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Angel: Sense and Sensitivity (1999)
Far too much Det. Kate Lockley
Angel has been a tough watch so far lacking the story lines humour and cast of Buffy. This episode almost made me give up on the series. For most of the show you would never know it was a fantasy supernatural show. This episode focuses largely on detective Kate Lockley and her relationship with her father. That story line has been done to death in many a tv show and this episode brings nothing new to the table. The main problem is that Kate is a dull character and I would happily see her be eaten alive by a demon. The episode kicks off with Kate pursuing a criminal and despite running at a much slower pace manages to apprehend him. She then proceeds to man-handle him even though he could blow her over. Worse is to come when she roughs him up in a cell and not even the best attempts at ending can make it look realistic. You can accept Buffy beating up people because of her super powers and it is usually well shot. But this was awful and makes the show look tacky. I don't know how they got Angel so wrong when they had the successful Buffy blueprint to work from.
Doctor Who: Orphan 55 (2020)
I've had enough
I've been a fan of DR Who ever since the John Pertwee era. In that time there has been bad scripts, bad acting and laughably poor monsters. However it always felt like Dr Who and always stayed true to what Dr Who was. However this is the straw that finally broke the camel's back. The preaching and identity politics has ruined this once great show. If the scripts were in any way decent I might persist but instead we are served up this garbage. Perhaps hiring writers from diverse backgrounds rather than experienced Sci-fi writers was not a good idea. The BBC must write this era off as if it never happened and bring in a new show runner new Doctor and assistants and new writers. And please keep the identity politics out of it.
The Mash Report (2017)
Strictly for SJW brigade
There have been a number of satirical shows with left leanings such as Bremner Bird and Fortune, The last leg and have I got news for you etc. Whatever your political leanings these shows main criteria was to be funny. However The Mash report's priority is clearly to preach a brand of identity politics which will clearly alienate many a viewer. It is possible to have a satirical show which mocks all sides such as Spitting Image but that is not their game. They want to educate you inti their way of thinking which takes all the humour out of the show. Doubtless the identity politics brigade will love it because it reinforces their confirmation bias. But the BBC should be ashamed of this.
Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker (2019)
Surpassed my expectations
I spent the first few moments scrutinising the actors and comparing them to the original cast. But to the absolute credit of the cast I soon stopped doing that and simply enjoyed the episode. Unlike the poor recent film: the casting was spot on. Kevin McNally struck me as an odd choice for Captain Mainwaring but he nailed it. He obviously did his homework as Arthur Lowe's traits and mannerisms were all there. Robert Bathurst was also great as Sergeant Wilson and so much more believable than Bill Nighy in the film. I particularly liked Kevin Eldon as Jones who showed just how good a character actor he is. The story itself was fast paced and fun. It's such a shame that the original is lost as this is a strong episode. However everyone involved in this can be proud as it's is a piece of work to be proud of. If classics can be re-created this good maybe "Lost Dr Who episodes" could be made.
Last of the Summer Wine: Mending Stuart's Leg (1976)
A big improvement on series 1 and 2
Roy Clarke has slowly been finding his feet with the series but with this episode he really nails it. Finally an episode that really captures the true essence of Last Of The Summer Wine. In this episode the gang tries to mend Stuart's leg that has an extra lump and a click. This involves the gang squatting down a listening for a non-existent click as Stuart walks past. Its a particularly silly premise for an episode but good fun all the same and is typical for the knockabout fun it became famous for. Its amazing how
quickly Brian Wilde has established the Foggy character and integrated into the series. Its also noticeable that the Clegg character has been somewhat toned down. He is still sarcastic but in a funnier less unpleasant way and he has more or less lost the aggressive inflection that he used at the end of sentences. Foggy has already started his feud with Compo: near the start Foggy's intolerance of Compo is established with him criticising Compo's smoking habits and general appearance. This is one of the longest shots seen in LOTSW when the three are barely more than silhouettes on the hills.
What I like about this episode is that it stops trying to be profound instead it relies on more simple but effective jokes and fun skits like the ladder scene.
This is a big step forward and well worth a watch.
