18 October 1977 - 15 August 1978
2829-2830; 2868-2893; 2904; 2928; 2930-2931; 2968 [excerpt]; 2974-2994
Adding greatly to my enjoyment, the VTR boards are becoming more irreverent and daft and there’s a real sense of fun and camaraderie. A few choice selections…
The plummy tecchie getting tongue tied announcing the VTR number (4756/77) for one episode:
“This is VTR four seven five stricks soak seventy seven”
(the crew bursts into laughter and someone claps).
In an episode closely following this (it might even be Part Two of the same episode), his announcement is followed by the techies (perhaps even the cast) all calling out variations of encouraging “Well done”s for getting it right.
After the announcement on #2882, there’s a recording of the two old guys from The Muppet Shows saying “That was the worst thing I ever heard”, followed by a jingle saying “On A.T.V.”
In #2974 Part One the announcer is apparently mid-conversation: “I remember when his name was still Smith”, he comments before doing his schtick. Then over the VTR sound check for Part Two, church bells can be heard in the background - apparently a test run for the scene where Meg is disturbed at her cottage by an American chap.
I’m also wondering if there’s been even more of a clampdown on retakes. It’s many, many episodes since I’ve seen anything other than a “Take One”. Perhaps it’s a testament to the professionalism of late-Seventies
Xrds.
As to the episodes themselves… a lot has happened, even if it doesn’t really feel like it. Sandy’s impending nuptials brought out some nicely poetic observations in #2882 as David and Meg reflected on their respective chats with Sandy’s future parents-in-law:
David: “People have doubts, and all they want is confirmation. A new idea throws them. It doesn’t fit in with what they’ve already decided.”
Meg: “How to get through to her. She sits and nods and smiles and wears her doubts like a veil.”
It seems the wedding never happened since I’ve skipped a few episodes and haven’t seen or heard of Sandy’s former fiancée in the last twenty plus consecutive episodes.
The aforementioned American chap is a psychiatrist and published author. Tish just happens to own a copy of his book, with handy portrait on the cover so she can put the pieces together. Me? I’m just delighted to have Tish doing anything at all. I’m not sure if he is played by an American or not (I’m guessing not, but I can’t remember his name and can’t be bothered to look it up), but he reminds me a lot of Stan Lee, exuding the same confident, avuncular energy.
He’s helped Meg get out of the funk apparently caused when Hugh was kidnapped and killed by international terrorists (and I’d thought the reference in
The Making Of Acorn Antiques was just OTT silliness) which included David’s son and a mysterious French girl who were staying at the motel at some point. Sadly, the episodes in question were missing, but since it took place in Australia I assume it was all off-screen anyway (I wonder if the Australian reference was some kind of middle finger to Reg Watson. Since evil Jack Barton in
Nolly I’m finding symbolism everywhere).
Meg’s become a grandmother again, with Jill having given birth. Again, this is off-screen since she’s now apparently left the series for the time being. There’s an awful lot, in fact, that’s been off-screen. After Jill ran off with Anthony Mortimer, Stan returned for a bit and tracked her down (well, Meg and Sandy did, really. But they helpfully told Stan). Stan then left the series having spoken to an invisible Jill at the end of a phone and departing the series. The shorty afterwards, the offscreen Stan speaks to Meg and her side of the conversation tells us Jill and Stan have reunited.
Now Stan and Jill are having problems, but still offscreen. Sandy gets the phone call about the birth from Stan, and we learn from Sandy (as he tells Meg) that Stan sounds unhappy and comments that Anthony should be passing out cigars (the child evidently being more Mortimer than Harvey).
continued
