The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–1979) User Reviews

''I didn't get where I am today..!''

[Rabical-91 · 8/10 · 1 March 2017]

Like with 'Rising Damp', I was not always keen of 'The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin', mainly due to the fact that when I first saw it I was too young to understand the humour. Now as an adult, I can appreciate the humour a great deal more

Based on a series of novels written by David Nobbs, 'The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin' chartered the life of Reginald Iolanthe Perrin ( played by Leonard Rossiter, in a role that was originally written for Ronnie Barker ), an executive at Sunshine Desserts, who is in the throes of a mid life crisis. His boss is the fear inspiring C.J, whom Reggie longs to stand up to. C.J is in possession of a sadistic sense of humour. For instance, his office contains chairs which make farting noises whenever one sits in them. Reggie also fantasises endlessly about making love to his secretary Joan Greengross, despite being married to Elizabeth. In the first episode, Reggie offends Elizabeth by referring to his mother-in-law as a hippopotamus. This was the first signs of Reggie losing his mind. At the end of the first series, Reggie fakes his own death by removing all of his clothes on a beach and jumping into the water. He then starts up a new life as bearded Martin Welbourne.

In the second series, he became Reggie again and after being fired from Sunshine Desserts, starts up his own business called 'Grot', which sells unusable products such as round dice, square hula hoops and ashtrays with no bottoms etc. Grot is a huge success and makes him and Elizabeth multi-millionaires, however he soon becomes bored with this and, along with Elizabeth, abandons his clothes on the beach yet again.

The third and final series saw Reggie and Elizabeth set up the short lived 'Perrins Peace Keeping Force' before joining 'Amalgamated Aerosols', which was headed by C.J's twin brother F.J. This series is regarded as the least funniest by fans, as Reggie had nothing to rebel against anymore and as a result the show lost some of its twinkle.

Leonard Rossiter turns in his usual fine performance, and his chemistry with not only Pauline Yates as his wife Elizabeth, but also with future 'Coronation Street' star Sue Nichols as his secretary Joan and John Barron as his boss C.J is sparkling to say the least. The rest of the cast, Geoffrey Palmer as Reggie's mad brother in law Jimmy, Sally Jane Spencer as Reggie's daughter Linda, Tim Preece ( who was replaced in series three by Leslie Schofield ) as her gormless husband Tom, Bruce Bould as nervous David Harris Jones and John Horsley as the befuddled Doc Morrisey are all superb.

A special sketch was made in 1982 for the BBC special 'The Funny Side Of Christmas', which was the last edition to feature Rossiter as he died in 1984 from a heart attack. In 1996, David Nobbs penned a sequel entitled 'The Legacy Of Reginald Perrin', which saw his friends and family each having to do something ludicrous ( a condition made by Reggie's lawyer, played by Patricia Hodge ) to inherit a share of his will following his death. Without Rossiter, the sequel bombed with viewers. In 2009, Martin Clunes took on the leading role for a remake entitled simply 'Reggie Perrin'. It was only a modest success. Not a classic show in my opinion but still good fun for Rossiter fans.

Before I stop writing, I must throw in a word of praise for Ronnie Hazelhurst's marvellous theme tune. I didn't get where I am today without throwing in a word of praise for Ronnie Hazelhurst's marvellous theme tune.

Al Bundy doesn't have anything on Reginald Perrin

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 23 November 2014]

Reginald Perrin is a middle-aged man in a bland job who has a bland existence, a boss who speaks in slogans, a marriage that has seemed to have lost its spark, and a grown daughter whose husband is unbearable company. He also finds himself constantly daydreaming about his attractive young secretary.

Unlike Al Bundy of "Married With Children", though, Reggy does not plan to suffer in silence. Instead, he plans and executes an escape. He fakes his own death and assumes that his new life will be full of fun and adventure. However, with no references since he essentially has no past after his "resurrection", he finds he can only get a job as an assistant to a pig farmer. Also, he finds himself missing and drawn back to his wife/widow.

The comedy is quite British. If you don't appreciate that kind of humor you won't like this series, but it seems quite relevant even though it was made over 35 years ago. It pokes fun at what and who society finds valuable and why, and the scenes of Reggy talking things over at night with his cat are hilarious.

