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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 269525" data-attributes="member: 23">My month of browsing antiques came to a quietly enjoyable end last night, as the Eleventh Series wrapped up with Simon and Oliver outside a (studio) shop front in heated competition for a satellite dish so that they can watch European soft porn. As expected, there's no denouement or closure. Which is entirely appropriate since is feels as though the series could have simply continued running even longer than it did. There was no sign onscreen of Donald and Windsor's enthusiasm waning. The chemistry was still good, and the writing had a safe consistency thanks to the benefit of having just one writer for its last three series. I found myself chuckling out loud as much in the latter series as I did in the beginning. Sometimes more. There was the odd episode here and there that didn't work as well - such as Simon becoming an evangelical preacher in Born Again, which was entirely unbelievable. But this was also true for earlier series. As a rule, if you liked one episode, you'll like the lot. Thanks to the terrific grounding of the two leads, the series successfully survived a few cast shakeups and little changes of direction. Who'd have thought the exit of David and Lynn - the ties that bound the lead characters together - would in the long run prove to be an improvement? Had the two children remained in the series it would have offered some scope for new forms of rivalry, but I suspect having these family dynamics explored on a weekly basis would ultimately have proved restrictive and limited not only story possibilities but also the longevity of the series. Banks was missed after his exit. I did enjoy him bluntly cutting Simon down to size. But his departure was softened by the fact that he took the irritating Mrs Sadler with him (she was just one clumsy character too many for the series. Even Ringo could get trying at times in this department). And then in came Aunt Eleanor. Based on her first couple of appearances - her very first being a one-off appearance at the beginning of Series Four - I really wasn't sure how I'd feel about her as a regular. At risk of sounding rude, my initial overall impression was that they'd written it for Joan Sanderson but couldn't get her. Zara Nutley has the right look for the archetypal sitcom battleaxe, but that brusque edge doesn't feel like a good fit for her. Once she returned as a regular, the character was wisely softened, and tailored to Zara's natural warmth. And she became a delight, sparking well off the other characters. The new central foursome of Simon, Oliver, Ringo and Eleanor proving complementary and enjoyable to watch. In the end, the charisma of the series' key actors proved more important than even the original premise.</blockquote>

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