We watched this series for the first time(!) 37 years after it was first broadcast. And we liked it from the outset: it had style and originality, intelligence and warmth. But then we quit: after the third episode of S2.
The programme altered in style and feel after series 1. The drama changed from being witty, satirical, and sassy - with supreme black comedy, but all the time being intensely amusing and enjoyable. The programme initially offered great political comment on universities & the culture of the 1980s, had the usual pithiness of a campus drama, and had several likeable characters . . . It was bizarre and at times surreal. And it made us laugh.
But by series 2 the programme was overly dark, with a deeply manipulative character as the new romantic interest. Her bullying - at times near-sociopathic - of our lovely lead character was shocking. An ex-boyfriend of said woman (a new lady lecturer to the uni) began roaming the college grounds, physically assaulting her right in front of the viewer, i_e_ on camera. What's funny about that sort of violence? This had been a black comedy that was now becoming a pure dark drama.
Of course, we hoped the lady lecturer character might soften as the series went on, but as we watched more of the 2nd series she just became even more histrionic and demanding. NOT a fun viewing experience . . .
There were more changes. The female doctor altered her nature between series 1 and 2, from being flirtatiously coercive to being aggressively conniving. She was now actively damaging other uni staff, and abusing her position of trust with both the female and male students. Disgusting behaviour for a medical professional . . .
And the V-C of the uni was recast as a new character in the 2nd series, as a moneymaking obsessive. This Americanisation of the uni would have been funny had the two lead female characters been played as more likeable. Instead we got two - nay, three (including the US V-C) - horrors of predatory uni staff. We had lost the previous V-C of series 1, who was an academic, and though greedy and devious was more 'normal' than the new V-C. This more acceptable personality had made that comedic character somehow whimsical, and the viewing of his conniving antics was more easy on the watcher than the new character in series 2.
I mean, I know it's a black comedy as opposed to base-level comedy, but there IS going too far in radicalisation . . . !
Then, by episode 3, sex workers were being employed in the medical department by one of the lead doctors. Oh dear, too 'channel 4' an approach to a comedy. It must have been titillatingly shocking to audience in the '80s - and a real watercooler conversation at work the next day (like 'Fifty Shades' in the 2010s) - but really it's just unpleasantness on the screen.
Too much nastiness . . . Not enough wit and amusement. So episode 3 was the end, for us. We skipped to the last episode, skimming through the final eps just to see what happened to our lovely hero. We even watched the 1-off special set in Poland. Ay caramba! . . . we realised we HAD make the right decision to dump this drama after ep 3!!
I would have given the programme an 8-star rating after watching series 1, but after series 2 showed its colours my rating plummeted. As the two series of the programme were so strikingly different in their style and appeal. I've still given it a 7, though, as 6 seems too low.
Shame, because for the first series it was intelligent and edgy, but also offered likeable and fun enjoyment.
The programme altered in style and feel after series 1. The drama changed from being witty, satirical, and sassy - with supreme black comedy, but all the time being intensely amusing and enjoyable. The programme initially offered great political comment on universities & the culture of the 1980s, had the usual pithiness of a campus drama, and had several likeable characters . . . It was bizarre and at times surreal. And it made us laugh.
But by series 2 the programme was overly dark, with a deeply manipulative character as the new romantic interest. Her bullying - at times near-sociopathic - of our lovely lead character was shocking. An ex-boyfriend of said woman (a new lady lecturer to the uni) began roaming the college grounds, physically assaulting her right in front of the viewer, i_e_ on camera. What's funny about that sort of violence? This had been a black comedy that was now becoming a pure dark drama.
Of course, we hoped the lady lecturer character might soften as the series went on, but as we watched more of the 2nd series she just became even more histrionic and demanding. NOT a fun viewing experience . . .
There were more changes. The female doctor altered her nature between series 1 and 2, from being flirtatiously coercive to being aggressively conniving. She was now actively damaging other uni staff, and abusing her position of trust with both the female and male students. Disgusting behaviour for a medical professional . . .
And the V-C of the uni was recast as a new character in the 2nd series, as a moneymaking obsessive. This Americanisation of the uni would have been funny had the two lead female characters been played as more likeable. Instead we got two - nay, three (including the US V-C) - horrors of predatory uni staff. We had lost the previous V-C of series 1, who was an academic, and though greedy and devious was more 'normal' than the new V-C. This more acceptable personality had made that comedic character somehow whimsical, and the viewing of his conniving antics was more easy on the watcher than the new character in series 2.
I mean, I know it's a black comedy as opposed to base-level comedy, but there IS going too far in radicalisation . . . !
Then, by episode 3, sex workers were being employed in the medical department by one of the lead doctors. Oh dear, too 'channel 4' an approach to a comedy. It must have been titillatingly shocking to audience in the '80s - and a real watercooler conversation at work the next day (like 'Fifty Shades' in the 2010s) - but really it's just unpleasantness on the screen.
Too much nastiness . . . Not enough wit and amusement. So episode 3 was the end, for us. We skipped to the last episode, skimming through the final eps just to see what happened to our lovely hero. We even watched the 1-off special set in Poland. Ay caramba! . . . we realised we HAD make the right decision to dump this drama after ep 3!!
I would have given the programme an 8-star rating after watching series 1, but after series 2 showed its colours my rating plummeted. As the two series of the programme were so strikingly different in their style and appeal. I've still given it a 7, though, as 6 seems too low.
Shame, because for the first series it was intelligent and edgy, but also offered likeable and fun enjoyment.