Here's the Triple A Team at last night's screening of the first episode of The Librarians at National Library. Oh - I was wrong about having a glass of wine in one hand as there was only tea, coffee and water (I was happy though as it left that hand free for holding the delicious salmon and cucumber sandwiches they had and my mind clear for dealing with my first bout of knitting straight on circular needles. In the dark. Yep, wash cloth #7 went with me on the circs I had left over from The Kittyville Hat)
There was an excellent turnout. Even The Parliamentary Librarian got excited about the event (or maybe she'd just spotted the smoked salmon sandwiches?) Please note that she, like many others, made sure to wear her pearls and cardigan (in a completely ironic and Halloween-costumish-way)We got an official Thank You from the ABC:
So..... what did I think of it and will I be watching it again?
I found the Head Librarian (Frances O'Brien) to be very irritating and racist and just basically a nasty piece or work. (I mean come on would someone like that really get let alone keep a job in Local Government these days?) Oh, and every time she spoke with that rising inflection all I could think of was dust...anybody? No? Hopefully I'll get used to it (or she'll settle down somewhat) otherwise I think it'll annoy me so much I'll have to stop watching.
As for staying up regularly to watch it (added to my ability to forget to watch TV even when there's something on I want to see) the chances of me lasting the distance, are, I fear, Not High. Unless I gather a support group to come eat dinner, drink wine and watch it with me.
Did you watch it? What do you think?
7 comments :
I've been reading your blog for a while now, and it's always nice to hear from someone else in Canberra. This morning, however, I'm struck with a particular "it's a small world after all" feeling, seeing that photo of Roxanne Missingham, the parliamentary librarian -- also known as the mother of two of my best friends, who I've known since I was 10 years old. Feels slightly creepy and cyberstalkery ;) I also think I recognise the lady on the left in that first photo... I think one of my friends might go to various knitting extravaganzas with her. Ahhh... 1/6 of a degree of separation, oh how I love you.
ps. I missed The Librarians... I'm slightly ashamed to admit it was simply too much past my bed time. Shh.
Knitting extravaganzas? Yep, that would be me - hi Lizzi. I know Roxanne, too - we're in a book group together. It is a particularly Canberra thing.
Scarily, I used to work for a Head Librarian who was very much like Frances O'Brien. She didn't last very long, which was a Good Thing, but she made life hell while whe was there. Fortunately there aren't many of them around any more.
I was so looking forward to this show, having spent most of my life to the age of 21 either hanging around the library mum worked at, or working in one.
But I have to say it - I hated it! It just made me sad and from the first 2 minutes I kept thinking "Oh well, that's half an hour per week I get back on my life not having to watch this crap".
But it looks like you had a good night regardless!
My sister is a librarian but I don't know about this show. Maybe we don't get it in the US? On my blog you can see her at the anti-war demonstration with her "Librarians for Peace" sign!
OK - I have to confess I watched it the next day after my housemate taped it for me... I was interupted half way through by a phone call.. and I simply never went back to watch the rest. Frances annoyed me SO much that I just didn't want her on my screen. It was her racist remarks actually. It's refreshing to have Muslim characters but could they just be there for their own sake rather than as target for a 'racism' story line? Also, does the 'wild girl' ex-friend really need to be dressed like she's just stepped out of a nightclub, to show up the difference between her and 'Franny'?
Hmmm....
Kerry
Heidi
It's an Australian show - just released by the ABC (That's Australian Broadcasting Authority, not American, just in case you're confused!)
Tell your sister to follow the link at the top of this post to the show's website and she can watch it there.
I wouldn't get too hung up on the impossibility of the entire programme's suppositions, e.g. an openly racist (in public) librarian who hires people without due process.
I would prefer to say the script was weak, and far too slow-moving, with no laughs at all. I've worked with people in libraries who are much more objectionable than those portrayed in The Librarians, and every library worker could point to backstabbing, infighting, office romances, dodgy accounting, pressures to cut back, pressures to outsource, people doing outside work in library time, nepotism, megalomania, tantrums, sulking, real OH & S issues, feigned OH & S issues -- in other words a whole world of dramatic possibilities which can be found in any work environment -- and these have remained unexplored.
The Bookweek discussions could have opened up a Pandora's box, and introduced the characters -- instead they were used for a few weak jokes -- and nowhere did I hear the most common line about bookweek which is heard in most libraries: "I didn't realise -- maybe next year?"
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