Cheers Aaron
Goodnight Sweetheart Page 7
Goodnight Sweetheart was great. Because of the premise and Lyndhurst's fine acting, you couldn't compare it to Only Fools as it was worlds (and fifty-odd years) apart. I think Lyndhurst really avoided being type-cast with it, probably more so than he is now (because of Only Fools' comeback and repeats etc).
Yes, I definitely agree. Gary Sparrow - and even Piglet - was believable for him to an extent where there's still a bit of something missing with Jimmy in After You've Gone.
And yes, those OFAH comebacks could well be to do with it. Interesting thought.
I liked Piglet too, Aaron. Clive Francis as Drummond was sublime. Nice to see John Ringham (Norman in Just Good Friends) there too - and Dexter and Lewis were funny. Probably ran as long as could in three series, though. Never seen The Two of Us although I would LOVE to.
I think After You've Gone is a bit of a vehicle for Lyndhurst. You know, it won't set the world on fire, and won't be remembered in the same way the innovative Goodnight Sweetheart was, but is good to see every now and then.
Victor McGuire as Ron was great in GS. I think he should be on TV more - maybe in a straight role in The Royal Today or something.
I liked the first couple of series, but it became rather weak after that.
Dervla Kirwan was rather hot as well.
Quote: Winterlight @ January 19, 2008, 11:23 PMI liked the first couple of series, but it became rather weak after that.
Dervla Kirwan was rather hot as well.
I always think Dervla Kirwan is terribly overrated. She is really nothing special tolook at. Wasn't Li Carling her replacement?
Incidentally I saw Gillian Kearney in Casualty last night - the TV prog that is. What sitcom was she in?
I was disscusing this show with a friend the other day (well, I say the other day it was more like a few months ago, but I haven't been here for a while so let's just let that one go, in fact, I shouldn't have even brought it up, but I did... oh well to late to do anything about that now) and was saying how the replacing of both actresses really seriously altered the dynamic of the show. As in the original set up history girl was a hottie and present wife was a bit meh... Then they swapped it completely around.
So you had an average guy, with an average wife, in a boring marrage cheating on her in a situation that was so unique no court would hold his infidelity against him.
Then he was a guy married to a rich, successful, babe who was boning some tubby bar maid in the past, which kind of just made him a jerk.
Either way, I see there's a complete series box set available... which bumps the whole purchase up a notch on my to do list.
She may have become rich and successful, but she was in the inner circle of New Labour. Wouldn't you rather "bone some tubby bar maid" (past or present) rather than endure parties with Cherie Blair?
SHUDDER.
I love Goodnight Sweetheart. It's in my top 5 of all-time easily.
I quite agree with what someone said before, perhaps Charley, it is a very dramatic sitcom. It's still a sitcom though because it's very funny.
The first 3 series are fantastic. What the show does so well is establish the characters early. It's so incredibly unrealistic, yet realistic. They write and Nick Lyndhurst plays Gary so well, that he never comes across as a tw*t, which is incredibly important. What shows like Never Better fail to do is establish the major character as being decent despite the flaws. You can't build a show around a total arse, unless you have a supporting cast of strong, likeable characters who appear regularly.
The show did lose something after Dervla, my dear goddess, and Michelle Holmes left. For whatever reason, it also became a bit more unbelievable. Yvonne becoming a billionaire, Phoebe befriending Noel Coward, becoming a night club singer, etc. It was still a really good show, but not as well written as the first 3 series.
I hate the ending, I must admit. It's heart breaking and unfulfilling. The problem was, unless they split Gary in two and he ended up in both places at the same time, they couldn't really end it on a high note. Call me an old romantic, but I think a sitcom needs to end on a high.
Overall, a wonderful show. Always interesting, well researched and well acted. That some of the situations were so utterly unbelievable but yet interesting and engrossing is to it's credit. It was the perfect role for Nick Lyndhurst too.
Quote: Sir Geoffrey Loftus @ January 23, 2008, 6:11 AMI was disscusing this show with a friend the other day (well, I say the other day it was more like a few months ago, but I haven't been here for a while so let's just let that one go, in fact, I shouldn't have even brought it up, but I did... oh well to late to do anything about that now) and was saying how the replacing of both actresses really seriously altered the dynamic of the show. As in the original set up history girl was a hottie and present wife was a bit meh... Then they swapped it completely around.
So you had an average guy, with an average wife, in a boring marrage cheating on her in a situation that was so unique no court would hold his infidelity against him.
Then he was a guy married to a rich, successful, babe who was boning some tubby bar maid in the past, which kind of just made him a jerk.
Yeah, I think Dervla Kirwen looked like a forties woman. And I mean that as a complement if she's reading this (and if she is, BallyK was rubbish after you left, Dervla). She looked like they did in the old forties films. I just didn't believe the second one. It didn't feel right. The first Yvonne got on my nerves a bit, but the second one - Emma Amos - is the most gorgeous woman on the face of the Earth!
Ron was great. Victor McGuire is an excellent comic actor. Nick Lyndurst was great in the role. In the Series 1 interview, the writers seem SO up themselves (one more so than the other - I think it's Laurance Gran, the old one with the dyed brown hair) it's unbelievable. They have to be seen to be believed. The last series wasn't as good - it looked like they were really struggling to get through those last ten episodes. A great, poinant ending though. It could have been easy for them to have their cake and eat it - for him to somehow compromise and stay in two eras. An interesting episode to see in Series 6 "Just In Time", when Gary gets told by a really funny whistling Time Warp engineer (who's a bit like your plumber) tells him that the time warp is going to close within four hours and Gary decides to stay in the past. Meanwhile, Ron befriends another time traveller - from the year the 22nd century. (Sounds a bit like fanficion, doesnit it).
I got the complete boxset just after Christmas. I'm just coming towards the end of series 5. Some great episodes in series 5, love the one where Phoebe comes back to 1998 with Gary by accident and Gary has to make it look like 1944 and pretend there's an air raid. Also love the episode with Timothy West where Gary is told to go to the Isle of Wight on a mission, but is really sent to Nazi occupied France. West plays an army officer McDuff who can't pronounce his r's. Brilliant when he says You outwank me.
Quote: Aaron @ January 23, 2008, 7:46 AMShe may have become rich and successful, but she was in the inner circle of New Labour. Wouldn't you rather "bone some tubby bar maid" (past or present) rather than endure parties with Cherie Blair?
SHUDDER.
Not a problem, I'd just drink champagne until I thought Cherie Blair was David Tennant and bitch at her about how the new Doctor never seems to leave earth.
Quote: Rick Skelton @ January 23, 2008, 12:26 PMWhat the show does so well is establish the characters early. It's so incredibly unrealistic, yet realistic. They write and Nick Lyndhurst plays Gary so well, that he never comes across as a tw*t, which is incredibly important. What shows like Never Better fail to do is establish the major character as being decent despite the flaws. You can't build a show around a total arse, unless you have a supporting cast of strong, likeable characters who appear regularly.
What about 'Bottom'?
I'm not a Goodnight sweetheart fan - but it's got up massively in my estimation with this.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tyzXynhQ42U
How brilliant - and not a bad impression.
Haven't read all of this but I used to watch Goodnight Sweetheart with my dad when I were a lad and I enjoyed it a lot, one of the best things Nicholas Lyndhurst has done since OFAH.
Quote: Sir Geoffrey Loftus @ January 23, 2008, 10:33 PMWhat about 'Bottom'?
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.