There is one big difference between Al Bundy and Reginald Perrin though - Reggy Perrin really does love his wife and she loves him. Their tenderness and fondness for one another shines through regardless of what else happens. I haven't seen this show aired in America for about 30 years, and then it was only shown on PBS as far as I know. Recommended for all who have dreamed of something better for themselves, find society to be at times - or always - ridiculous, and love British comedy.

Another Of The Best.

[screenman · 9/10 · 21 June 2008]

Leonard Rossiter was at his absolute best as Reginald Perrin, the middle-class, middle-aged, middle manager who was going through a potentially terminal middle-life crisis.

It seems terrible to laugh at anyone undergoing a slow nervous breakdown, and yet Rossiter and the script-writers simply left us no choice.

As the serial progresses we see this tragic individual borne down by the dull predictable calamity that is life. It's the same for most of us. Every day he commutes from his home in poetic suburbs, catches a train that is always delayed for increasingly bizarre reasons, and arrives at the office, late.

He fantasizes about his secretary, is harassed by his boss, and contends with two dimwit colleagues.

Finally, he cracks and fakes a suicide. He leaves the office where he has been inexplicably dying to shout 'parsnips' all day, climbs into a taxi and, asked where he wants to go, shouts 'parsnips'. Whereupon the phlegmatic cabbie responds 'Dunno that one, guv. Is it some new place?' And the rest is history.

Rossiter seems to have been drastically under-utilised as a comedian. Apart from 'Rising Damp' he appears to have had very few front-man opportunities. It's also a pity he didn't do more adverts for Cinzano Bianco, because these likewise demonstrated his astonishing comic timing and delivery. They might have been compiled into an interesting DVD.

Still, we must make do with what we have. And what we have is a rendition of Nobbs's work that is absolutely unsurpassable. I'll resist the temptation to utter any of the many one-liners. Save to say British comedy gets no better than this.

A happy memory I've been talking about for 21 years!

[davidemartin · 5 October 2002]

PBS aired the series in '79 and '81. I wandered into the first episode by accident and was immediately hooked. And since this was the age when VCRs still cost over a thousand bucks, I had no option but to try and memorize the series....

And then recite the lines to my friends who'd missed the two seasons that aired.

PERRIN was possibly the first series to use seemingly unconnected visuals to illustrate a character's state of mind, a trick later used in series like DREAM ON and ALLIE McBEAL.

I'm still struck by the role the surf plays in PERRIN as a place to dump old cares, worries, and lives in exchange for new lives. The final sequence of the second season has also stayed with me-- Reggie and his wife go to the beach to assume new lives, then discover an entire beach full of people doing the same thing. Reggie smiles and says "Look Elizabeth, it's catching." In the past 20 years, when things looked bleak, I'd think of finding my way to that beach....

That the series is finally on videotape is fantastic. That there is a third season I never knew about is beyond words!!!!

All you can say is "Wow!!!"

[sts-26 · 10/10 · 23 February 2009]

There is no shortage of excellent sitcoms - the U.S. gave us Seinfeld, and Soap, the Brits Good Neighbors, Fawlty Towers and Butterflies. The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, rises above even these, and is a true masterpiece of television.

What makes The Fall and Rise so exceptional is its incredible depth. While other shows were content to earn certain points and then coast (e.g. Seinfeld acts as a catalog of ridiculously mutated and twisted social convention, but rarely moves beyond it) The Rise and Fall never lets up on its observations, criticisms and offering of wild and crazy solutions, providing a hero who sees everything wrong with the world and is desperate and willing to change as much as possible.

The absurdity of corporate culture, suburban monotony, flaky post-hippie child-rearing concepts, condescendingly manipulative advertising and marketing, sexism, racism, class conflict, are hung, drawn and quartered for laughs. And Leonard Rositter's posturing and snarking make it surreal. It is Voltaire, Brecht.

Of course, the hero's plans rarely turn out as he expected, and Perrin is constantly thrown off course as each of his absurd plots is met by an even more absurd response from the world. Rositter's Perrin reacts with even more absurdity, all the while stammering and mugging to underline the fact that, well, that's life.

