The Optimist Series 2 episode guide

TV sitcom
Channel 4
1983 - 1985
13 episodes (2 series)

Dialogue-free comedy series following one of life's error-prone eternal optimists. Stars Enn Reitel.

Series 2

1. Any Messages

Monday 31^st December 1984

As chief sprayer of green fly to both the Chinese and Indian Embassies, The Optimist is forcibly persuaded to smuggles messages into the Russian and American Embassies via roller towels. MI5 then persuades him to become a double agent and steal top secrets from the Russians. Amidst the mayhem of a poisoned cocktail party, he pulls off the job with the help of a bewitching Agent only to end up in a Chinese restaurant being persuaded by money, and more to the point a meat cleaver, to work once more for his oriental friend.

2. Turf Luck

Tuesday 1^st January 1985

The Optimist goes racing, meets the lovely Sal and becomes a stable boy. He saves the aptly-named horse Nutter from being sent to the knackers yard and lovingly prepares him for the big race. Betting spies are afoot and the stakes are high as the big day arrives, with Nutter the big favourite. Unfortunately, Nutter loves his saviour so much that during the race he suddenly stops to go over and say hello to The Optimist and give him a nuzzle

3. The Light Fantastic

Wednesday 2^nd January 1985

Working as a humble cobbler, The Optimist is thrown into an international world of crime and classical ballet when a diamond is stolen - the famous Light Fantastic. Olga is on the run from incompetent thugs when she hides the stone in her ballet shoe and draws The Optimist into a convoluted plot that leads to him on stage dancing the pas-de-deux in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. By the end he finds alone himself alone in the theatre - unknowingly still in possession of the fabulous diamond

6. The Brush Off

Saturday 5^th January 1985

After unintentionally whitewashing the walls and then the entire garden of a suburban home, The Optimist is mistaken for a new impressionist painter. His absurd abstracts sell for thousands and the art world flocks to his new master of the brush. When his artistic muse Mimi suddenly leaves him, he is left in despair and attempts to paint his masterpiece - but unveiled at an exhibition it is proclaimed a complete and total disaster. Back on the streets as a labourer, The Optimist unwittingly creates a true masterpiece

Related merchandise

The Optimist DVD

Meet the Optimist! A guy who has big dreams in life, yet creates problems and confusion wherever he goes. He means well, but in this dialogue-free comedy series he manages to leave a trail of chaos across Hollywood and London.

If you like Mr. Bean, you will love The Optimist....

The Optimist

Series menu

Series 2

1. Any Messages

2. Turf Luck

3. The Light Fantastic

4. The Double

5. The Fool Of The House Of Esher

6. The Brush Off

Related merchandise

The Optimist DVD

Series menu

Series 2

1. Any Messages

2. Turf Luck

3. The Light Fantastic

4. The Double

5. The Fool Of The House Of Esher

6. The Brush Off

Related merchandise

The Optimist DVD

Share this page

Subscribe to our newsletters