12 February - 30 April 1981
3418 - 3451
Meg’s departure may have been one of the bigger blows to the series, but I can’t help feeling that Roger Tonge’s death, some nine or ten months earlier, might have been the beginning of the end. The family unit of Meg, Sandy and Jill have been the series’ tent pegs. They may come and go, and the series’ scope has broadened and developed, but there’s always been one or another of them around to serve as a reminder of the series’ roots. With Sandy gone, there’s nobody left bearing the Richardson name, which feels a little odd.
Of course, this being
Xrds, Sandy isn’t exactly gone. He seems to have joined Shughie McFee as one of the great unseen. It was mentioned that he was in hospital for respite, which would seem the logical way to begin the character’s retirement. But a few episodes later he’s apparently back at the motel and involved in business. In many ways it’s nice that the character is being kept alive, but there’s also an element of frustration that it’s lacking closure. But then, it is early days and I’m sure all involved were still processing the reality and also wanted to be respectful towards Roger’s family.
Outside of this, it’s been business as usual. Jill’s been busy kicking her addition to sedatives and dealing with her stalker. Badly, of course. All she needed to do was tell him to sod off, but Jill’s never been one for doing things the easy way. Adam’s offered to move into Chimneys which she has interpreted as a proposal rather than a proposition. When he tried to extricate himself from such a commitment, Jill huffily tut-tutted that what he had in mind was “a rental with an option to buy”.
There was an enjoyable-but-brief courtroom drama with Iris vs. Arthur which ended when Iris broke down and confessed her lie. And still everyone just fell over themselves to make her feel better. But the main thing is she’s gone for now.
Kevin’s proposed to Glenda and she’s accepted, despite his dodgy track record in the fidelity stakes. What’s more, they insist on getting married right away for… reasons. With Iris gone their big problem has been Kevin’s parents who don’t feel Glenda is good enough for their son. In the words of Kevin’s mum (Marion’s sister), the Bankses aren’t “P. L. U.” (“People Like Us”). This is perhaps borne out on their first meeting when nervous Kath’s observed with awe under her breath to Arthur that Lady Banks has fur coat. “So’s the dog next door”, quipped Arthur, wholly unimpressed.
Arthur has some competition in Gilbert, the new lodger he thrust upon Kath who was initially furious but who quickly melted. Now Gilbert and Kath are each other’s biggest fans, and Arthur is more than a little put out.
Becky’s been a bit of a curious one. The first time round - when her role was smaller, I thought she was a terrific character. This time round she’s felt like a substitute for Sharon: replacing her in the garage; living in Diane’s flat and involved with Eddie Lee. Compounding this, it feels as though Maxine Gordon is attempting to channel Carolyn Jones in her style, expression and manner. There are an awful lot of Sharon-isms, but most notably the face touching, playing with props and that licky finger thing she does when dealing with papers. I found myself wondering if the story was originally written for Sharon but they couldn’t get her.
Meg’s had some time away doing some kind of favour for the elder Pollard. She’s just returned in the latter couple of episodes, and she’s not alone. Diane is back from her visit to see Nicky in the States. And Benny has just returned from six months away with his traveller friends.
Meanwhile, the Cotterills are the latest characters to be unceremoniously dispensed with offscreen, with Reg sending Meg a letter saying he’s sold up the farm to join Alison who is now apparently training to be a nurse.
In VTR board news, episodes #3443 and #3444 have the director’s name as “Mr Toothpaste”. Looking at the end credits, the director was Mike Holgate… (or “My Colgate”). I wonder what other nicknames they had for cast and crew.
