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A Sharp Intake of Breath: The Weekend (1981)
Country calamities
'A Sharp Intake Of Breath' came out recently on D.V.D. and very enjoyable and amusing it is too ( though not quite amusing enough to cheer one up after the depressing fiasco of the General Election, otherwise known as 'Let Scares And Smears Win The Day!' ). 'The Weekend' comes from the final season, and was written by Vince Powell. 'Peter Barnes' ( David Jason ) bumps into an old school friend ( Anthony Dawes ) who invites him and 'Sheila' ( Jacqueline Clarke ) to his place in the country. Peter and Sheila look forward to an 'Upstairs, Downstairs'-type experience, only to find when they arrive that...his friend lives in a tatty caravan. When Peter attempts to climb onto his bunk, he falls through, landing on top of Sheila. But the real horror is yet to come, as Peter has to go to a farm to get some milk...
Two of the cast of 'Love Thy Neighbour' ( a sitcom mainly maligned by those who've never seen it ) pop up here; Kate Williams ( a.k.a. 'Joan Booth' ) as the wife of Peter's school friend and Paul Luty ( a.k.a. 'Nobby' the barman ) as a surly farmer. The caravan is cramped and comfort less and you wonder why the Barnes' don't go home straight away. Eventually, it rolls downhill and goes into a river. 'Father Ted' later did a similar episode.
Funniest moment - leaving the car, Peter steps into cow dung. He starts to say "Shit!" but then changes it to "Sheila!".
Down the 'Gate: Episode #1.1 (1975)
A fishy problem
The first season of 'Down the 'Gate' no longer exists in the archives. Fortunately, I watched it at the time, and the scripts are to be found on the Network D.V.D. The late Reg Varney plays 'Reg Furnell', Billingsgate fish porter, a cheerful chappie who takes in his stride whatever problems life throws in his way. He is happily married to the lovely 'Irene' ( Dilys Laye ), who is constantly trying to improve their social standing. In the first episode, she wants a new central heating system installed, but her husband cannot afford the £60 - a lot of money back then - deposit. She suggests using their holiday money and the savings he keeps in his gardening boot ( which she is not supposed to know about ). Hearing of a horse called 'Anvil Chorus' in a race at Windsor, Reg puts half the money on it. It comes in second. How is Reg going to explain this disaster to his wife?
'Down The 'Gate' took Varney back to the world of sitcom, which he'd avoided since leaving 'On The Buses' two years before. It was clearly intended to recapture that flavour of that show, with Reg being one of a group of men working in a close-knit environment, and domestic scenes featuring his family. Australian actor Reg Lye played 'Old Wol', with whom Reg had a father/son relationship, and in the first season, Tony Melody portrayed 'Len Peacock', a man who had a habit of landing Reg in hot water. The scripts were by Roy Tuvey and Maurice Sellar. The producer of the first season was William G. Stewart, of 'Bless This Home' fame. Despite its many good points, the show refused to gel, coming across for the most part as a half-hearted 'On The Buses' rehash. The second season went even further down the Buses road by bringing in a 'Blakey' type authority figure in the formidable shape of 'Mr.Preston' ( Percy Herbert ). Reg tries to get his money back by purchasing two prime salmon from his employer and attempting to sell them to a local publican, only to find Len has beaten him to it. Luckily, a Steward's Enquiry means that the winner of the race is disqualified, and Reg cops £630 in winnings.
Funniest moment - the opening scene with Reg having a bad morning. The house is freezing, the pop-up toaster turns the bread, and the cutlery drawer falls on the floor when he tries to open it. We've all had mornings like that...
Cowboys: Two Right Casanovas (1980)
A day at the seaside!
The final episode of Season One sees Joe and the gang taking off to the seaside resort of Ludno-On-Sea.
Joe's car breaks down en route, and poor Doreen has to push the rest of the way. Joe fancies a dip in the sea, only to find he has inadvertently strayed onto a nudist beach ( a then-topical reference to Brighton Council's recent decision to allow au naturelle sunbathers on its sand ). Much to Joe's chagrin, Doreen appears to be getting over-friendly with gormless Eric. At the boys' night out, Geyser finds himself lumbered with the man-hungry Vera ( Sheila Steafel ).
