheobe was incredibly naive.
Also, and slightly off topic, Liz looked more attractive as the show progressed. She lost a lot of weight from the middle of series 5 onwards. I think puffiness of the fourth series put people off. Give her some credit; she looked pretty good in the final series! Maybe it's down to personal preference though...
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Post by kellimarie on Mar 14, 2012 16:46:51 GMT -5
I love them both. The Dervla scenes would not have worked with Liz and vice versa. London Pride for example, Liz was hysterical in that but I don't think that Dervla would've be as funny. Like the scene where Liz first enters the butchers sounding all common but returning later with Gary sounding all posh. Then the scene where Noel Coward is teaching Phoebe to speak correctly was classic especially when Gary joined in. And of course, the funniest scene when Reg walks in wearing a toupe. The conversation between Gary, Phoebe and Reg, shortly joined by Noel followed by Reg and Noel dancing, had me in tears. Dervla's Phoebe was also funny. When Gary and Phoebe go to the country, her reactions, responses and humor was Dervla and would not have worked with Liz. I have practically worn out my DVD collection watching GNS that many times but at the first watching, on BBC TV in the nineties, the only reason I watched it was...1. I love time travel and 2. I loved Dervla's performance, her personally and comical innocence. I was a fan of Nicolas from the days of 'Only fools and horses' so he was perfect for the part, and the only reason I think it was a success, replacing him would have killed the show faster than cyanide. Then the shock came! Dervla had left the show... AAARRRGGHH!! They can't be serious! The new Phoebe was someone I had never heard of at the time and I remember watching series 4 episode 1 for the very first time and my sister said, "That's the new Phoebe, Liz Carling." My reply was that there was only one Phoebe and that was Dervla. But by the end of series 4 I'd got to like Liz, her Phoebe was different but likeable. Then came series 5 and the scenes mentioned above along with the night club scenes, the crims trying to rob the night club and all the other classic Liz scenes. Both actresses played Phoebe perfectly, in their own way so after all this time, I can't choose...I love them both. I close my reply in stating that Michelle Holmes was the best Yuonne as I could not take to Emma Amos although she did have a few classic scenes like in 'The houses inbetween' and 'When two worlds collide'. Phoebe: Nice coat Yuonne: Thanks, I got it from Bloomingdales. Phoebe: Blooming where?
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Post by jrichard88 on Mar 15, 2012 1:27:43 GMT -5
I think the switch came at a perfect time for the Phoebe character's story arc. She just found out she was going to be a mom, and this might just be me, but Liz's Phoebe always came across as more motherly to me. Frankly, I'm not sure if I could've bought Dervla's Phoebe as a mom, but that might just be me.
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