The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin, is a must to television viewing as Mozart is to music, Citizen Kane to cinema, and Dickens to reading. You will probably like it, but even if you don't, it will do you great good, and be the yardstick by which you judge all other related material.

Beyond TOWERS, funnier than PYTHON... unforgettable greatness

[Pro Jury · 10/10 · 21 January 2002]

I didn't get where I am today without knowing a good show when I see it!

What average Joe suffering through the daily grind does not have a bit of Reggie Perrin hidden inside, boiling and bubbling just under the surface?

Reginald Perrin is perhaps the most thoughtful character ever seen in a comedy series. He is a deep and complex man.

Supporting characters each have an unforgettable "trademark" (for lack of a better term)... Sometimes direct, sometimes symbolic -- the creator of Reggie Perrin effortlessly distills the essence of real life oddities.

Brilliant and funny. On the whole, this is the only British comedy I put ahead of MONTY PYTHON and FAWLTY TOWERS. Reginald Perrin is worthy of such a supreme compliment. A sitcom Masterpiece. All else is just Grot.

Comedy-City, Arizona! Super! Great!

Ask BBC America to release FRRP on DVD!

[matukonyc1 · 10/10 · 25 April 2007]

Let's try to get the BBC to release Reggie on American format DVD!! Apparently, BBC America is responsible for all commercial content in the States, and I was given the following information by BBC in the UK.

Write or call:

BBC Worldwide Americas 747 3rd Avenue 6th floor NY, NY 10017 USA Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

It's available in the UK, I just think they don't realize what a fan base there is here in the US. I just re-read both "The Fall and Rise of" and "The Return of" for the hundredth time, but I'd give anything to own the series.

IMO One of the very best Comedy Series ever made

[adaosha · 10/10 · 7 June 2006]

First I must confess to a crush on Elizabeth (Pauline Yates).

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is one of those rare comedy series that I can watch over and over without tiring of it. Its easy to become attached to the characters as they are all lovable (even CJ). In fact I even missed the original actor who played Tom (Reggie's 'Straggely-mustached,Bearded-Prig' Son-in-Law) in the first two series when he was replaced by another actor in Series three. I felt this unfortunate because by that time the 'original' Tom had really got the part down to a tee.

I first saw this show as a young lad in England when it was originally released in the mid '70s so I'm probably a little biased - it certainly has much nostalgic value to me, but judging by the ratings the show has so far (9 out of 10 ), I think I'm right in my estimation of this as a 10.

Also, I feel the late Leonard Rossiter gave a very great gift to many many people - he made Reggie on of the most enduring and well-loved characters in British comedy. He was the perfect Reggie Perrin.

TFaRoRP—a Dissenting View

[The_late_Buddy_Ryan · 6/10 · 25 December 2013]

Remembered this as a tolerable alternative to the Britcoms we really loved on PBS ("Fawlty Towers," "The Good Neighbors"); one of my wife's Facebook friends gave the original novel by David Nobbs a strong recommendation, so we thought we'd give the TV series another look. Seems pretty dated now, the repetitive shtick (flash a clip of waddling hippo with derisive bassoon motif every time RP's mother-in-law is mentioned), the whiny middle-aged angst and the catchphrases especially so—though, thirty-odd years later, "bit of a cockup on the logistics front" still seems like a handy way of conveying that I forgot something at the grocery store. Nice to see Geoffrey Palmer, of "As Time Goes By," in his younger days (he's the "bit of a cockup" guy). Nice too, I suppose, that we can be more selective nowadays than we could in the pre- DVD (even pre-VCR), pre-cable, pre-Internet era.

An often overlooked 1970's British classic.