This was the last appearance of Debbie Linden's 'Doreen'. She would be replaced the following year by Janine Duvitski as plain-Jane 'Muriel'. That lovely character actor Gordon Rollings shows up as a hapless drunk.
Funniest moment - after Geyser gets up on stage to sing, Vera becomes so excited she chases him onto the beach. Geyser is forced to hide under a pile of litter near the pier to escape her amorous advances.
Cowboys: C.L.O.D. (1980)
Union bashing!
Quite a few sitcoms of the 70's took the mickey out of trade unions. One or two 80's shows uphold the tradition, such as this episode of 'Cowboys'.
Joe Jones' gang are at work, when a man ( Fred Evans ) purporting to be a union official tries to sign them up for C.L.O.D. - the Confederation of Labourers, Odd-job Men, and Decorators. Wobbly and Eric do so, Geyser abstains. No sooner have they got their rule books than the lads go on strike for better pay and conditions. It later transpires that there is no C.L.O.D. - just a clever con-man at work...
The stereotypical depiction of unions as lazy good for nothings bent on causing trouble for their holier-than-thou bosses goes right back to the film 'I'm Alright Jack'. Television picked up on it, and as a result, almost every sitcom featured a regulation-obsessed square- head ( often played by the late Timothy Bateson ) who spoke as though he had a heavy cold. Perhaps the most insulting caricature of union men came in 'The Good Life' episode 'The Windbreak War' which gave the impression they were too thick to know what an 'N.B.' means. This 'Cowboys' episode is not quite as offensive, but it seems odd that Peter Learmouth was still putting the boot into unions a year after Labour left office.
Funniest moment - Wobbly telling the sad tale of how he took time off from his last job to attend a funeral, and did not receive any wages. He then points out that the funeral was for his boss!
Cowboys: Black Day at Bad Rock (1980)
A vase by any other name
Joe's gang arrives at Black Rock, the home of the snobbish 'Mrs.Sinclair' ( Angela Thorne of 'To The Manor Born' fame ), to decorate her kitchen. She puts newspapers on the floor for them to walk on before going out. The boys then have to face her fearsome home-help 'Mrs.Hill' ( Vanda Godsell ).
Not one of the better episodes, this. Much of the running time is taken up with Joe's quest to find a new vase after his men accidentally break it, necessitating a visit to a shop whose camp owner ( the late Aubrey Woods ) proves distinctly unhelpful.
Funniest moment - Joe paying £40 for a replacement vase only to discover that instead of Napoleon, it has a picture of Maurice Chevalier!
Cowboys: Perks (1980)
Hotel hell!
The second episode of Peter Learmouth's hit Eighties sitcom is as good as the first, and features that fine actor Raymond Huntley in one of his last television roles.
'Joe Jones' ( Roy Kinnear ) gang of incompetent builders are hard at work renovating a hotel. Or at least they should be. 'Geyser' ( Colin Welland ) points out that one of the perks of the job involves pilfering tools and equipment. 'Eric' ( James Wardroper ) takes the practise too far and, before you know it, is making off with a cement mixer amongst other things. 'Mr.Hobday' ( Raymond Huntley ), the owner, shows up unexpectedly, demanding to see their handiwork...
Funniest moment - Mr.Hobday and Joe admiring a newly-installed bath, both are unaware that it has not been installed at all, and that Eric is underneath so as to provide support.
Second funniest moment - 'Wobbly Ron' ( David Kelly ) getting drunk while on the roof and almost falling to his death when his boss unexpectedly returns!
A Sharp Intake of Breath: The Spare Part (1980)
Parcel farce
The 1980's had arrived, bringing with it - amongst other things - a brand new series of the hit sitcom 'A Sharp Intake Of Breath'. Things were to be different this time, however. Season 3 would only run to three episodes. Ronnie Taylor, the show's creator/writer, died of a heart attack, curtailing the season. It returned the next year with Vince Powell inheriting the writing duties.
