New posts

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 369371" data-attributes="member: 23">Has it really been under seven months since Home To Roost? It feels like twice that.A lot of soapy water has passed under the bridge since then but I'm back in sitcom land with... <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fb5fd4b60aa4becef2887-1d51e85ddf495dd9b08a8151a75f6ef6.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com%2F5027626460242.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=77e22a47a7c0ccd58cab341023f86fab269ed4bf79bbb9f17fe406f0815f7b72&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 593px" />It felt a little sad to crack open a new boxset from my favourite DVD manufacturers/distributors, the late, great Network. This was mitigated by knowing that I still have quite a number of their releases lined-up to watch in due course.Sykes is yet another series I know by reputation alone. I've never watched an episode and don't recall repeats being part of the schedules when I was young (though I dare say they were). Hattie Jacques's presence has long made this an attractive watching prospect for me. And occasionally skimming through information on the series  has only increased my appetite when I've seen some very familiar names from British comedy and light entertainment listed.Perhaps surprisingly, the least-known quantity for me is Eric Sykes himself. I have, of course, watched numerous projects in which he has made a guest appearance - from dinnerladies to One Foot In The Grave to Summer Wine - but, frankly, he's never made much of an impression upon me. And I don't believe I've watched anything in which he had anything more than a cough and a spit. So far I'm still underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong: he's fine, but I'm not getting the immediate charismatic magnetism of, say, Leonard Rossiter, nor the sense of comic genius that one can't help but find when watching someone like Ronnie Barker. Sykes's style might be of the subtle variety that takes a while to read. It's only been three episodes for me, and I'm open to the idea that I may "get" him if I continue watching. Even if I don't, there's nothing that I've so far found off-putting or unattractive about his style.Hattie is as reliable as ever. It comes across that she's enjoying Eric's company and they work well together.The standout for me has been the third regular player: Richard Wattis. Richard's face is very familiar to me, as it will be to anyone who's indulged in British film and television from the Fifties and Sixties. He's so unchanging, and it's pleasing that he has quite a significant role in this series. Snobby neighbour Charles Brown is enjoyably prickly and acerbic, and Richard plays him to perfection. He's a very generous and giving player, never intentionally stealing the limelight from Eric and Hat, but still having great presence. I find him easier to get a handle on than I do Eric, but perhaps that's because his character is more defined and a little more broadly written.A fourth player slipped in during the third episode. Deryck Guyler's appearance as Constable Corky Turnbull felt like a one-off on the surface, but IMDb confirms he will appear in more episodes than not.Coming to this immediately after watching Brookside - a more realistic series filmed entirely on location - I'd feared the sets might be a bit of a shock. Actually, I'm finding them fine (a scene utilising the indoor outdoor set of the studio-bound street in front of the house was actually very charming). All the same, the series does feel incredibly static, twee and slow. Not that it will stop me continuing.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?