Something is changing with respect to the popularity of Richard Armitage in America (North America to be specific), and yet ‘The Hobbit’ is still almost two years away! I’ve been encountering more and more people who know RA’s name and have seen him in more than one role. Wow. What a change from three years ago! Or even one year ago. But I don’t think it’s due to his being cast in ‘The Hobbit’. At this point ‘The Hobbit’ is only on the radar of those in the movie industry, the LOTR fans, maybe a couple of other fan clubs and us. Everyone else won’t give a rat’s ass about it until we’re a few months or perhaps a few weeks or days from the premiere.
This recent awareness of Richard Armitage mostly comes down to Netflix. They are the only entity who provides us with a steady diet of RA. When I first started watching RA three plus years ago, there was almost nothing available in this country. The only thing I found was ‘North and South’ on Netflix and some documentary about that other guy. Now there are numerous things to watch, and many of them are ‘Instant Play’, and that’s the key.
Numerous friends scattered around the country who regularly watch ‘Instant Play’ have been discovering this “new” actor and just can’t tell me enough about him. Never mind that a couple of those people are the same ones I’ve told about ‘North and South’, ‘Spooks’, ‘Robin Hood’, etc. LOL! Hey, I don’t care how they discovered him; I’m just glad they did. Even my best friend, who at one point would roll her eyes when RA’s name came up, finally watched ‘North and South’ via ‘Instant Play’. Yea, Tammi!!! Of course she loves it and him. I knew she would! And she could have loved him sooner if she had just watched the DVDs I loaned her almost three years ago.
But I guess there really is something seductive about Netflix saying, “Tammi, rate what you’ve seen to reveal suggestions just for you” while your ass is firmly planted on the couch, and you can merely push a couple of buttons as opposed to getting up and taking the discs out of the case and putting them in the DVD player. LOL! Oh, Netflix has the power! What was I thinking to encourage the viewing of some DVDs loaned from my special collection? I mean here I am Tammi’s best friend, and we love each others’ tastes, but those precious discs just sat on the shelf! In comes Netflix with its heady offering of ‘North and South’ on ‘Instant Play’, and what I could not do for almost three years, they managed in a moment.
Tammi’s conversion occurred last summer, but this phenomenon of Netflix and RA didn’t become evident until last fall. I was going to highlight this sooner but thought it would be boring to you. Yesterday changed that. I was surfing around and found this blogger. It would be interesting to know how long she’s been a fan, and obviously, Netflix is part of her RA love. Maybe sometime she will share how exactly she became a fan, since I’m not quite sure if Netflix did it or just inflamed her some more. However it happened, I never get tired of those stories! Always makes me feel more sane, and dammit, I am sane! :D
In the meantime, as much as I appreciate Netflix being the bearers of so much loveliness, I have a request of them:
To Whom It May Concern at the big host in the sky,
Thank you so much for introducing so many people to Richard Armitage! I can’t tell you how grateful I am. It’s helped my best friend join this wonderful madness with me.
But do you think we could enjoy his loveliness when we do a query on his name? If you would be so kind to give him an avatar, I’m not sure how I would show my appreciation. Maybe send out a few thousand of those trial memberships to my friends.
And if I may suggest, this might be a good picture if you’re not sure which one would be appropriate:
Of course I have no clue about the legalities of using it, but it is the one featured on his IMDb page, so I think it’s okay. But I’ll leave those details to you.
Thank you for any consideration.
Sincerely,
One of Richard’s fans and great Netflix lover :DP.S. How can we get Strike Back on the list?
Oh, and I would give credit to BBC America and PBS for the rise of RA’s star, but BBCA is sporadic in their love of RA, and PBS hasn’t shown much at all with him? Actually, I remember nothing although I have heard rumors that some regional stations have shown ‘North and South.’ Amazing that the network known for embracing period dramas has been almost a non-player of that mini-series, and it’s been necessary to mount a campaign to bring ‘North and South’ to PBS. Yeah, can you believe that? And I’m not even going to mention A&E beyond this sentence.
Note: FanstRAvaganza will return tomorrow; still waiting on something for now.
edit: Okay, okay, yes, YouTube has been instrumental, but it’s hit or miss there and the programs are usually not complete. For that you need Netflix.
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RAFrenzy 
Well said! Love the letter. I would also like to see Strike Back- and he DOES need his pic on Netflix!
Am I the first today? O.O
Well. Only Strikeback has been showing in Spain and I can’t see it because the channel is pay television. I can surf on the web, but I’m trying to make my own collection.
In my case, Jane Austen had the blame. She, Elisabeth Gaskell and the girls of @salonjaneausten forum and my dear maichi who said two words about him and I take the bait as a silly mermaid. ‘And by this way Ariel lost his voice to have two legs and win the heart of the prince’ *deep sigh*
Jeanea bit you today, Antonia, but maybe tomorrow. :)
Netflix needs to go international!
I mean she ‘beat’ you. I need some caffeine or something.
Yes, yes, yes!!! Last Friday Spooks 8&9 became instant streaming. DH is into it with me so I have someone to watch with (albeit with different motivation ;). The bad thing, we’re staying up waaaaay too late.
So how do we mount a campaign for Strike Back?
I’m off topic but is there a North American supplier for his narrated Lords of the North? I checked the link from previous post and was denied product as undeliverable. Sure I’m missing something.
