Losing Faith





“A critical acclaim and social media buzz” – The Times 
“A TV trailblazer… a delight to watch” – Grazia 
“Big Little Lies relocated to rural Wales” – The Guardian 
“A tale of organized crime and domestic strife” – The New York Times

She’s back!

"She" being our yellow mac’d mam-slash-sleuthing solicitor, who spent much of the first series driving back and forth along the stunning Carmarthenshire (and Southerndown) coast in search of errant hubby Evan, whilst singalonging with her kids, downing prosecco with the girls, being pursued by a dodgy cop straight outta Line of Duty and lapswchin’ with Mark Lewis-Jones. The rest of Britain know her as Faith Howells off Keeping Faith from last summer’s network hit (and smashed iPlayer as the 5th most popular TV programme of 2018) now with an added duck egg blue coat and killer heels.

We, however, are more familiar with Faith from Un Bore Mercher (One Wednesday Morning) on S4C starring a plethora of familiar faces like Rhian Morgan and Aneurin Hughes – just as Danish viewers are well-accustomed with the same actors popping up in more than one serial over there. Since then, Faith has travelled to far-flung places like the US, New Zealand, Israel and Sweden. Here’s hoping Talacharn is ready for an influx of square-eyed foreign fans and journos.


Torchwood

Eve Myles is a fairly familiar face in the UK after appearing in Torchwood, the less well received Broadchurch 2 and the HTV/BBC Wales soapies Nuts and Bolts (2000) plus the hugely popular Belonging (2000-2009). Un Bore Mercher is her first starring rôle in Welsh, and a coup for someone who wasn’t bought up in the language despite hailing from Ystradgynlais, a Cymraeg stronghold in the upper Swansea Valley. She learned with gusto, throwing herself into Anwen Huws’ adaptation of Mathew Hall’s original scripts, and sounds like a natural. Having a Welsh-speaking hubby (on TV and real-life) and fellow cast members helped no doubt. 

Ardderchog!

And here we are, S4C viewers, getting the second series on Sunday nights a few months before the rest of monolingual Blighty. Hardened fans can easily watch live with on-screen subtitles, or via S4C Clic’s excellent catch up service with the options of Cymraeg or English subtitles. Beat that, iPlayer!

So why am I not as enthralled as the world and his wife and the Radio Times cover?


Steve Baldini aka Mark Lewis Jones

Firstly, as a native speaker, the translated Welsh dialogue isn’t entirely credible this time round. It sounds just like that – a literal translation peppered with English idioms – instead of a free flowing interpretation of the original script. Which is a crying shame, as I found myself grinding my teeth rather than enjoying the dramatics. Other jarring elements included Alex Harries’ daft wig as Arthur the criminal-turned-childminder, the reincarnation of Gael the Oirish moll (the less effective Anastasia Hille, last seen in Baptiste) and DI Williams (Eiry Thomas) suddenly acting Nice Cop after a decidedly Bad Cop in season one.

On the plus side, Faith’s relationship with her children is a complete joy to watch as is her tension/headbutting-filled scenes with Evan, now a resident of HMP Swansea. And yes, the cameraman succeeds in showcasing Carmarthen Bay at its best, with a little help from sun-kissed 2018.

But that soundtrack. Oh! that bloody soundtrack. Usually accompanied with flashbacks of Faith and Evan in happier times, rolling in daisy fields like some Timotei ads of old. Ela Hughes (daughter of show’s actor Aneurin Hughes and show’s director Pip Broughton – c’mon, this is Cymru Fach after all) has a beautiful voice, but these sporadic ballads are at odds with the rest of the programme; more akin to a cheesy Channel 5 film on a damp Monday afternoon than a passable law drama. As for the translated words, some would put Eurovision lyricists to shame:
“Troi pob craith mewn i ffaith 
Er mwyn i bawb sy’n dod cael gweld dy daith”
“Mi fydda i yn ddim byd...”

Where’s that mute button again?


