THE BRITISH INVASION: Keeping Up Appearances

Greetings and hello to those under the yoke of THE BRITISH INVASION... Yes I have managed a bit of mileage out of this title. Would have been kilometers but we were never properly taught the metric system. Our series of the day involves a pretentious social climber with eccentric behavior and a snobbish standing with lower class. A woman that refuses to alter her own phone number and therefore receives countless phone calls for a Chinese take-out and delivery. This is Keeping Up Appearances.

Well? Was the pool boy dead when you found him??!!

Hyacinth Bucket (Patrica Routledge of To Sir, with Love, Sense and Sensibility, His and Hers, Girl Stroke Boy, David Copperfield, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and In Search of the Brontes) who insists her surname be pronounced Bouquet is constantly attempting to gain good standing amongst the upper class and she is loathe to admit her lower class family. Often faking a Received Pronunciation accent as all her neighbors speak with such, when flustered or agitated she slips back to her Northern accent. Her husband Richard (Clive Swift of Excalibur, Doctor Who, The Pickwick Papers, The Famous Five, Peak Practice and The Old Guys) is both mentally and physically taxed by all the demands, ideas and suggestions on how they should appear to the neighbors but does such as he no doubt loves her in spite of the woman's absurd behavior.

Portrait of the extremely nervous...

 With a grain of salt her brother-in-law Onslow (Geoffrey Hughes of Yellow Submarine, Coronation Street, Keeping Up Appearances, Heartbeat and Skins) I believe lives off the dul quo because I have never seen him working at a job in all the episodes along with Hycinth's sisters Daisy (Two for the Road, The December Rose, Farrington of the F.O., Doctor Who, The Famous Five, Heartbeat and David Copperfield TV Movie) and Rose (Mary Millar of The Stanley Baxter Show, The Dick Emery Show, Rookery Nook and Keeping Up Appearances) got suckered into watching over their quite senile father (George Webb of The Wednesday Play, Mongul, Mr. Bean and Keeping Up Appearances) who has flashbacks of World War II and a pension to roaming about starkers or making advances to women abroad.

The only relatives that Hycinth would be more than happy to acknowledge is her sister Violet (Anna Dawson of Bloodbath at the House of Death, The New Statesman, Bad Boyes and The Benny Hill Show) who is referenced to her friends as, "The one with a Mercedes, swimming pool, sauna and room for a pony." and her never seen son Sheridan who seems to fancy needlepoint, lives with another lad name of Tarquin as they make curtains, decorate their flat and seem to get on famously. Oh nineties, how subtle you were about potentially gay young men in your humor.

With her constant bragging of expensive wallpaper, parkay floors, Royal Doulton china with the hand-painted periwinkles she feels this will clearly show without a doubt her taste and poise.

As an American I take a different view of this odious woman and would have dispensed with her in the means of an ax, six plastic waste-bags and a few trips in the Burroughs to drop her remains off but you know us bloodthirsty, gun lobbying, poorly educated loonies. My girlfriend feels she simply needs to be avoided or have a stern talking to. Clearly a more patient and decent human being than I.

As a sit-com this has all sorts of disasters to mock and have fun with. The characters are fun, varied in classes and that always opens for jabbing at one another. Highly pleasurable and welcome to introduction to BBC.

Oh dear, the tunnel of chili didn't sit well.

THE BRITISH INVASION: As Times Goes By

THE BRITISH INVASION CONTINUES!!! Sheesh, looks like a newspaper heading. Imagine a pair of lovers prior to the Korean War. A young second lieutenant falls for a nurse in 1953 and they are in love but they become separated when the lieutenant was posted to Korea and lose track of each other. This is As Time Goes By.

Stop grinning or you will have no tip.

Second Lieutenant Lionel Hardcastle (Geoffrey Palmer of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Fawlty Towers, Whoops Apocalypse, The Last Song, A Fish Called Wanda, Hot Metal, The Savages and North by Northamptonshire) has spent the last 38 years on a plantation in Kenya as a coffee planter decides to write his memoirs when the secretarial agency is owned by a former nurse name of Jean Pargetter (Judi Dench of Hilda Lessways, A Study in Terror, Theatre 625, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Fine Romance, GoldenEye, Shakespeare in Love, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, Pride & Prejudice, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ). Jean created her agency Type For You after the passing of her husband and raise her daughter Judith (Moira Brooker of The Doctor and the Devils, Made in Heaven, Owd Bob, Out of Sight, As Time Goes By and The Bill) as an assistant for the firm.

Oh do begone, camera 2!

Jean realizes that Lionel is the same Lionel of some many years ago. Naturally both have their pride and are equally stubborn on how broke of their first love. After a few confusing miscommunications and misconceptions that their mutual letters were lost and did not make their way to each other. Lionel's publisher Alistair Deacon (Philip Bretherton of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Footballers' Wives, Coronation Street and Young Dracula) a boy genius with more energy and verve than any man should but he is a whiz at the game with far too many contacts and connections come Hell or highwater he will publish Lionel's book and pull out all the stops to get it out there.

Can a romance of so many years ago ever be rekindled? Can two lovers ever reunite?