'The Spare Part' will strike a chord with anyone's who had problems with faulty electrical equipment, in this case, a washing machine. The repairman ( Larry Martyn ) says Barnes' machine requires a new spare part and it has to be ordered directly from the factory in Scotland. After weeks of waiting, it arrives finally, and Barnes goes along to the railway station to collect. The manager, 'Henshaw' ( Richard Wilson ), is unhelpful, and poor Barnes has a difficult time trying to prove his identity. When he gets his parcel, he is in for an unpleasant surprise - the factory has sent the wrong spare part!
A good episode this, one of the series' best. When Michael Stainton's character calls Barnes 'Banner' - it is the name of Bill Bixby's scientist in 'The Incredible Hulk' television series!
Funniest moment - Barnes goes back to the office to find a group of men collecting a very long parcel. As they carry it away, one end coils itself like a python round Barnes' neck, yanking him off his feet!
A Sharp Intake of Breath: Seven Year Hitch (1978)
Hotel from hell!
After blocking much of his early work from repeats and video/D.V.D. releases, Sir David Jason seems to have had a welcome change of heart. 'Lucky Feller' came out on D.V.D. last month, while 'The Top Secret Life Of Edgar Briggs' is due out early next year. Surely 'A Sharp Intake Of Breath' - his first solo hit - cannot be far off too? I hope so.
'The Seven-Year Hitch' was the final episode of Season 1. The Barnes' have decided to celebrate their wedding anniversary by booking a room in the hotel where they spent their honeymoon. But it has changed, and not for the better. Peter has problems with a revolving door, the room they had wanted is unavailable, and they cannot get a meal as the kitchens are closed. The manager ( Richard Wilson ) is unhelpful in the extreme. Peter has to bribe a porter ( Alun Armstrong ) to get some food ( two Babychams and some sad-looking tomato omelette's ). Furthermore, their room lacks a double bed. More chaos occurs when the Barnes, both wearing nothing but towels, are accidentally shut out of their room...
Season 1 was patchy at best. The best episodes were by Ronnie Taylor, the show's creator. He would write all the shows from then on right up to his death in 1980. It was a ratings hit though, and I suspect this would also have happened had Jason's earlier sitcoms been networked. Wilson is perfectly cast as the toffee-nosed manager, he played different authority figures in all the early episodes. Alun Armstrong cropped up a lot too, mostly cast as surly workmen. Bella Emberg is seen fleetingly as a member of staff.
Funniest moment - Peter, on receiving the bill, quips to the manager: "Are you sure you haven't added in the date?".
Return to the Planet of the Apes: Flames of Doom (1975)
Here come the animated apes!
Six months after the live action 'Planet Of The Apes' television series - starring Roddy McDowall as 'Galen' - was cancelled, the series was back. Well, sort of. It went the 'Star Trek' route by becoming animated. Made by David DePatie and Friz Freleng, 'Return To The Planet Of The Apes' opens with the crew of U.S. space mission 'Venturer' passing through a time warp into the year 3979 and landing on what appears to be an uninhabited planet. Evolution has taken a different turning here and Apes, not Man, are the rulers. What few humans there are the apes use for hunting purposes. As Bill Hudson, Jeff Allen, and Judy Franklin search for food, they see a wall of flame appearing from nowhere and lightning flashing across a clear blue sky. Judy falls into a fissure in the ground. Bill and Jeff see a Mount Rushmore-like edifice with simian faces in place of those of U.S. presidents. Finding a young human woman, Nova, they notice that she is wearing dog-tags belonging to a man named Brent. He was not even born when Venturer left Earth...
Rather than slavishly copy the then-recent series, 'Return' drew its main inspiration from the movies, particularly the 1968 original and 1970 sequel 'Beneath...'. It is indeed a pity that neither Roddy McDowall and Mark Lenard were hired to provide the voices of 'Cornelius' and 'Urko' respectively. Their replacements are totally inadequate. The quality of the animation is basic, but passable. The decision to upgrade Ape City to a more Ancient Rome-like setting was a wise move, as was the decision to have the Apes driving cars and motorbikes and flying planes ( an unused idea in Rod Serling's original script ). 'Return' was shot as a serial, not a series, which must have confused viewers when 'Tunnel Of Fear' promised 'Lagoon Of Peril' would be shown the following week - it had been screened a week before! 'Return' brought satire back to Ape World. Later episodes featured them with their own music and motion pictures, such as 'The Ape Father'! Only 13 episodes were made. Presumably the Saturday morning cartoon crowd the show was aimed at found it too disturbing ( that opening pan across a desert dotted with dead upside-down humans on stakes must have worried a few parents watching ).
