there's still the hope that the series will get past its self-consciousness over the premise and get down to the business of being a sitcom. It's on the way to doing it, as proved by scenarios such as the parents' competitively deluging the couple with new furniture. If we can get to this simply being a half decent LWT sitcom, then the real progress will happen.
I'm happy to report that this has most definitely been the case. Certainly by the latter part of Series Two, the output is, up to a point, more standard fare. Which sounds like a bad thing, but I think it's a really good sign that the novelty of the premise has worn off with the writers.
In a previous reference to the series I mentioned warmth, and I feel that's grown to become one of the hallmarks of this series. From the catchy theme through to the harmonious freeze frame at the end of each episode (which, happily, frequently capture the couple's loving acceptance of their dysfunctional extended families), this is clearly a sitcom, not separated from its peers, but with its own unique tone which feels like it's grown out of the sum of its parts. The ending to series two, with the families learning of Susan's pregnancy is a great example of this. It subtly shows an acceptance amongst the parents of a situation they would have each found very difficult to fathom in the early days of Series One. There are still concerns, of course. But they're aired with a gentleness that shows the forward momentum.
It's important, of course, that the series keeps acknowledging and honouring its characters' ethnic background, but it's equally important that it's done in an organic way. In the first few episodes, I was concerned that there were just too many one dimensional gags about race. To the detriment of character. That seems to be happening less now. Thankfully, from the beginning, Thomas and Susan's relationship has been one that recognises their different ethnic backgrounds but also celebrates it.
There are still characters for whom the racial divide is more prominent. They're very necessary to this setup. There needs to be a degree of conflict, division or whatever you care to name it. Mrs Beasley, the nosey neighbour, is a key example. Still counting the black faces going into the flat and panicking if they outnumber the whites. Her concerns are usually dealt with by Aunt Dorothy delivering one of her sarcastic acid put-downs.
Thomas's Mum's concerns are shown to stem from an insularity and lack of worldliness. Her faux pas stem from a belief that British people of different ethnic backgrounds live in a dramatically different way to the one she's familiar with. And so come the "foot in mouth" questions to Susan and Matilda. Tellingly, the questions or the answers she receives often relate to use of colour. Such as asking about funeral customs (Matilda wearily comments that black people wear white to funerals), or baby clothes (she asks if "you people" do pink for a girl and blue for a boy). They're quite revealing about how Annie categorises by colour and is comfortable with these things in their simple boxes. She'd probably feel as threatened at the thought of a newborn girl wearing a blue babygro as she does about her white son marrying a black woman.
Both fathers are still clashing nicely, but there's more respect between them. There's male ego involved and a great deal of pride. They're essentially schoolboys playing top trumps, each desperate to prove that the cards they hold are good enough. The topic of race still comes up between them, but it's just one of the categories on the cards, and each tries to spin it so that theirs is the winner.
In situations away from their competitive duels, they're shown to be more reasonable. In my first post on this subject, I described Edward as intransigent. It was heartening and quite moving to watch one of the first episodes of Series Three in which he proved me wrong.
The scenario had Edward in full Colonel Blimp mode when going on holiday with his wife, son and daughter in law. Of course, he insisted on holidaying in the UK, at the most British establishment he could think of. Only to get there and find to his horror that it had been taken over by Italians, with the hotel overrun with German, Spanish, French and American tourists. There was a skit where he was trying to order a drink, only to find that he couldn't order a bitter, but only German or Dutch lager (cue the "we didn't fight them on the beaches to end up drinking their foreign beer on our holiday" type remarks. Asking for the most British drink they had, he was steered towards Scotch whisky, only to then be asked if he would like Perrier water with it ("No I would not. I will have it with some good British water from a good British tap. You do have British taps, don't you? Or have you got a direct line from Paris?" Or words to that effect). All very reminiscent of that Kenneth Williams
Buy British sketch from the Peter Cook revue
One Over The Eight.
On going to check out of the hotel early in disgust, Edward met another Blimp who'd just done the same. Excited to find a kindred spirit, Edward agreed enthusiastically as the second Blimp raved angrily about all the points to which Edward had already taken umbrage. And then came the clincher. The second Blimp seethed to Edward that the hotel was letting a black girl stay at the hotel. And not just that, but she'd been seen holding hands with a white man. And what terrible, namby pamby parents must that young white man must have. And it's then that Edward did what he could never have done had he been in conversation with William (and probably not even Thomas). He admitted that the other man had taught him a lesson. And then he ordered the desk staff to take his cases back to his room so he could complete his holiday. It's a small step, but incredibly significant and it was very touching to see it play out.
the theme is what I remember most about the series and I could probably sing the entire theme song today even though it was so long ago, I must have been in junior (or even infant) school at the time.
"Mixed blessings it had to be, mixed blessings for you and me ..." God knows when I last heard it either!
I woke up this morning with the song in my head. It's far too catchy and I dare say it will still be rattling round my head long after I finish watching.