[jackstupidjack · 10/10 · 20 July 2015]

Based on the novel 'The Death of Reginald Perrin' by David Nobbs which was picked up by Ronnie Barker, for whom Nobbs was writing for at the time, and taken to producer (later head of BBC Comedy) Gareth Gwenlan who pushed for a TV series. Barker wanted to play Perrin but due to other commitments he couldn't fit in the time to his busy schedule. Leonard Rossiter was chosen to play Perrin and the rest is history as they say. Sadly, due to certain themes deemed unfit for family viewing in the 1970s (incest, depression in the workplace, mental health issues, infidelity, terrorism, poor senior management) the TV series couldn't follow the novels too faithfully which dealt with such issues though are a 'must read' for fans of the TV shows. That said, the show caught the 1970s Zeitgeist - especially huge changes in the world of business; mainly the breakdown between management and workers - beautifully without seeming dated today.

"Are We Going To See The Hippopotamus On Sunday?".

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 6 September 2006]

Not many British sitcoms have been inspired by novels. In 1976, David Nobbs adapted 'The Death Of Reginald Perrin' for the B.B.C.. He had Ronnie Barker in mind for the title role, but ultimately ( and rightly so in my opinion ) it went to Leonard Rossiter.

'Perrin' is a serial not a series. The premise is this: middle-aged Reginald Iolanthe Perrin is stuck in a dead-end job ( marketing executive at 'Sunshine Desserts' ). After accidentally referring to his mother-in-law ( whom we never see ) in his wife's presence as a hippopotamus, his life changes. He fantasises about all the things he would love to do, such as making love to his secretary Joan Greengross ( Sue Nicholls ) on top of her desk, exposing himself to his neighbour, and standing up to his boss, the domineering Charles Jefferson ( known as 'C.J.' ), brilliantly played by John Barron. C.J.'s office contains chairs that fart whenever you sit in them.

Eventually, Reggie fakes his death by leaving his clothes on a beach. After attempting a new life in various guises, he returns to his old one as bearded 'Martin Wellborn', and remarries wife Elisabeth ( Pauline Yates ). But he grows bored of 'Wellborn' and reverts back to plain old Reggie. C.J., angry at having been deceived, sacks him.

The series struck a chord with the public, and soon its catchphrases ( 'I didn't get where I am today!', 'Great!' 'Super!' etc ) were heard all over the country, in workplaces and playhouses. As a schoolboy, I identified with Reggie because I too was trapped in a cycle of boredom ( and my headmaster was a dead ringer for C.J. ).

The second season saw Reggie, fired from 'Sunshine Desserts', setting up his own company - Grot - which sells rubbish to the public. It takes off, making Reggie a multi-millionaire. But success brings him down and, this time with Elisabeth in tow, he discards his new life ( along with his clothes ).

The clamour for more 'Reggie' led to a third and final season, in which our hero decides to create a better world by setting up a commune, run by his family and friends. Though it had its moments, it was the weakest of the trio, mainly because Reggie now had nothing to rebel against, and only when was he rebelling was he truly funny.

The series ended with Reggie working for C.J.'s twin brother F.J. at 'Amalgamated Aerosols', and planning to do the same thing all over again...

I cannot praise this highly enough. Both the writing and acting were of a uniformly high standard throughout, with Rossiter's 'Perrin' becoming one of the all-time great television comedy characters. That the series was being made at the same time as 'Rising Damp' is nothing short of remarkable. It is hard to see any similarity between 'Perrin' and 'Rigsby'. The supporting cast - including Geoffrey Palmer as Reggie's mad right-wing brother-in-law 'Jimmy', John Horsley as the befuddled 'Doc Morrissey', Tim Preece as Reggie's wine-making son-in-law 'Tom', and Sue Nicholls as 'Joan' were all great too.

I cannot end without mentioning Ronnie Hazlehurst's theme tune. Great! Super!

Seriously disappointing

[martinlest · 2/10 · 9 June 2015]

I have tried, loving Leonard Rossiter as I do (Rising Damp was wonderful, up to and excluding series 4), to appreciate this comedy on several occasions, but have given up once again before I get to the end of the first series. The problem is that it is just NOT FUNNY! I know comedy is in the ear of the beholder, but the script is really weak in every single episode and the canned laughter is in the very worst tradition of 'early' TV comedy.

Some of the CJ stuff is amusing for the first few times - "I didn't get where I am today..." is memorable. But I can't help wondering what Mr Rossiter really thought of what he was asked to do and say. All the energy, wit and humour of Rigsby is almost entirely missing here, try as he might to deal with the terrible lines everyone has to deliver.