Its roaring success as Keeping Faith remains a bit of a mystery to me, especially as an avid viewer of far superior dramas over the years from S4C. Here are my personal highlights as noted in Nation.Cymru earlier this year, that could easily be sold to Netflix et al:
  • Tair Chwaer (1997-1999) about a trio of country singing sisters from Cwm Gwendraeth.
  • Talcen Caled (1999-2005) following a Porthmadog family struggling post-bankruptcy with a Cob-ful of dark humour.
  • Con Passionate (2005-2008) about a Carmarthenshire male voice choir shaken to its core by sassy new conductor Davina Roberts (classical singer Shan Cothi) and the first ever Welsh language programme to win a prestigious european Rose d'Or award in 2007.
  • Alys (2011-2012) about a single mum (BAFTA award-winning Sara Lloyd-Gregory) who left London under a cloud with dreams of starting afresh in wild western Wales.
  • Parch (2015-2018) - my all time favourite - a richly dark Six Feet Under-esque dramedy starring Myfanwy (Carys Eleri) a middle aged mum, wife and parish priest questioning her faith after a shocking diagnosis. Written by lecturer and songstress Fflur Dafydd, the finale me in a flood of tears as we said goodbye to one of the most original dramas ever shown in any language.
Carys Eleri of "Parch" fame


If you’re looking for something edgier from a wholly original Welsh script today, then give Merched Parchus (Respectable Women) a go. Originally shown as a bingeworthy 
boxset of 8x15’ on Clic, it features the (mis)adventures of newly dumped Carys (excellent actress and writer Hanna Jarman) and her three friends, weaving their way around the tequila-soaked streets of the capital, broken and newfound relationships, insta-bitchingawful media parties and book launches, and the perils of returning home to live with mam. The episode of Carys’ time on a creative writing course in a gothic mansion with other odd bods, certainly rang true here as someone often plagued with writers block and a blank computer screen. With a mixture of pitch black humour, blue language, Cymraeg pop culture references (Mr Urdd! Catrin Beard! Clwb Ifor!), podcasts of American serial killers, and empathy laden characters, you will – trust me – be well and truly hooked. It looks and sounds unlike anything shown on S4C in recent times, and should appeal to fans of Fleabag, Girls and more.

And that shocking but inevitable ending is screaming for another series.




Here’s hoping S4C sells this fantastic series in its original format, like the excellent Bang (about Port Talbot siblings on either side of the law, repeated on BBC One Wales, 10.20pm Saturday 25th May onwards) rather than another back-to-back production where the Welsh version plays a frustrating second fiddle to the English.

Mwynhewch/Enjoy!


Fantastic Four - Mari Beard, Sion Ifan, Hanna Jarman, Mali Ann Rees



Merched Parchus
cynyrchiadau ieie productions

main cast:
Carys – Hanna Jarman
Lowri – Mari Beard
Siriol – Mali Ann Rees
Dan – Siôn Ifan
Menna – Nia Caron
Ben – Berwyn Pearce
Cai – Emily Burnett
Emyr – Gruffudd Glyn
Phil – Iestyn Arwel
Tom – Tom Rhys Harries

written by: Hanna Jarman + Mari Beard
producer: Alice Lusher
director: Claire Fowler







                                         S4C outside Wales:                                          
Virgin TV - 166
Freesat - 120
Sky - 134

Watch S4C online on:

