British Comedy Guide

Goodnight Sweetheart Page 8

'Goodnight Sweetheart' - one of the more interesting and original 'situations' to have hit the sitcom scene last century, and could be said to have inspired 'Life on Mars'(if that's a claim to fame).

Enjoyed it tremendously. Lyndhurst rarely disappoints.

I used to watch it a lot when it was on.

Quote: jake how @ January 24, 2008, 5:54 PM

I used to watch it a lot when it was on.

He's baackk!!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

:O

I am back, I take it you didn't want me back ?

(:D)

Quote: Rick Skelton @ January 24, 2008, 12:18 PM

They weren't tw*ts, were they? They were just 2 of lifes unfortunates. You couldn't feel any disdain whatsoever towards the pair of them, just pity.

They stole their neighbour’s gas and did terrible things to the gas man, printed poor quality counterfeit money, attempted to mug people with a cattle prod, stole a dress from a woman in a ghost train, looted, used illegal explosives, tried to blackmail the prime minister, defraud an heiress, etc.

They weren't exactly good people.

I love them, but make no mistake they were tw@s

You're both right. They were twats. But you really can't feel any hatred towards them. Just pity.

It's the frying pan I have the pity for in Bottom. God, it took some beatings over the episodes.

Quote: Jack Massey @ January 25, 2008, 11:06 PM

It's the frying pan I have the pity for in Bottom.

Erm! Use loo roll like the rest of us. Unless.....You like it.

Just been watching the series again. For me it is the best example of a show that just got better as it went along. Started off slightly above average and as the six series went on the quality of the episodes just got better and better.

It certainly became a bit more interesting when they started to play with the time travel aspect a little more - though I didn't really like what they did with Yvonne, all that New Labour millionaire nonsense.

Quote: Phillip @ July 23 2008, 12:54 PM BST

It certainly became a bit more interesting when they started to play with the time travel aspect a little more - though I didn't really like what they did with Yvonne, all that New Labour millionaire nonsense.

I agree. I think, at the time, they were trying to make Yvonne post-modern as a contrast to the obviously old-fashioned Pheobe.

Quote: Aaron @ August 8 2007, 11:02 AM BST

Laughing out loud

Thing is, whilst there are a lot of jokes based around that, it's actually not a major, crucial part of the story line. I mean, take out that René is longing to bonk some of the staff, and the core of the show is still there. With Goodnight Sweetheart, the core of the show was exactly that; the fact that he's got a wife whom he loves in both eras, thus not allowing him to just choose one to stay in and be done with it.

Perhaps they should have titled it "Goodnight Sweethearts" (plural)

Quote: Dave @ August 10 2007, 12:21 AM BST

He was in Help with The Beatles.

No! He was in The Beatles 'A Hard Days Night',David Janson played the boy who Ringo befriended on the river bank!

I watched Goodnight Sweetheart from when it started and at first have to admit I thought it was a drama, until it came on again and again and I noticed the laughter. (I was only 9 at the time tho)

I don't think it was ever intended to be a laugh out every 5 seconds sitcom. More a mix of drama, theatrics, humour and romance - with a sci-fi twist.

I never took it too seriously (How could anyone?), but I took it for what it was - though I still haven't quite figured it out. Overall I loved it from start to finish and had the same feelings when I bought the box set.

It was unique compared to every other sitcom/comedy before it, at the time, or since.

I agree with some people saying they could have made better use of the time travel itself - though it was explored more in later series. It could have been took to whole new levels. It's the type of show that could easily be brought back in a different way - In the same way that Ashes To Ashes came after Life On Mars. Different people, but the same type of situation and in a different era.

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