A good start to an enjoyable series which knocked the Tim Burton farrago into a cocked Ape helmet!
The Wild Wild West: The Night of the Inferno (1965)
Go west, young Jim!
Directed by Richard C. Serafian, Gilbert Ralston's 'Night Of The Inferno' gets 'The Wild Wild West' series off to a flying start. It begins with a train bringing to Washington an important new prisoner - 'Captain James T. West' ( Robert Conrad ) - who is due to be hanged for desertion. In fact, he is on his way to a secret meeting with 'President Ulysses S. Grant' ( James Gregory ). He claims the country is in a whole 'pot of trouble'. Would-be revolutionary 'Juan Manolo' is at large, so Jim - given a cover as a rich playboy with his very own train, the Wanderer, and a partner in the form of that master of disguise, 'Artemus Gordon' ( Ross Martin ) sets off for the town of Quemada where Manolo's men recently carried out a raid. The trail leads them first to portly Chinaman 'Wing Fat' ( Victor Buono, a few months away from his famous role as 'King Tut' on 'Batman' ) and sassy gambling den owner 'Lydia Monteran' ( Suzanne Pleshette ), with whom Jim once had a fling.
Like I said, a good start, although, fairly straight by comparison with some of the later episodes, particularly those featuring 'Dr.Migelito Loveless' ( Michael Dunn ). Originally, the episode was to have opened with narration dedicating the episode to that 'unsung American hero, Jim West'. The gadgets and fights are thrilling ( Conrad did a lot of his own stunt work ). Arte is first seen disguised as a scruffy man who watches Jim arrive by train. He and Jim are already acquainted. When they first meet, Lydia begins shooting at Jim. In the script, they threw food and water over each other. The idea of an American secret agent answerable only to the President was originally going to be done in 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' but got dropped. Grant featured in other episodes, but this is the only one where James Gregory played him. The following year, he became Matt Helm's boss 'MacDonald' in Phil Karlson's spy spoof 'The Silencers'.
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased): The Man from Nowhere (1969)
Reincarnation - or a con-trick?
This episode of 'Randall & Hopkirk ( Deceased )' - written by Donald James and directed by Robert Tronson - has one of the most memorable openings of the series - the sight of 'Jeannie' ( Annette Andre ) taking a shower. Alright, so there is a pane of frosted glass between her and the camera, but it does not diminish the frisson. Alerted by sounds coming from the lounge, she goes to investigate ( putting on a dressing gown first ) and finds a strange man ( Ray Brooks ) reclining on the settee. He claims to be Marty's reincarnation. Naturally, she does not believe him, and neither does Jeff, but over time she is charmed by him. Jeff investigates his claim to have been involved in a car crash in the Cotswolds, near a pub called 'The Duke Of Cumberland'. Two crooks - 'Hyde Watson' ( Michael Gwynn ) and 'Mannering' ( Patrick Newell, who at that time would have been playing 'Mother' in 'The Avengers' ) - are interested in him too...
Needless to say, Brooks isn't Marty after all, but a crook trying to locate his missing loot ( he'd been involved in a car accident with the honeymooning Hopkirks and lost his memory ). The episode is good partly because of the intriguing mystery at its heart, but also because Brooks is so likable you almost think he might be telling the truth. Some comic mileage is to had from Marty behaving as though Jeannie is still his wife, even though he is now dead. The Newell and Gwynn characters are a pair of camp, elegantly-dressed crooks who seem to have wandered out of 'The Avengers'. Neil McCarthy is around too, then appearing in the first season of 'Catweazle' in which he played farm worker 'Sam'. Some nice location shots of Woburn Abbey round off another enjoyable instalment of the cult fantasy detective show.
