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Global Telly Talk
Classic UK TV
The Great British Sitcom
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<blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 305559" data-attributes="member: 23"><p><strong>Six Dates With Barker</strong></p><p><strong><em>1970: The Odd Job</em></strong></p><p></p><p>It's incredible to think that this series is now over half a century old. This episode perhaps comes the closest to looking it due to it being in black and white. I'm not clear if this is how it originally was filmed and aired, but it works on a couple of levels, not only giving it an old school sitcom feel but also giving a certain noir-ish appeal which feels appropriate given the subject matter.</p><p></p><p>And that's what really sets this one apart. The dialogue is palatable, the humour is gentle and the familiar character actors reassuringly familiar. All the same there's no getting around the fact that this is essentially about a suicidal man looking for a way to end his life. It's a very British thing, I think, to cast light on the darkness and scoff at it.</p><p></p><p>The premise gives many possibilities for humour, most of which are met. There's an Inspector Clouseau kind of element to the would-be assassin botching all his attempts, or causing life-changing injuries to the wrong person. But there's also something of the Hancock to Barker's characterisation of Arthur Harriman, carrying on soliloquys after his wife has walked out and he's alone, planning out his death. Other than the establishing location work and Arthur's bus ride home (with Emily Bishop's bigamist husband no less) the entire first half of the story takes place in one long scene in the Harrimans' living room. This gives it a most welcome play-like quality.</p><p></p><p>Ronnie B. is as reliable as ever. Joan Sims is circa <em>Carry On Henry, </em>but looks for all the world like Esme Crowfoot from the previous instalment, <em>Carry On Loving</em> - right down to the clothes and the look on her face as she screams while two men wrestle on the ground. She'a an absolute joy. For his characterisation of Clive the odd job man, David Jason uses the same stock Northern accent he'd later use for Granville, but with added slowness as he throws the kitchen sink at trying to be the eccentric. It's a typically hammy performance of his but tolerable enough for a one-off twenty five minute thingy (which I could probably say about most of his roles).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Spells & Karma, post: 305559, member: 23"] [B]Six Dates With Barker [I]1970: The Odd Job[/I][/B] It's incredible to think that this series is now over half a century old. This episode perhaps comes the closest to looking it due to it being in black and white. I'm not clear if this is how it originally was filmed and aired, but it works on a couple of levels, not only giving it an old school sitcom feel but also giving a certain noir-ish appeal which feels appropriate given the subject matter. And that's what really sets this one apart. The dialogue is palatable, the humour is gentle and the familiar character actors reassuringly familiar. All the same there's no getting around the fact that this is essentially about a suicidal man looking for a way to end his life. It's a very British thing, I think, to cast light on the darkness and scoff at it. The premise gives many possibilities for humour, most of which are met. There's an Inspector Clouseau kind of element to the would-be assassin botching all his attempts, or causing life-changing injuries to the wrong person. But there's also something of the Hancock to Barker's characterisation of Arthur Harriman, carrying on soliloquys after his wife has walked out and he's alone, planning out his death. Other than the establishing location work and Arthur's bus ride home (with Emily Bishop's bigamist husband no less) the entire first half of the story takes place in one long scene in the Harrimans' living room. This gives it a most welcome play-like quality. Ronnie B. is as reliable as ever. Joan Sims is circa [I]Carry On Henry, [/I]but looks for all the world like Esme Crowfoot from the previous instalment, [I]Carry On Loving[/I] - right down to the clothes and the look on her face as she screams while two men wrestle on the ground. She'a an absolute joy. For his characterisation of Clive the odd job man, David Jason uses the same stock Northern accent he'd later use for Granville, but with added slowness as he throws the kitchen sink at trying to be the eccentric. It's a typically hammy performance of his but tolerable enough for a one-off twenty five minute thingy (which I could probably say about most of his roles). [/QUOTE]
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