Dave
Monday 11th May 2009 5:39pm [Edited]
1,172 posts
There seems to be fewer characters in this new one. There's no Tom, the son-in-law, no daughter or son; plus the secretary is pretty characterless. It's interesting to note that Martin Clunes is older than Rossiter was when he played the role, although Rossiter coming from another generation seemed older, I think. But it wouldn't be believable that Clunes would have a grown up daughter.
The character of Chris is markedly different from John Barron's portrayal. This new guy throws the "I didn't get where I am today ... " line away, and he doesn't have any difficulty with malapropisms and dundrearyisms, which was a cornerstone of the original character.
Although Geoffrey Whitehead is a good actor, Palmer has a grumpy face which suites the Jimmy character, making him prone to self-pity. Also, as has been mentioned, Whitehead's "William" is a bit posh to be scrounging, and given his age is seems a little sad.
Perhaps the most glaring alteration is the depiction of Fay Ripley's Nichola against Pauline Yates' Elizabeth. Where as Elizabeth was a largely one-dimensional character (which was seriously bothersome in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin when the character was given more screen time), and was a typical sitcom housewife who cooks the dinner in time for the working husband to arrive home; it would be perhaps too contrasting to have Nichola being a post-modern feminist, although that's what the writers seem to be suggesting.
The modern day yes-men Anthony and Steve are terrible; they are far too American-influenced. The original characters of David and Tony had at least some character to them: Tony was overconfident and didn't take much seriously; almost a prototype yuppy, while David was the contrast: very nervous, shy, cursed with a low self-esteem and was incredibly jumpy around Reggie.
Whereas Rossiter's Reggie seemed half-way through a breakdown when we first meet him, Clunes' Reggie seems to be mildly discontented, undoubtedly designed to be relatable to millions of dissatisfied commuters.
Given the subject matter and excuses for absurd set pieces (driving through a field instead of waiting in the traffic jam), I think the concept would have worked better as a film instead of a 6-part TV series. And as the series goes on, it will naturally distance itself from the original. I don't think Clunes' Reggie will be faking his own death, opening a shop which sells rubbish or found a commune. As such, this new version needs to find its own direction - sooner, rather than later.