Spyder's Web: Romance on Wheels (1972)
Holiday of a death time
In the early 1990's, the now-defunct I.T.C. Home Video put out a batch of videotapes featuring episodes of assorted archive television series under the collective title of 'T.V. Heaven' ( pinched from a Channel 4 series ). Alongside old favourites like 'The Saint' and 'Randall & Hopkirk ( Deceased )', there were a few lesser-known shows, such as 'Seaway', 'Father Brown', and 'Spyder's Web'. I recalled the latter when it was first transmitted on I.T.V. back in 1972. The episode chosen to represent the Richard Harris-created spy series was Roy Clarke's 'Romance On Wheels'. The Web investigates the activities of a London-based company known as 'Romance On Wheels', a combined dating agency and travel agent. Single people can take a holiday and ( hopefully ) pair off with one another. 'Clive Hawksworth' ( Anthony Ainley ) joins the latest batch of clients, posing under the name 'Wormley'. 'Lottie Dean' ( Patricia Cutts ) is with him too, as a loud and lusty divorcée ( not too far removed from the real Lottie, in other words ). The trip ventures behind the Iron Curtain, where they meet the sinister 'Grovnik' ( Peter Sallis, who would reunite shortly with Roy Clarke for 'Last Of The Summer Wine' ). The clients are being murdered and their identities given to enemy agents, who then fly back to England to inveigle themselves into society.
'Spyder's Web' was a comedy spy thriller in the mould of 'The Avengers'. Though lacking that filmed programme's gloss and charm, it got by on the strength of its scripts - some top writers, such as Robert Holmes, Alfred Shaughnessy and Marc Brandel, worked on the show - and the performances of the cast. Cutts and Ainley are an odd couple alright; he is British and reserved, while she is raucous and ribald. In supporting roles are lovely Veronica Carlson and the late Roger Lloyd Pack. 'Romance on Wheels' was a good choice to represent the show as it has witty lines and nice guest stars, particularly Carolyn Jones ( 'Crossroads' fans will remember her as 'Sharon Metcalfe' ) and Mollie Maureen. Sallis' 'Grovnik' steals the show.
I was disappointed when more 'Spyder' episodes failed to appear in the 90's. However, Network happily released the whole series on D.V.D. in 2011.
Bognor (1981)
"He was, of course, extremely dead!"
Created by Tim Heald, 'Simon Bognor' was a special investigator for the Board of Trade. If a gossip columnist got murdered, if bounders tried to smuggle pedigree dogs, if a friary was suspected of passing agricultural secrets to the Russians, Bognor was the man to sort it out, despite being a bit dim. He was married to the lovely 'Monica' ( Joanna McCallum ), although pretty women threw themselves at him from time to time. His boss was the gruff 'Parkinson' ( Ewan Roberts ). In 1981, Thames T.V. turned 'Bognor' into a twice-weekly series, starring David Horovitch. The first four books - 'Unbecoming Habits', 'Deadline', 'Let Sleeping Dogs Die', and 'Just Desserts' - formed the basis for the first ( and last ) season. The T.V. Times gave 'Bognor' a warm welcome, putting him on the cover alongside such famous sleuths as John Steed, Callan, Simon Templar, and Dick Barton. But, as it turned out, he was lucky to find himself mentioned in the same breath as Inspector Clouseau.
Despite scripts by such reliable word smiths as T.R. Bowen and Carey Harrison, and strong guest stars such as Robin Bailey, Peter Jeffrey, Patrick Troughton, and John Le Mesurier, the show steadfastly refused to gel. The books' satirical tone was not captured while Horovitch's deadpan performance in the title role won him few fans. However, rare acclaim came from a 'T.V. Times' reader after an episode aired in which Bognor got a busted lip after an encounter with a thug. In an era when television detectives never got their hair mussed after a fight, it was indeed an unusual sight.
As the weeks passed, the ratings dropped and I.T.V. yanked it from prime-time. The remaining six-part story - 'Just Desserts' - was edited into a three-parter and broadcast in a graveyard slot the following year. Recently, Heald revived the 'Bognor' literary franchise and the entire series was released on D.V.D. It was nice to see it again after all this time. By today's standards, 'Bognor' is quality television. Special mention must be made of the 'Avengers' style title sequence featuring moving targets at a fun-fair rifle range, accompanied by a catchy electronic theme by Mike Steer. These images were later reproduced on the covers of the Arrow tie-in books.