Dramâu parchus




Siŵr braidd fod yna gyfryngis wedi ymddangos ar lwyfan yr Urdd. P’un a aethon nhw ymhellach na’r steddfod gylch sy’n fater arall. Ond mae gormod ohonyn nhw wedi bod drwy’r ysgol lefaru / adrodd dros ben llestri. Pa reswm arall sydd dros orliwio’r gair “Bregzit” bob gafael mewn adroddiadau newyddion? Ac mae sylwebydd gwleidyddol uchel ei barch (ro'n i'n meddwl) y Bîb yn dal i sgwennu am “Fregsutwyr” yn ei flog diweddaraf. Plîs peidiwch. Rhowch gorau iddi. 'Da chi’n Cymreigio a diwyllio hen air g’neud hyll - cyfuniad o “British” ac “Exit” - nad oedd yn bodoli tan ryw dair blynedd yn ôl. Â’r newyddion dyddiol yn ddigon i roi’r felan ar unrhyw un, dw i’n dianc yn amlach nag erioed i fyd ddrama. Ar ôl osgoi’r peth gyhyd, ac anwybyddu broliant fy nghymdeithion dinesig, dw i wedi ildio i sianel danysgrifio Netflix. 

Na, nid ‘netfflugs’, ohebwyr BBC Cymru...


Dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, dw i wedi sawru thriller gwleidyddol o Canberra (Secret City 2), wedi sglaffio ail gyfres o ddrama ddirgel o dalaith Efrog Newydd (The Sinner) a thraflyncu stori am ddigwyddiad ysgytwol mewn ysgol uwchradd yn Stockholm (Quicksand). Oll ar gael fel bocsets i’w gwylio ar unwaith. Sy’n berig bywyd. Achos wrth i bennod afaelgar lifo’n rhwydd i’r llall, mae bron yn un y bore, a minnau’n flin fel Mark Francois yn y swyddfa drannoeth.




Mae ôl rifynnau Hinterland yno i rai sy’n dal i hiraethu am bach o Gardi Noir, yn ogystal â’r nesaf yn y ciw i mi - ffilm arswyd oes Fictoria, Apostle (2018) wedi’i chyfarwyddo gan Gareth Evans o Hirwaun a’i hactio gan wynebau cyfarwydd S4C. Wedi’i gosod ar ynys bellennig oddi ar arfordir Cymru, mae’n olrhain hanes gŵr ifanc sy’n teithio i’r ynys er mwyn achub ei chwaer o grafangau cwlt dan law pregethwr penwan (Michael Sheen). Mae’r dystysgrif deunaw oed a’r adolygiadau lu (“...exhilarating Netflix horror is a wild, gory surprise” o’r Guardian) yn awgrymu’n gryf nad adloniant i’r teulu cyfan yw hwn.

Fwy nag ydi Merched Parchus (Cynyrchiadau ie ie), cyfres gomedirama am ferch 30 oed o’r brifddinas a gadd ei gwrthod, sy’n dianc i fyd podlediadau am seicopathiaid Americanaidd. Ac mae dychymyg y cyw awdur Carys (Hanna Jarman) yn drên wrth iddi feddwl am wneud pethau anghynnes i gyn-gariadon, cyfryngis a’r parau insta-perffaith hynny sy’n fflachio’u gwên g'neud a’u modrwyau dyweddïo ar y we.


Ydy, mae S4C wedi cofleidio’r busnes bocsets trwy roi’r gyfres wyth pennod, chwarter awr yr un, ar wefan Clic yn gyntaf cyn y darllediad traddodiadol/hen ffash bob nos Wener ar y Sianel. Rhaid cyfaddef ’mod i’n ofni cyfres rad a chas pan weles i’r geiriau “chwarter awr” a’r “we” yn gyntaf. Ond mae’r gwirionedd yn wychach na hynny, gyda deialogi ffraeth, actio naturiol braf a chyfarwyddo celfydd, mewn cyfres sy’n dod ag elfennau Parch a Fleabag i’r cof. Fydd hi ddim at ddant pawb – mae yna dalpiau helaeth o Saesneg a ffantasïau du bitsh – ond mae’n cynnwys stamp unigryw Gymraeg (Mistar Urdd! Catrin Beard! Clwb Ifor!) ac yn greadigol wahanol i unrhyw beth a welais ar S4C ers sbel, os o gwbl.