Love all the posts and comments.
For months I have been tempted to write Netflix a very similar letter to yours. I had netflix for six months and never used it until one rainy day I wanted to watch Pride & Prejudice on instant watch and it kept suggesting NOrth and South. I thought it was that horrid american version so I kept passing. Then when I figured out it wasn’t the American N&S I decided I didn’t like the picture of that mean looking guy on the cover. Finally I took the bait and my life has not been the same. I LURVE Netflix.
No question about it. I would not know anything about RA were it not for Netflix. North and South was suggested to me and I have been following him ever since. I discovered YouTube because I Googled him to find out where he was born. Now I have you and the rest of the fans and bloggers to keep me company. MI-5 Vol 9 is an Instant Play on Netflix now. The only way to find it is to search for RA, not MI-5. Just finished watching the last episode.
And I thought that only in my country it is hard to see RA on TV. Although I must admit that last month our Public TV (without commercial breaks) has issued “Strike Back. ” Not quite like other films of this type, but RA was so briliant as JP. And now the wallpaper on my laptop is JP (I’m sorry John Thornton). I will not even write how long I waited to be able to buy (I mean the availability in the shop) The Convenient Marriage, but managed to and now is a chance that in about two weeks, which is on my birthday I will listen to this wonderful voice
I like Netflix too, the only issue I have with them is there are not many Native American films or documentaries, or a wide European selection. We usually end up ordering dvds from AmazonUK for our much loved British movies.
I too have notice RA’s appeal to America, especially the number of discussions on our Amazon.com. However, American audience is usually short-lived (unless the actor is in and out of trouble frequently) and extremely critical. I would like to see RA become more popular here, but I sincerely dislike all the drama that comes alone with it. I tend to not read the comments from American critics or reviews because of the unnecessary and preposterous comments some people leave.
Netflix crept on little cat feet into Canada last Autumn. As far as I can see, not a big inventory here yet. Still, it should shake up the broadcast industry a bit.
@Frenz, you are well positioned to determine trends. If Mr. A is garnering more response in the U.S., that is very good news. The more choices an actor has, the better for his/her develpment. As long as he’s not the token Englishman in Rom-com. He does have more irony than Colin Firth, and much more depth than Hugh G, but…
A Nick & Nora mystery? Ros/Lucas banter?
@socialworkmama, enter the giveaway. You might get lucky twice. :D
I think you can also call AudioGo to order, which is a workaround for the online ordering. That’s how I ordered it originally.
@Patti. Oh, I hear you about the American version, and actually, another friend of mine loaned me her DVDs and I didn’t start watching them until after I saw a YouTube video, but I didn’t have the things for two and a half years. LOL!
@All, I hope you know that Tammi reads my blog, and I have to give her a hard time occasionally. :D
@Kathie, that is interesting about the search. Originally, you had to search on the show as he was not listed in any cast but North and South. Glad to see things are changing.
@Ania, it was quite a feat to watch him in anything other than North and South 3+ years ago. If you wanted to watch him, you had to either buy the DVDs (if available) or use nefarious means to dl something. I’m so glad that’s changing.
@Avalon, it’s almost a point of honor for some of these people to get negative on sites like Amazon. I ignore them for the most part.
@Fitzg, I shudder at the thought of him being relegated to the token Brit in a rom-com, and frankly, rom-com is not high on my list of genres I long to see him in. Oh, I would watch one if he were in it! LOL! But there are so many other sings I long to see him play that it would take a while to get to something like that.
@Frenz, CA only if younger family members, with love of comic-book stuff decide to go…otherwise, for 5? 15? mins. , maybe stick to the YTube vids. Does this make me less a besotted supporter/fan? And of course, we live in hope that the final cut will show an extended role for Kruger. Though, he’ll have to bite the dust anyway. But Mr. A is accustomed to doing that well in TV.
Of course, I’ll see any rom-com he lands in. Reluctantly :) Hugh G did rom-com better than CF, but who survived transitions? Who didn’t? (Ithink an actor such as RA could…) But…
Weighing in late … I got Netflix because of Armitage — because I started to get more curious about Robin Hood than was good for me. However, I hate watching stuff on my computer screen and only do it while in extremis (e.g., playing stuff while I’m grading). The result of watching three episodes of RH on Netflix was that I bought the discs. I love Netflix because of the actual physical discs, and the convenience of obtaining and returning them. I live in fear that someday they will terminate their disc sending service and only offer video streaming.
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I also discovered RA thanks to Netflix in January. I agree w/ Patti that the photo of him on the N&S cover is mean-looking & unflattering. Wish it could be changed. Anyway, Have watched MI-5 series 7-9 on Netflix, thank you NF! I have also tracked down almost everything else he’s been in through other sources. IMDB has all the Ultimate Force episodes, for those who are interested. Let’s hope hope there are more romantic parts & less macho stuff in his future roles. I love looking at his muscles, but OMG can that man kiss!
Welcome, Myra! So you’ve been a fan going on four months? Did Netflix suggest North and South, or were you just surfing? Do you have a favorite role so far? And yes, he is the best kisser I’ve seen on the big screen or the small screen for that matter. The man has the moves. :D
[…] Tammi, my close friend whom I’ve talked about on blog here and here (with her permission, and yes, that’s her real name although I gave her the option of a fake […]