The Galton & Simpson Playhouse (1977)
Ray & Alan's fun house!
It is rare indeed for comedy writers' names to be incorporated into their own show's titles - Johnny Speight managed it in 1969 with his one-off B.B.C. special 'Spate Of Speight' - and in 1977, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson had engendered enough respect and affection from the television industry and general public alike for 'The Galton & Simpson Playhouse' to appear on I.T.V. Their faces were seen in the opening credits too with Ken Jones' brass-band theme tune incorporating clicking typewriter keys.
The seven episode comedy anthology was from Yorkshire Television and contained an impressive array of British acting talent, including Arthur Lowe, Frances De La Tour, Leonard Rossiter, Roy Kinnear, Freddie Jones, Charles Gray, Richard Briers, Mona Washbourne, and John Bird. 'Car Along The Pass' got it off to a tremendous start. A pompous xenophobe ( Lowe ) is trapped in a cable-car over the Swiss Alps with a smattering of the worst kind ( in his eyes ) of people imaginable - foreigners. With the B.B.C.'s 'Dad's Army' about to come off the air, the part was a natural for him. 'Naught For Thy Comfort' had an airline steward ( Kinnear ) returning home after a long flight to find his wife has walked out on him. 'Swap You One Of These For One Of Those' - originally intended for the authors' 'Casanova 73' - saw Richard Briers cast against type as a man eager to partake of the permissive society by going to a wife swapping party ( 'The Sun' called for the episode not to be broadcast! ). 'I Tell You Its Burt Reynolds' had Leonard Rossiter in top form as a know-all who becomes obsessed with the idea that he has spotted the macho movie star in a T.V. programme. His madness escalates to the point where he actually phones Burt at his home in Hollywood! 'Big Deal At York City' was also good fun, with Warren Mitchell as a lucky soul travelling home by train after a good day at the races, only to be preyed on by card sharks. Neat twist ending.
The shows varied in quality, but all were worth watching. None became a series, however, and Alan Simpson retired soon afterwards. Ray Galton teamed up with Johnny Speight to write 'Spooner's Patch'. He briefly reunited with Simpson in the mid-90's to update some material for Paul Merton ( including 'I Tell You Its Burt Reynolds' ).
Network gave all seven episodes a welcome D.V.D. release in 2009.
End of Part One (1979)
Terry Wogan on a stick?
Of all the surreal sketch shows that sprang up in the wake of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus', London Weekend's 'End Of Part One' was, in my view, the best. It only ran to two seasons, yet is fondly remembered by those fortunate enough to catch it at the time. Andrew Marshall and David Renwick's witty skits mocked not only popular programmes of the day, but also their presentation. Titles and theme tunes were parodied with astonishing accuracy. A good example is 'Nationtrite', based on the B.B.C.'s long running early evening show 'Nationwide'. 'Larry Grayson's Fat Ladies Embarrassment Game' was impossible to distinguish from its inspiration - 'Larry Grayson's Generation Game'. 'Doctor Eyes' mocked the Tom Baker era of 'Dr.Who' ( director Geoffrey Sax went on to helm the real thing in 1996 ). 'O*H*M*S' was 'M*A*S*H' starring the Royal Family. 'The British Bum Speech Awards' guyed the annual orgy of back-slapping known as B.A.F.T.A. ( the winner of the all-time bum performance was, unsurprisingly, Bernard Manning ). 'Cheapo Cartoon Man' was a marvellous mickey-take of Hanna Barbara animated superhero shows. The writers were not paying affectionate homage to their targets. In fact at times they could be quite vicious. 'Are You Being Stereotyped?' subverted the famous theme tune to Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft's department store sitcom, turning it into a scathing critique. 'The Hollywood Greats' ended with Barry Norman ( Fred Harris ) being murdered by the dead movie stars whose reputations he has sullied. Not all the sketches were about television. In 1930's Hollywood, a young make-up artist ( Tony Aitken ) completes his designs for the new Frankenstein movie, and finds the studio executives closely resemble the monster. A send up of Tory Party Political Broadcasts was bang on the money, with its patronising depicting of the opposition as apes ( the real ones of the time were even more absurd, with bowler-hatted men marching backwards across Westminister Bridge )!