Last of the Summer Wine: Hail Smiling Morn or Thereabouts (1973)
More smiles than laughs
The episode starts with the female librarian scurrying away frightened down the street. We later learn that she thought the chief librarian had unzipped his trousers inappropriately. This rather crude out of place joke came as quite a surprise as its an uncharacteristic joke for Last Of The Summer Wine. In this episode Blamire tries his luck at photography and camps out along with the others in order to photograph a sunrise. Its slow moving episode that seems somewhat panned out. Little mundane things such as looking at a picture frame and walking through a door take far longer than seems necessary. There is also a distinct lack of laughter from the audience at the dialogue heavy scenes which really doesn't help the pacing. This episode concludes a rather disappointing first series but at least the characters are well established at this stage.
Last of the Summer Wine: Forked Lightning (1975)
Some old re-Cycled jokes
An episode that tips its hat to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. It starts off with an old gag that Mrs. Brown's Boys would be proud of; in which Clegg falls off his bike and hurts his sensitive parts. More of interest is the reaction of a man at the bus stop saying "Nice one Cyril". This was a hugely popular catchphrase in the 70's and one that will be totally lost on younger viewers. This episode focuses on Clegg's unfathomable decision to return a faulty bicycle that he bought in 1946. The gang try to disguise it in an attempt to take it on a bus and it seems that the episode is going down the farce route: but it never does. Kenneth MacDonald (Mike from Only Fools and Horses) makes an appearance as a singing mechanic with his rendition of a whole medley of songs.
The trio end up riding a single bike down a country lane; mimicking the Raindrops keep falling on my head scene from Butch Cassidy. The scene is well shot with no tacky backdrops that crop up all too often in future episodes. Instead the trio actually ride the bike except in the side shots. The scene culminates in them falling off and its quite surprising to see three elder actors actually falling to the ground. Although on closer inspection Bill Owen and Michael Bates merely lower themselves to the floor as they weren't actually on the bike. The show has a nice ending with Side enjoying himself on the bike. Listen out for Compo calling Blamire a poof. This was an acceptable light-hearted insult at the time but one that no sitcom today would dare use today.
Last of the Summer Wine: Who's That Dancing with Nora Batty Then? (1975)
Full of ideas but...
This episode sets up several scenarios but fails to develop them. A lollipop man who hates kids is introduced much the same vein as Mr. Partridge from Hi-De-Hi. However unlike Mr. Partridge, who was in many a funny skit, this lollipop man just makes one further brief appearance where his dislike of kids isn't even mentioned. We also see the gang moving a piano down the road where its seems certain silliness would ensue but no, they just take it to the destination. We also see Compo's neighbour break down and cry and expect some kind of reaction from the trio but they just up and leave her.
One bright spot is the introduction of two new librarians; with the main one being Miss Probert a man hating feminist. She is on a crusade to sensor all four letter words from books and puts naughty books in a section called "for degenerates". She even tells a man that he cannot take out a book because it was "filth". She was certainly an interesting idea but again not expanded on as she was only to make one more appearance in the show.
Its an episode where you are waiting for a plot to develop but one never really does: its more a series of short sketches. Its an average episode with some of the best gags reserved for the cafe scene at the end. See if you can spot the scene where a fly lands on Compo's nose and his reaction to it.
Last of the Summer Wine: The General's Greatest Battle (2004)
Episodes in this season are generally good and this is one of the strongest
Barry and Glenda's love life is rarely explored: after all it is a family show. But its fair to say that Barry isn't the most romantic of partners. He dislikes kissing in public and read from a car manual to Glenda on their honeymoon! In this episode Glenda obviously wants to spruce up their love life by making herself tarty. No prizes for guessing who she seeks advice from. You have to wait until the end of the episode to see if it did the trick. Howard thinks Marina has been Canoodling with Clegg of all people and is further exasperated when Clegg can't remember a simple message from Marina. We also get a brief glimpse of Billy's home life which may explain why he prefers running around in woods dressed in green tights. The gang enjoy gapes with a mannequin of a General which results in the usual knockabout fun. A typical episode and well worth a watch.
