122 – The Singing Detective

Why Did We Watch This

Another summer has begun, and with it, another miniseries. This year, we’re kicking off our Summer of Unhinged Musicals with a movie that… might be arguably a musical, but kind of probably isn’t. As you might be able to guess, it’s 2003’s The Singing Detective, a not-very-acclaimed movie adaptation of a very-acclaimed British series. Please know that despite the name, there’s no actual singing, just a lot of lip synching to recordings of 1950s pop standards, which is… a choice that might not fully have a reason behind it here! Join Leigh, Brendan, and Chris as they discuss the many odd decisions this movie makes, the questionable directorial choices (why, Keith Gordon, why???), and why Robert Downey Jr. might have seemed like a good option for the lead but kind of doesn’t really work. Also accompanying the main feature is a cocktail as bitter and tobacco-tinged as Dan Dark himself.