Julian Fellowes (was Picture of Richard)

Jonathan wrote: //snip// " That's not to say you don't cut text. I'm all for losing stuff that obscures meaning, and I don't mind a degree of word substitution if it aids clarity. But what Fellowes was doing is a whole different order of vandalism, and he also justified it in the most condecending way (for which he was roundly ridiculed on the 'The Now Show,' a BBC Radio comedy, which depicted him expounding on the fact that, because of his highly expensive degree, he was able to understand and interpret for the plebian classes the language of the Clangers - you'd need to be a Brit growing up in the seventies to get much sense out of that." Doug here: Well. That blows the "benefit of the doubt" argument right out of the water, doesn't it? Sounds rather as if those "Clangers" were the 70s' precursors to "Spitting Image" - which I never missed once I'd first seen it. There's a definite "sting" to such British comedies that's lacking over here. I miss it... Doug