Last of the Summer Wine: Ballad for Wind Instruments and Canoe (1975)
The show is beginning to take shape
This episode focuses on the three men's antics with a canoe they acquired from a strange character called Arnpepper. It is a quite a stark departure from the rather staid early episodes that were dialect heavy and short on action. Instead visual comedy and action scenes are introduced which moves the pace along far better. We see the three protagonist dressed in strange victorian swimwear, compo being dangled from a bridge and strange competition in the café to see who has the biggest mouth.
By no means one of the best episodes but an important one nonetheless as Roy Clarke discovers the formula that was to become the staple diet of the show.
Last of the Summer Wine: Things to Do When Your Wife Runs Off with a Turkish Waiter (2004)
A typical season 25 episode
From this season on there is no definitive trio as Peter Sallis has a reduced role. Therefore the limelight is shared between the rest of the cast and this episode epitomize that philosophy. No story really dominates: instead the ensemble partake in a series of unconnected adventures. Alvin has problems getting an oversized lino home, Howard has difficulty concealing a periscope about his person, Barry gets lumbered with a "friend" from holiday and for good measure the policemen have car trouble. Despite the numerous storylines running concurrently it is easy to follow and flows nicely. There are some nice gags thrown in and some of the plots don't conclude until the end credits. A typical episode from this season with the cast showing some real chemistry and doing there best with a run of the mill plot.
Last of the Summer Wine: Beware of Laughing at Nora's Hats (2004)
You get to see Nora Smile!
Nora Batty was a little directionless after the passing of Compo: so the introduction of Alvin was a great move as it breathed new life into her character. The story arc throughout this series was Alvin's failed attempts to bring some cheer into Nora's life. In this episode he along with Truly and Billy attempt to end a long running feud between Nora and former best friend Audrey Brady. In the subplot Barry is reticent about taking up golf again as his golfing exploits invariably end up upsetting The Captain. However Brenda is determined to help her husband so acquires him a caddy and new pair of golf shoes to encourage him.
Things rarely go to plan in Last Of The Summer Wine so can any of the schemes actually work out? You have to stick around until the end of the episode to find out. The policemen make a brief appearance where they discuss the possibility of the afterlife. Which is rather poignant given that this was the last but one episode in which Tony Capstick appeared before his passing. This is an enjoyable nicely paced episode in which we see a rare smile form Nora Batty. Its a nice feel-good episode with a fun ending.
Comedy Playhouse: Of Funerals and Fish (1973)
Not an auspicious start
This is where it all began and this pilot is a long way off what the series would become. There are no elements of slapstick, farce or visual gags to be seen. Instead the show relies solely on dialect. This makes the pace somewhat laboured so the location constantly changes in an attempt to move the pace along.
The Compo character would remain consistent throughout the years; however its noticeable how different Clegg was in the early episodes. He was a more confident cocky character and quite a long way removed from the Clegg of later years. The episode is a bit of a time capsule to life in the 70's as we get views of the town and a glimpse of the lives of ordinary folk. Its noticeable how class plays a part in this episode through the characters Blamire and Compo which was a common theme of many sitcoms of the time. The episode doesn't have much in the way of plot; instead its focus is mainly on establishing the characters. Unfortunately the episode is uneventful and the jokes are rather unfunny and dated. The lustful librarians are a welcome relief and can be viewed as a forerunner for Howard and Marina. Worth watching to see how it all started but a weak episode.
Last of the Summer Wine: Who's That Mouse in the Poetry Group? (2005)
Far from a ratty epiosde
Many people gave up on the series when Bill Owen passed away but if anything the series got more adventurous at this point with multiple silly and fun storylines. In this episode we see: Alvin training to be an astronaut in a swivel chair, Smiler trying to act intellectual and the gang doing a pretty decent job at
pretending to be statues. The story culminates at the poetry club where Smiler puts in a whimsical performance as an intellectual and Howard disguises himself as a giant stuffed mouse in order to spy on Marina. It sounds silly and it is; but its a typical episode from this era and shows there is a lot of life left in the series. A genuinely funny episode and recommended.