On a Sky One retro programme ( 'T.V. Years' ) a while back, disc jockey Mark Radcliffe said: "The only thing I can remember about 'Duty Free' is that it was bloody awful.". Peter Kay was not impressed either: "I hear they're going to ban 'Duty Free' next year. They should have banned it after the first series.". Ho, ho.
We can take it then that these gents were not among the ten million or so fans who watched back in 1984-86. Its popularity was so great that at one point it challenged 'Coronation Street'. It was written by Eric Chappell ( in collaboration with his secretary Jean Warr ), author of 'Rising Damp', 'The Squirrels', and 'Only When I Laugh', and many other hit sitcoms.
The premise is this; Amy ( Gwen Taylor ) and David Pearce ( Keith Barron ) are in Spain on a package holiday, spending his redundancy money ( nice topical touch. Everybody had redundancy money in those days it seemed ). David, suffering from a mid-life crisis, becomes infatuated with Linda Cochrane ( Joanna Van Gyseghem ), the elegant wife of Robert ( Neil Stacy ), a stuffy ultra-English type forever moaning about the behaviour of the German guests at the hotel. David's infatuation is reciprocated ( the Cochrane's marriage being a sham ) to the point where he and Linda contemplate running away to start a new life together. But it never happens. Over the course of the series, events conspire to derail the romance, and in the last episode David meekly returns to his wife's arms.
The first thing to be said here is that it is no 'Rising Damp', but then neither were Chappell's other shows. It owed a debt to those old British stage farces in which trouserless men were forever hiding in wardrobes and pretty girls scampered about in their underwear. You had to wonder why Amy did not simply call a halt to the holiday instead of letting David make a fool of himself by behaving like a love-sick puppy. Roger Sloman appeared in one episode as David's old pal 'Kev Wilson', whom he had secretly envied for years. It turned out Kev envied him in return!
The first two seasons were good, but then they laboured the joke by making a third. It beggared belief that the same people could turn up at the same time in the same Spanish hotel to begin the saga all over again. A couple of episodes were extended plugs for 'Emmerdale Farm' ( as it was then called ) and 'Wish You Were Here', also made by Y.T.V.
Of the cast, Gwen Taylor was the stand out. I had only previously seen her in Eric Idle's 'Rutland Weekend Television' so it came as a surprise to see her in sitcom ( I had forgotten 'Ripping Yarns' ). She was great as the wronged wife ( she played another four years later in 'A Bit Of A Do' ). I never understood why David wanted to ditch her for Linda. Amy was sexier by far. Keith Barron had done sitcom before, as Leslie Crowther's friend in 'My Good Woman'. Joanna Van Gyseghem, who played 'Linda', first appeared in the crime drama 'Fraud Squad' as 'Vicky Hicks'. Neil Stacy was terrific as the pompous 'Robert', all blazer and blazing indignation, a kind of younger version of Arthur Lowe's 'Potter' character. Carlos Douglas made an big impression as the waiter, often getting big laughs by saying nothing. Another outstanding attribute was Peter Knight's theme tune.
One or two poor souls grumbled that it was not actually filmed on location in Spain. So what? 'Red Dwarf' was not filmed in outer space, yet was still funny! ( The Christmas Special did have some location filming, but sadly due to prior commitments Gwen Taylor was only seen in interior shots ). David Nobbs' B.B.C. sitcom 'The Sun Trap' was also set in Spain - and partly filmed there - yet turned out a stinker.
So no classic but not as bad as Radcliffe and Kay would have you believe. Having just sat through two hours of the spectacularly awful ego-trip 'Britain's Got The Pop Factor etc.', I suggest the latter watches 'Duty Free' closely to learn how to structure ( and more importantly pace ) comedy.
We can take it then that these gents were not among the ten million or so fans who watched back in 1984-86. Its popularity was so great that at one point it challenged 'Coronation Street'. It was written by Eric Chappell ( in collaboration with his secretary Jean Warr ), author of 'Rising Damp', 'The Squirrels', and 'Only When I Laugh', and many other hit sitcoms.
The premise is this; Amy ( Gwen Taylor ) and David Pearce ( Keith Barron ) are in Spain on a package holiday, spending his redundancy money ( nice topical touch. Everybody had redundancy money in those days it seemed ). David, suffering from a mid-life crisis, becomes infatuated with Linda Cochrane ( Joanna Van Gyseghem ), the elegant wife of Robert ( Neil Stacy ), a stuffy ultra-English type forever moaning about the behaviour of the German guests at the hotel. David's infatuation is reciprocated ( the Cochrane's marriage being a sham ) to the point where he and Linda contemplate running away to start a new life together. But it never happens. Over the course of the series, events conspire to derail the romance, and in the last episode David meekly returns to his wife's arms.
The first thing to be said here is that it is no 'Rising Damp', but then neither were Chappell's other shows. It owed a debt to those old British stage farces in which trouserless men were forever hiding in wardrobes and pretty girls scampered about in their underwear. You had to wonder why Amy did not simply call a halt to the holiday instead of letting David make a fool of himself by behaving like a love-sick puppy. Roger Sloman appeared in one episode as David's old pal 'Kev Wilson', whom he had secretly envied for years. It turned out Kev envied him in return!
The first two seasons were good, but then they laboured the joke by making a third. It beggared belief that the same people could turn up at the same time in the same Spanish hotel to begin the saga all over again. A couple of episodes were extended plugs for 'Emmerdale Farm' ( as it was then called ) and 'Wish You Were Here', also made by Y.T.V.
Of the cast, Gwen Taylor was the stand out. I had only previously seen her in Eric Idle's 'Rutland Weekend Television' so it came as a surprise to see her in sitcom ( I had forgotten 'Ripping Yarns' ). She was great as the wronged wife ( she played another four years later in 'A Bit Of A Do' ). I never understood why David wanted to ditch her for Linda. Amy was sexier by far. Keith Barron had done sitcom before, as Leslie Crowther's friend in 'My Good Woman'. Joanna Van Gyseghem, who played 'Linda', first appeared in the crime drama 'Fraud Squad' as 'Vicky Hicks'. Neil Stacy was terrific as the pompous 'Robert', all blazer and blazing indignation, a kind of younger version of Arthur Lowe's 'Potter' character. Carlos Douglas made an big impression as the waiter, often getting big laughs by saying nothing. Another outstanding attribute was Peter Knight's theme tune.
One or two poor souls grumbled that it was not actually filmed on location in Spain. So what? 'Red Dwarf' was not filmed in outer space, yet was still funny! ( The Christmas Special did have some location filming, but sadly due to prior commitments Gwen Taylor was only seen in interior shots ). David Nobbs' B.B.C. sitcom 'The Sun Trap' was also set in Spain - and partly filmed there - yet turned out a stinker.
So no classic but not as bad as Radcliffe and Kay would have you believe. Having just sat through two hours of the spectacularly awful ego-trip 'Britain's Got The Pop Factor etc.', I suggest the latter watches 'Duty Free' closely to learn how to structure ( and more importantly pace ) comedy.