John Cleese was once quoted as saying satire thrives under right-wing governments. We have a right-wing government in the U.K., but alas no satire. When Blair was in No.10. he only had to drop his pen and Alistair Beaton would knock out a 90-minute special for Channel 4 starring Robert Lindsay. Rory Bremner was quick to lampoon the global financial meltdown in 2008, not so much as a squeak out of him since then. Armando Iannucci's 'In The Loop' was a smug farce about the Iraq War, so when can we expect his 'Hacked Off!' about the Murdoch scandal? Don't hold your breath. It reinforces the view that these projects were essentially propaganda masquerading as satire.
That's enough of that. 'The Stars Look Down' kicked off the sixth season of 'Mum', and was the first episode made following Michael Bates' death. Unlike George Layton's 'Bombadier Solomons', no explanation whatever was given for Rangi Ram's disappearance ( perhaps he'd gone 'home' to his beloved Blighty to open a chip shop! ).
The lads give a concert to an all-Gurkha audience ( no sign of Joanna Lumley, I'm afraid! ). They do not get the jokes and sit there expressionless throughout. An American unit is in the area to make a propaganda film for U.S. audiences, led by 'Colonel Sol Zimmermann' ( the late Ed Bishop ). He is less interested in depicting the reality of war than giving audiences back home the misleading impression that Uncle Sam is winning with no help from anyone else ( its still happening. Spielberg's much-praised 'Saving Private Ryan' airbrushed the British out of D-Day ). The concert party are branded either 'commies' or 'faggots' and made to look stupid by wearing monocles or dressing up as Japanese soldiers.
Funniest moment - needing an Indian for a scene, Sol picks on Mohammed, the Char Wallah. But he misunderstands the sort of Indian needed, and turns up for filming looking like Geronimo! With Bates gone, it was logical for Perry and Croft to give Dino Shafeek a bigger role, and bless him, he grabbed it with both hands.
That's enough of that. 'The Stars Look Down' kicked off the sixth season of 'Mum', and was the first episode made following Michael Bates' death. Unlike George Layton's 'Bombadier Solomons', no explanation whatever was given for Rangi Ram's disappearance ( perhaps he'd gone 'home' to his beloved Blighty to open a chip shop! ).
The lads give a concert to an all-Gurkha audience ( no sign of Joanna Lumley, I'm afraid! ). They do not get the jokes and sit there expressionless throughout. An American unit is in the area to make a propaganda film for U.S. audiences, led by 'Colonel Sol Zimmermann' ( the late Ed Bishop ). He is less interested in depicting the reality of war than giving audiences back home the misleading impression that Uncle Sam is winning with no help from anyone else ( its still happening. Spielberg's much-praised 'Saving Private Ryan' airbrushed the British out of D-Day ). The concert party are branded either 'commies' or 'faggots' and made to look stupid by wearing monocles or dressing up as Japanese soldiers.
Funniest moment - needing an Indian for a scene, Sol picks on Mohammed, the Char Wallah. But he misunderstands the sort of Indian needed, and turns up for filming looking like Geronimo! With Bates gone, it was logical for Perry and Croft to give Dino Shafeek a bigger role, and bless him, he grabbed it with both hands.
