As I write this, BBC-4 is re-running 'Elisabeth R', 'All Creatures Great And Small'. 'Yes Minister' and, best of all, 'The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin' ( not the awful Martin Clunes version ). A Radio Times contributor complained that the original 'All Creatures' was unwatchable now because of the jump between filmed exteriors and video-taped interiors. Yet the original audience found it acceptable, and the show ran for years. It will be interesting to see how long the Channel 5 remake lasts.
Now onto 'Well Anyway', a short-lived BBC-2 sitcom starring and written by John Bird and the late John Fortune. Bird played the likeable 'John Dally', and Fortune was the sly, money-grabbing 'John Chance'. When we first meet them, Chance has turned up at Dally's London flat, claiming to be an old school friend, and Dally has graciously cooked him dinner, which Chance later complains about. Chance is being stalked by a thug ( Bernard Bresslaw ) to whom he owes gambling debts. With the thug is the camp 'Julian' ( Hugh Walters ) whom is said to be a psychopath. His only lines in the episode are "Hello!" and 'Goodbye!". Chance tells Dally how he was standing on the platform of Mansion House Railway Station when a gust of wind blew an envelope out of his hand and deposited it under the railway line. Thinking there could be money inside ( and because Chance has asked him to do it ), Dally goes the station to retrieve it. There is just one problem - how does one buy a ticket to a station at the station itself? Cue one very irate ticket clerk ( played by Dennis Waterman of 'The Sweeney' fame ).
The show was sort of like a British 'Odd Couple'. Despite getting good notices, there was no follow-up series and Bird and Fortune went on to better things ( if you call working with the self-righteous Rory Bremner a better thing ). It is a shame, because 'Well Anyway' was a very funny show and deserved a longer run.
Funniest moment - Chance stepping on Dally's hand as the latter bends down to pick up a fallen knife.
Now onto 'Well Anyway', a short-lived BBC-2 sitcom starring and written by John Bird and the late John Fortune. Bird played the likeable 'John Dally', and Fortune was the sly, money-grabbing 'John Chance'. When we first meet them, Chance has turned up at Dally's London flat, claiming to be an old school friend, and Dally has graciously cooked him dinner, which Chance later complains about. Chance is being stalked by a thug ( Bernard Bresslaw ) to whom he owes gambling debts. With the thug is the camp 'Julian' ( Hugh Walters ) whom is said to be a psychopath. His only lines in the episode are "Hello!" and 'Goodbye!". Chance tells Dally how he was standing on the platform of Mansion House Railway Station when a gust of wind blew an envelope out of his hand and deposited it under the railway line. Thinking there could be money inside ( and because Chance has asked him to do it ), Dally goes the station to retrieve it. There is just one problem - how does one buy a ticket to a station at the station itself? Cue one very irate ticket clerk ( played by Dennis Waterman of 'The Sweeney' fame ).
The show was sort of like a British 'Odd Couple'. Despite getting good notices, there was no follow-up series and Bird and Fortune went on to better things ( if you call working with the self-righteous Rory Bremner a better thing ). It is a shame, because 'Well Anyway' was a very funny show and deserved a longer run.
Funniest moment - Chance stepping on Dally's hand as the latter bends down to pick up a fallen knife.