Ac mae’n garreg filltir bwysig i’r Sianel, a ddywedodd yn ei hadroddiad blynyddol y llynedd, fod “...cyfleuster bocs set ar lein wedi cynyddu gwylio i rai cyfresi cymaint â 25%” a rhai fel Hansh yn denu “4.9 miliwn o sesiynau gwylio ar-lein - gyda mwyafrif y gwylio gan y gynulleidfa 16-34 oed”.

Cyfres arall plîs S4C. Mae’r cliffhanger yn crefu am hynny.

A rhywbeth cyffelyb wedi’i gosod yn y Gymru Gymraeg wledig tro nesa’.



Nederlands a North Bay





Efallai bod eu timau pêl-droed yn eithaf cyfarwydd i ni yn yr ynysoedd hyn (sori Ajax) ac un o ffefrynnau'r camp a rhemp Ewropeaidd eleni, ond nid felly dramâu teledu’r Iseldirwyr. Do, fe gawsom ni olygfeydd helaeth o erwau tiwlips, y camlesi a’r strydoedd coblog a Rwmaniaid amheus efo lli' gadwyn yn Baptiste ar BBC One, ac mae son am atgyfodi un o dditectifs (Saesneg) enwoca’r wlad yn Van Der Valk (1972-1992) gyda Marc Warren yn camu i sgidiau Barry Foster. Dim ond brith gof o fersiwn y 90au sydd gen i ar ITV, ond mae arwyddgan cofiadwy Jan Stoeckart wedi gadael argraff arna i erioed ac yn perthyn i gyfnod pan oedd cyfresi teledu yn cyflogi cyfansoddwyr i greu chwip o gredits y gallech hymian yn hawdd iddyn nhw. Gyda'n gilydd nawr... dy dy dy dyyy dy dy dy....


A rwan, diolch i’r anhepgor @WalterPresents, gallwch fwynhau thriller seicolegol The Adulterer neu Overspel (2011-2015) am ffotograffwraig briod sy’n disgyn dros ei phen a’i chlustiau mewn chwant gyda thwrna sy’n destun ymchwiliad oherwydd arferion amheus ei gleient o deulu maffia lleol y Couwenbergs. Gydag achos llys, llofruddiaethau, blacmel, bytheirio a boncio à la Teulu neu Dr Foster, mi ymgollais i’n llwyr ynddi adeg gwyliau diweddar i Bortiwgal. 

Croeso ’nôl hefyd i Cardinal, y ditectif dolefus o Ganada sydd ’mlaen am drydedd gyfres ar nosweithiau Sadwrn BBC Four. Dolefus achos mae’r cradur mewn galar wedi i’w wraig neidio i’w thranc poitshlyd o faes parcio aml-lawr ar ddiwedd y gyfres ddiwethaf – er bod y dyn ei hun (Billy Campbell) yn bur amheus wrth gael ei blagio gan gyfres o gardiau dienw. Ac ar ben pob dim, mae ei seidcic uchelgeisiol Lise Delorme (yr actores Québécois Karine Vanasse) yn ei lusgo ar drywydd llofrudd cwpl cefnog mewn hongliad o dŷ moethus yng nghanol y goedwig. Ac mae’r awyrluniau Scandi-aidd o goedwigoedd lliwgar Ontario adeg y Fall yn wledd i’r llygaid, ac yn wrthgyferbyniad braf i’r blociau ‘landromat’ a’r motels moel, fel y pocedi o ynysoedd a’r llynnoedd o amgylch North Bay ag islais sinistr fel pob drama noir-aidd gwerth ei halen. Ac ydy, mae’r stamp Nordic yn parhau gyda’r arwyddgan atmosfferig “Familiar” gan Agnes Obel o Ddenmarc. Roedd cryn gwyno ar twitter am safon y sain, a’r ffaith fod gormod o sibrwd-siarad, ond fel defnyddiwr isdeitlau cyson beth bynnag, dyw’n amharu dim arna i.

Da 'di’r cyfresi tywyll adeg ein nosweithiau gola ni.