A few comments on the series now.

The man and woman in the pictures of the beginning of the show are supposed to be Jean and Lionel are actually Judi Dench's daughter and Geoffrey Palmer's son. The role of Jean was originally written for Jean Simmons (Guys and Dolls, The Big Country, Spartacus and Howl's Moving Castle). With the program's original title was "Winter with flowers" but when the cake featured with the title, the cast and crew didn't want any cake until the name of the series was changed and I can't say I blamed them. Given the precarious nature of BBC programming and scheduling the series managed the 10 year stretch and unlike most of American series it did not go over 13 episodes per season. 

Whatever happened to the cat?

 

THE BRITISH INVASION: Spaced

FEAR THE BRITISH INVASION!!!! Howdy all and welcome to Day 1 of my ridiculous title of the week. I wanted to start off by plugging one of my favorite shows that was created by the very talented trio in question.

Director/writer/producer/actor Edgar Wright (Mash and Peas, Asylum, Is It Bill Bailey?, Sir Bernard's Stately Homes, Shaun of the Dead, Funky Pete, Straight 8 and The World's End), writer/actor Simon Pegg (Six Pair of Pants, Asylum, Spaced, Big Train, Danger! 50,000 Zombies!, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul and Star Trek Beyond) and writer/actor Jessica Hynes (Six Pairs of Pants, Asylum, Spaced, Lizzie and Sarah, Common Ground and Up the Women) had put together males and females in their early 20's in bizarre situations similar to Friends only... this is actually funny. This is Spaced.

Monster Movie or perhaps a bizarre furry?

For those Friends fans, tough titty. Not a fan and would have never associated with any of those characters for they are all EeeeEeeeeEeeevil!!!!!! Spaced is about the lives of individuals and their mates colliding through life. Enter Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg) an aspiring comic book artist/writer who works at a comic bookstore, plays PS games, DND and other such nerd genre who just broke up with his girlfriend and by that, I mean she threw him out and moved on. Ouch. While looking at the house supplements he meets Daisy Steiner (Jessica Hynes) an aspiring writer who simply cannot focus on one subject long enough to do some articles to pay the bills and temps awful jobs, hangs with her bff, struggles with a long distance relationship with her dull boyfriend and attempts to connect with all around her.

The freezer that time forgot!!!

The two meet at a greasy diner and just start having a laugh and are genuinely enjoying each others company when they find an advert for a flat (apartment, yankee brethren) to rent for a minuscule amount but... the catch is the flat is intended for a successful upcoming couple to share. The two get the idea to fake being a couple to get the place and all will be solved. The landlady Marsha (Julia Deakin of Coronation Street, Shaun of the Dead, Between Two Women, House of Anubis, Doctors, The World's End and Big, Bad World) is a bit batty, a lush and has the teenage daughter from Hell but is a good sort.

One other resident of the flat is a tormented, bizarre and frankly screwy artist known as Brian (Mark Heap of How Do You Want Me?, Doc Martin,Jam, Brass Eye, Big Train, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Green Wing and Alpha Male) sort of appears... by magic? Dark forces of the nether realm? Not sure. Daisy and Tim attempt to keep this secret from Marsha informing their collective friends Twist (Katy Carmichael of Liverpool 1, Dead Babies, Clocking Off, Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Casualty) a high maitanence, party girl that loves fashion and is brutally honest and Mike (Nick Frost of Big Train, Spaced, Danger! 50,000 Zombies!, Black Books, Shaun of the Dead, Straight 8, Hot Fuzz, Hyperdrive and The World's End) a paranoid, gun nut that happens to be in Territorial Army (Britian's National Guard for again the Imperalist Yankee Dogs!!).

A few notes on the technical side of the show now. 

 Edgar Wright only used one camera for the whole series which is unusual as you get different reactions from different shots and while the flat was the center of most of the episodes it never felt like a cramped set.   1 to 78 frames per second this show got shot in both black and white and color and was done so on Digital Betacam, commonly used for TV broadcast so all the comforts of VHS with higher quality resolution.

 Guest star Peter Serafinowicz who appears as Tim's nemesis Duane Benzie uses this gravely guttural voice as a menacing man it is also the same voice he used for Darth Maul in Phantom Menace.

BBC Channel 4 had commissioned both season 1and 2 before season 1 even aired. Constant pop culture references come up in this series with Evil Dead Scooby-Doo, The Omen. Hell I think I saw a couple of Pulp Fiction ones as well. Pegg's character name is an homage to Graphic Fantasy artist Simon Bisley (Lobo, Heavy Metal, Heavy Metal: Geomatrix and Skyborg Into the Vortex) 

Give us Gary Glitter or be probed... a lot.

THE BRITISH INVASION!!!!!

They have infected your television, social media and music. Your friends attempt cockney accents and fail. The repeated Monty Python skits that your friends and family are slowly killing. Face facts, the BBC has invaded your lives for many years. Hey folks, I am back with a new week altogether as this week we enjoy some comedy, drama and maybe even a mystery or two.

Hmm Tramadol makes one...loose.

