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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 268039" data-attributes="member: 23">Another week. Another wodge of episodes behind me - at this point I'm almost at the end of Series Eight, with almost seventy percent of episodes watched and just twenty remaining. And another few minor tweaks to the series, which are mostly good news. Banks and Mrs Sadler had their wedding, went on honeymoon and simply never came back. As mentioned, Mrs Banks was a character who grated on me as time went on. Clumsiness gets wearing when it's day in/day out - particularly with the rate at which I'm watching. I also picked up what I read as some theatrical upstaging to Maria Charles's performance. Rare was the scene in which she'd be still and allow other actors to do their thing. If she was in frame - even as part of a group - there were constant little sounds and sharp movements to draw attention to herself. With such strong character actors, I imagine supporting actors need to be driven to make an impact, but there's a balance to be struck. Go too far and it becomes detrimental to the ensemble. That felt like the case here, and it was certainly detrimental to my enjoyment. I'll greatly miss Banks's banter with Simon since he was very good at cutting him down to size with his forthright observation. It seems Teddy Turner was rather busy with Emmerdale Farm shortly after his exit (remaining there through the 1989 retitling and into ), so obviously it worked out well for him, however it all happened.  As with David and Lynn's exit, I can't help wondering about the decision-making process for character's exits and entrances. Speaking of which David and Lynn are back in the thick of things with Series Eight, albeit now both played by different actors. Far less charismatic actors too, I feel - there's something of the village hall am dram to their deliveries. But they're likeable enough, know their lines, don't trip over the furniture and - most importantly - don't upstage the actors playing their respective fathers. Their return has given a new spin on the original premise of the series, where we see Simon and Oliver as grandfathers, competing for lap time and handing the baby to the other only when it's time for a nappy change. Helping things along is the return of Johnnie Mortimer himself penning all but one of the Eighth Series, which has helped create the feeling - even if it's just psychological - that the series has returned to its roots. While at this point there's nothing about the series that feels particularly fresh or new, that's fine. There was little about the series that felt cutting edge to begin with. Its key appeal is that comforting feeling of safety. And no matter what changes there are to the cast or format, that ease and familiarity remains thanks to the two lead actors being reassuringly watchable with any material that comes along. If there's any sign of their enthusiasm waning it doesn't show on screen and - as previously noted - it feels very much like they're having great fun with this series. Their chemistry is as fun and dynamic as ever. Even the returning Lynn has commented how much Simon and Oliver enjoy their sparring. This is important, because it means there's no question of the two not interacting, even if there are no children and grandchildren to give them reason (David and Lynn about to depart for the second and final time), and no Banks and Mrs Banks to act as intermediaries. At this point, Simon and Oliver are in and out of each other's homes, alternately trashing and colluding. They spend so much time together and find the other's company so comfortable that several times in recent episodes they've been mistaken for a couple (indeed, one one occasion when it suited him to keep his ex-wife at bay, Simon put his arm through Oliver's to reinforce this misconception). All of which is cause to give some enjoyably politically incorrect casual homophobia, but which also shows that there's no question of the audience questioning why these two will continue to interact. They have the resentful long-term couple thing down perfectly. There's more than a hint of the George and Mildred to them. We've been shown, too, how they react when they think the other won't be around. Oliver blubbering and grieving when he thinks - thanks to miscommunication on a phone call to the hospital - that Simon has died. Simon going so far as to sabotage Oliver's attempts to sell his house. They may not need to stay in each other's lives. But at this point, they need each other.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?