The Goodies (TV Series) South Africa (1975) User Reviews

Sarth Effiker apart-height

[ingemar-4 · 7/10 · 16 June 2009]

This must be one of the more daring episodes of The Goodies, openly mocking the apartheid system in past South Africa. As such, it is of course dated, but if you only know about it, it has a whole bunch of funny gags.

The episode is best in the beginning, and then loses tempo. The racist guest star (Philip Madoc?) is brilliant in the tourist office, with the piano (which also is briefly seen in "Charity Bounce", racist coffee (white), racist sunglasses (white), "white only" film, and The Goodies' film "Sarth Effiker", which clearly mocks "The Black&White Minstrel Show" (which is also in focus in "Alternative Roots").

Then we go to South Africa, and the "apart-height" rules are invoked, and we get a good discussion about racism. Bill becomes a "little-un", and we get into a pretty decent slapstick to the "Run" song (one of the Goodies' best songs). The slapstick is decent, but not first rate. Then follows the jockey uprising, which I find rather dull. The ending is logical but rather obvious.

So it doesn't stand out as one of the very best, but at least it is both historically interesting and in considerable parts funny.

Racist? - Isn't that kind of the point?

[kittenkongshow · 7/10 · 25 March 2019]

To shoot down the racism of South Africa in 1975 showed how ahead of their time the Goodies were, Yes there are terms used here that in 2019 are seen as unfortunate but contextually in the worlds of the Black & White Minstrels/ Love Thy neighbour etc this episode is radical.

None of the Goodies supported Racial attitudes (even Apart-height) this episode should be seen as showing how bloody stupid we humans are for finding reasons to create hate.

We really are a horrible race - why care about colour, sexuality, etc, etc ...

South Africa

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 24 February 2024]

The Goodies are initially forced to make tourism films to attract white tourists to South Africa. Once all the blacks have departed. There is no one to do the menial jobs.

So the government introduces a policy of Apart Height. Bill has ended up with the short straw.

There was always a touch of satire in some episodes of the Goodies. They go the full hog here in their critique of the apartheid regime of South Africa.

They even manage to have a dig at the black and white minstrels and Ho Chi Minh.

In a masterstroke of casting they rope in Philip Madoc who plays the racist South African official. Madoc was a regular villain in Doctor Who and as a go to Nazi. Such as that classic episode of Dad's Army.

To the modern audience some of the blacking up and words used for black people would look offensive. At the time such words were common on television.

What was not as common were attacks on the South African government and its discriminatory policies.

It is certainly a controversial and divisive episode. It still has a place now that there are young people who have no idea what South Africa used to be like.

Big uns and little uns

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 27 August 2023]

Welcome to the most controversial episode of 'The Goodies'. The lads are hired to shoot a promotional film for the South African tourist board. Their film has Tim blacked-up and it outrages black people so much they leave the country in droves. With no-one left to bully and intimidate, the South African police select a new group to discriminate against - short people. Tim and Graeme are tall so they are okay, but Bill does not reach the required length and his life becomes a misery. He decides he has had enough and leads an uprising of short people...

This episode has yet to receive a repeat on That's TV ( although the same channel managed to screen 'Till Death Us Do Part', albeit with certain words bleeped ). When I first saw it in 1975, I admit I was ignorant about South Africa and apartheid. I came way thinking that judging a person by his height and skin colour was ridiculous. But modern audiences seeing it will not be able to get past the racism which is probably why it does not get repeated. Compared to 'Little Britain', 'The Mighty Boosh' and 'The League Of Gentlemen', it is mild indeed. On an edition of 'Comedy Connections' devoted to 'The Goodies', Doon Mackickan grumbled about the racist language featured here. It was necessary. In order to poke fun of racism, you have first to establish it exists. Besides, her own series 'Smack The Pony' is hardly wholesome family entertainment.

Guest star Philip Madoc enjoys himself hugely as the bigoted travel agent. Oscar James is seen briefly as a black Enoch Powell.

Funniest moment - the travel agent putting on sunglasses and panicking when he sees the lenses are black. He then swaps them for a pair with white lenses.

I'll leave the last word to Graeme. When someone said to him years later "You could not make that episode now" he replied "Now we would not have to!".