With the aid of BBC America, most of the states are aware that not only England exists but there is some genuine entertainment meant to be had and enjoyed for all. With science fiction, sci-fi fantasy, some horror titles and far too many of their series remade by the Americans. * slap * Bad ole America. Series like Couplings, The Office and Broadchurch have been imitated with a failed pilot and four episodes and flopped, Broadchurch with Gracepoint and The Office with...well The Office.

For as many successes these different series will have there seems to be America over in the corner, wallflowering and thinking, "If only I could be as cool as that." Wake up America!!! There are plenty of shows and film we have reason to take applause and bow for that we really do not need to resort to re-labeling every British creation. Case in point, I was watching Netflix's streaming Being Human but the tags were wrong so I got the actual UK version and thought, "Wow this is really good but I don't recognize the cast as I did from the promos. Maybe this is an earlier season." Yeah, so while I have seen both versions and each do take away with their own spin. Face facts, folks. Original is usually better.

With all this in mind, the quiet attacks have occurred and you are all helpless before "THE BRITISH INVASION"... Well is was either that or The British Are Here and the last running up was BBC Gems. So if you fancy a cuppa and some biccies, turn on the telly and have a few sniggers then I welcome you to the landing of THE BRITISH INVASION. Cheery'o. Uh I mean ta-ta.   Bugger.  Bye then!

The face Caroline Munro's fanboys make when they see her.

Random TV Week: Fawlty Towers

Greetings again readers and on to Day 2 of Random TV Week. It has come to my attention I have covered several British comedies but I have done nothing of the illustrious Monty Python collective... at all. Firstly, the internet is froth with comparisons, hyper-boles and enthusiasms of the prestigious troupe and I felt I could not do it justice. Secondly... I forget to put my own two cents worth in weighing this crew so I shall endeavor to point out some of the brilliance that is John Cleese. While many view him to be full of himself, I will not stand on my soap box and defend his every act. Instead I thought I would tackle on of his writing works that did amuse many and disturbed others. This is Fawlty Towers.

Yes, I do tower over you.

This series is a focus around an eccentric hotel owner Basil Fawlty (John Cleese of Monty Python, How to Irritate People, Doctor Who, The Great Muppet Caper, Time Bandits, A Fish Called Wanda, Erik the Viking and Fierce Creatures) a short tempered, short sighted, people person challenged hotelier, his wife Sybil (Prunella Scales of Mapp & Lucia, When We Are Married, Consuming Passions, After Henry, Signs and Wonders and Station Jim) whose ability to undermine and overthrow Basil's orders around the hotel is with style and grace of a vindictive cat tormenting a mouse. Their staff consists of Polly (co-creator of Fawlty Towers/writer/actress Connie Booth of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Worzel Gummidge, Deadly Game, Flood Tide, The Tomorrow People and The Buccaneers) the maid that balances art, general management and household cleaning and lastly Manuel (Andrew Sachs of The History of Mr. Polly, Dead Ernest, Every Silver Lining, William's Wish Wellingtons and Quartet) a hapless waiter from Barcelona that doesn't speak the language and Basil insists he speaks Spanish.

Nurse Bad Touch.

Our stories are centered around the seaside town of Torquay. The creation of this bizarre character Basil was due to the hotel owner of the Gleneagles Hotel who constantly belittled guests, scoffed at staffs' requests and even chastised Terry Gilliam's table manners during dinner, yanked the fork from his hand and placed it accordingly in the other. In short, the rudest man Cleese had ever the misfortune to meet.

With the aid of Connie Booth, Cleese and she began to flush out a hotel of loopy guests and staff that manage to create everything from a grease fire, to annoying members of Royal and presenting a rat on food being served to a health inspector. Most of Basil's mishaps are due to his horrendous people skills and the need to keep what he deems necessary but far too costly expenses down. Seriously, it is a wonder the roof doesn't go flying off or simply cave-in.

And what hotel storyline would do without some regular guests, eh wot? The dotty retired Major Gowen (Ballard Berkeley of In Which We Serve, Stage Fright, Sherlock Holmes, The Main Chance, Dixon of Dock Green and The Weekend Murders) and the longest residents a befuddled elderly couple of friends Miss Tibbs (Gilly Flower of Work Is a 4-Letter Word, The Root of All Evil ?, Z Cars, Thriller, Beryl's Lot and Blood Money) and Miss Gatsby (Renee Roberts of Play for Today, What Became of Jack and Jill?, Only Fools and Horses and Fawlty Towers) the hotel i believe was haunted by a sadist poltergeist. 

Two of the best running gags in this series is Basil's accumulative collection of faux lovingly references to his wife Sybil. My personal favorite is my little nest of vipers. The other is the sign in front of the hotel is constantly messed with. Whether the letters are made crooked, taken a few or re-arranging them it will always put a slight smile to your face.

Beloved as this creation is lasting two seasons at 12 episodes, that there have been attempts to re-create in both the UK and America which honestly they were near misses at best. These shows are: Chateau Snavely, Amanda's, Payne and Over the Top and frankly they are not worth a fetid pair of dingo's kidneys to view.   Well maybe Chateau Snavely.

Oh look at these sour Krauts!