The cast were outstanding, particularly David Simeon ( his Enoch Powell was spot-on! ) and Sue Holderness ( who took off Sue Lawley and Isla St.Clair to perfection ). Also impressive were Denise Coffey and the late Dudley Stevens. The first season featured recurring characters 'Vera Straightman' ( Coffey ) and her husband 'Norman' ( Aitken ), a dreary couple indeed. They were barely seen in the second, however. 'End Of Part One' was hilarious, often brilliant, and deserved a longer run, but alas was sabotaged by bad scheduling. London Weekend Television hid it away on Sunday afternoons when its target audience was least likely to find it. The writers made their displeasure public in the listings published in 'T.V. Times'; 'the award-losing show returns at a time when no-one will see it anyway'. Although no third season appeared, they stayed with L.W.T. for their next two - equally superb - shows: 'Whoops Apocalypse' and 'Hot Metal'.
In 2012, Network finally released both seasons on D.V.D.
The Other One (1977)
A dark comedy masterpiece
John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's 'The Other One' is one of the most criminally underrated B.B.C. sitcoms of the 1970's. Nobody seemed to like it at the time, including Head Of Light Entertainment Bill Cotton, who reputedly asked Michael Gambon, one of its stars: "Any chance of it being funny this week?". I have a lot of respect for the late Cotton, but here he was wrong. It was funny, if somewhat different from the writers' previous hit 'The Good Life' which had starred Briers as likable, self-sufficiency fanatic 'Tom Good'. 'One' cast him as an altogether different sort of character - loudmouthed 'Ralph Tanner', one of life's adventurers, the sort who has 'been everywhere and done everything'. In reality, however, he is a boastful liar ( there were echoes of a previous Esmonde/Larbey creation: 'Frankie Abbott' from 'Please Sir!' ). The series opens with him waiting to catch a holiday flight to Spain. He gets chatting to fellow traveller 'Brian Bryant' ( Gambon ) in the departure lounge, finding him to be both boring ( even his wife left him because he was dull ) and humourless, the only person to take him at face value. They miss the plane, and have to catch a later one, finding on arrival that their hotel rooms have been reallocated and they are forced to share a smaller one. A friendship develops under the hot sun. Ralph's lies frequently land him in trouble, such as the time he finds a spread in the dining room and tells guests it has been laid on specially for them as they are are due to leave. In fact it is for the local Mayor! When Brian goes off on the tour bus, Ralph hires a mule, only to lose it and land himself in hot water with its owner. The two men come to depend on one another; Ralph needs Brian because he believes his lies, and Brian needs Ralph because he thinks he is the sort of man he would like to be. Both are genuinely pathetic.
The comedy was driven by its characters. It was not a 'funny ha-ha' show. Briers and Gambon were wonderful. 'Ralph' must rank as the most complex comedy characterisation since 'Anthony Aloysius St.John Hancock'. Though a braggart and a bully, you somehow feel sorry for him because he is friendless. Season 2 saw the pair back in England. After helping Brian lose his job in a record archive, Ralph gives his friend a master-class in the art of being a sales rep. There is an outstanding episode in which Ralph returns to the village he was evacuated to during the war, and faces hostility from locals because of his involvement in a death of a boy years before. He had convinced the lad he could fly!
Esmonde and Larbey must have known the show was not likely to return a third time, and ended it with Brian finally meeting Ralph's appalling family, and gaining understanding of why his friend behaves the way he does. The final scene hinted that Brian was turning into Ralph and vice versa. I am glad it did not come back. The delicate blend of comedy and pathos would have been impossible to sustain. The show remained forgotten until the late 1990's when 'U.K. Gold' on Sky gave it a welcome reshowing, and in 2006, Season 1 got a D.V.D. release. At the time of writing, however, Season 2 is sadly unavailable.