Please let me know if you recognise this as I feel like YouTubing it.
All I remember is there was a bloke who wanted to walk round the world on a ball. I've a feeling it was about a bunch of misfits in a country house. The guy who played John in Dear John... was in it, possibly.
Thanks.
You'd think it would be easy from that description.
Have you got any more info?
The sitcom you are looking for is Lame Ducks if my memory serves me well.
Stolen from Wikipedia...
Lame Ducks is a British television sitcom made by the BBC in 1984 and written by Peter J. Hammond.
One of the more dark and surreal plotlines, it starred John Duttine as Brian Drake, a man who, when suffering a serious injury after being hit by a truck, can no longer work and decides to head off to live as a hermit. As he goes along, he is joined by various other outcasts, including a woman called Angie (played by Lorraine Chase).
Later, a private detective called Ansell (played by Brian Murphy), hired by Drake's wife (Primi Townsend), locates the group, but as an outcast himself, decides to join them.
The show ran for two series and received lukewarm reviews.
That would be it, thanks. Looks like it didn't have the Dear John... guy in it, which is where I was going wrong...
I've got really, really vague memories of this. Actually, I think I mentioned it, when I first joined this forum, but nobody seemed to know what I was on about.
Quote: Nick McGhee @ October 16 2009, 8:58 PM BSTAll I remember is there was a bloke who wanted to walk round the world on a ball.
I'm surprised I didn't think this one up. It sounds intriguing.
I have thought about going around the world on a tea tray, but felt it might have been a tad difficult, given the current climate and the fact I couldn't be bothered.
I would say that's probably been done by now anyway, so you wouldn't even get a mention in that guinness book.
Already in this short thread I have been reminded of three rather odd sitcoms from what musta been the 1980s. I now recall seeing Lame Ducks very briefly and I think 'lame' is the prime word in describing what it was like.
The bloke being hit by a truck element reminded me of the Richard Briers sitcom that started with him being hit on the head by fallen load of bricks - I saw the first episode I think and could stand no more.
And the bunch of misfits in a country house has to be the short lived rather silly sitcom based on a Neil Spottiswood comic novel? but I'm hopeless with titles. This I think I watched most of the way through - it was a house full of certified nutcases of different hues and I enjoyed the daft concept. Starred that Enn Reitel? chap who you don't see at all now. So the 80s musta been the age of the oddball sitcom.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 21 2009, 12:25 AM BSTI'm surprised I didn't think this one up. It sounds intriguing.
I have thought about going around the world on a tea tray, but felt it might have been a tad difficult, given the current climate and the fact I couldn't be bothered.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ October 26 2009, 5:17 AM BSTAnd the bunch of misfits in a country house has to be the short lived rather silly sitcom based on a Neil Spottiswood comic novel? but I'm hopeless with titles. This I think I watched most of the way through - it was a house full of certified nutcases of different hues and I enjoyed the daft concept. Starred that Enn Reitel? chap who you don't see at all now. So the 80s musta been the age of the oddball sitcom.
Mog? Had a script by Clement & La Frenais as I recall.
Enn Reitel is heard but not seen - does voiceovers for Bremner, Bird & Fortune.
Oh, glad to hear he's still around then. I rather enjoyed his visual incarnation in the 1980s.
'Mog' does ring a loud bell, yes, but was there more to the title? I think I'm right in saying it only ran for one brief series? It seemed to come and go very quickly. One of the nutcases was a deluded black man who dressed in dapper country gentleman/lord of the manor type clothes and talked very posh. I thought that was a funny comic creation in its own right, but was reminded again of it just a few years later when an even dapper dressed, posh talking black world champion boxer from Brighton bounced onto the scene. I was gobsmacked - the man had either modelled himself on the certified lunatic character in the sitcom or he had actually escaped from the house himself.
No, you're right, it was just called Mog, who evidently was the central character played by Reitel. It was indeed penned by Clement & Le Frenais! and was based on the novel by Peter Tinniswood. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, for me, is that it ran for two series! Don't know what I was doing then, because I definitely only saw the first series and thought that was it. And I definitely recall really liking it - the mad characters and concept - but I can't remember how good it was or how funny. Scripted by Clement & Le Frenais though! Hmm, I've never seen or heard a mention of it since in all these (25) years! It wasn't that bad, really...or was it?
Quote: Timbo @ October 26 2009, 9:32 AM BSTMog? Had a script by Clement & La Frenais as I recall.
Enn Reitel is heard but not seen - does voiceovers for Bremner, Bird & Fortune.
He was in One Foot In The Grave couple of times as well. Also considered for part of Del Boy
Quote: peter gazzard @ October 29 2009, 12:35 AM BSTHe was in One Foot In The Grave couple of times as well. Also considered for part of Del Boy
Which part?
His voice I should imagine.