If you enjoyed the series before, I dare say you'll love the DVDs.. look out for mine on eBay.

All great humor is grounded in pain

[diggers-2 · 8 May 2000]

David Nobbs' brilliant satire of modern life features the incomparable Leonard Rossiter as middle-aged, middle-class, middle-manager Reggie Perrin, who longs for a life that is just out of reach. Despite his best (and most bizarre) efforts to break free from the insipid conformity that he sees all around him, he never quite succeeds. Perrin is surrounded by one of the finest and funniest ensembles in the history of British comedy - you'll find most of your friends, family and enemies represented here. As Reggie's fatuous boss (a character that anticipated the Dilbert comic strip by about 20 years) would put it, "I didn't get where I am today without appreciating one of the finest British sitcoms ever." Outstanding writing and hilarious acting make this one of the greats.

Grea! Super! I'm a Reggie Perrin Person.

[JamesHitchcock · 10/10 · 23 August 2018]

To celebrate my 1,800th review for IMDb I turn to one of my favourite television programmes. "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" is sometimes regarded as a sitcom, although it is really an adaption for television of a series of novels written by David Nobbs. A novel, and any television series adapted from it, needs a definite beginning, a middle and an end, whereas a sitcom does not. Each episode of a sitcom is generally a self-contained story in itself, and there is, in theory, no limit to the number of episodes which can be made. Some successful sitcoms, such as "Only Fools and Horses" or "Last of the Summer Wine", have run for years or even decades; when such runs eventually come to an end it is because the programme is no longer popular with the viewers or because some essential actor or writer is no longer available. "Reginald Perrin" does, however, have some features in common with sitcoms, such as the classic middle-class suburban family setting and the fact that each episode only lasts for around half an hour. (At this period most literary adaptations were made using longer episodes of 45 minutes or an hour).

In this review I will only deal with the first series, based upon Nobbs's original novel, "The Death of Reginald Perrin", later retitled to match the title of the programme. (I hope to deal with the other two series in subsequent reviews). The title character is a middle-aged business executive who commutes every day from his comfortable suburban home to his job at Sunshine Desserts. Outwardly, Reggie seems a typically prosperous member of the British middle class of the seventies, but beneath an outer veneer of bourgeois conformity he is deeply dissatisfied with life. He hates his job, which he sees as boring and pointless, and his boss CJ, whom he sees (with reason) as a tyrannical bully. He is irritated by petty frustrations, such as the fact that his train is persistently late every morning (with a different excuse being supplied by British Rail each time). Even though his wife Elizabeth is kind-hearted, affectionate and attractive, he is even dissatisfied with his marriage and fantasises about an affair with his secretary, Joan. Eventually he comes to the conclusion that the only way out of his predicament will be to fake his own suicide and start life afresh under a new identity.

The programme became almost an instant classic when first broadcast in 1976, partly because of the writing- Nobbs himself adapted his novel for television- and partly because of the acting. Leonard Rossiter was already well-known to television audiences following his role as the seedy landlord Rigsby in the sitcom "Rising Damp", but "Reggie Perrin" established him as one of the stars of the British acting profession. (It was, sadly, not a position he was to enjoy for long, as he died at the height of his fame in 1984). Reggie was in many ways a difficult character to play. Although he can be appallingly rude and can cause great pain to those close to him, he is not a "sacred monster" like, say, Johnny Speight's Alf Garnett from "Till Death Do Us Part", a comical but unsympathetic character created for the audience to laugh at. Reggie must not only be someone who we can laugh at, but also someone we can laugh with, even sympathise with, and Rossiter succeeds brilliantly in this task.

Rossiter received excellent support from his supporting cast. Apart from perhaps "Dad's Army", the programme gave us more memorable characters than any other British comedy show of the period and, as in "Dad's Army", many of those characters had their own recognisable catchphrases. Among the outstanding contributions are those from John Barron as the pompous, domineering CJ ("I didn't get where I am today by..."), Trevor Adams and Bruce Bould as Reggie's subordinates the go-getting but insensitive Tony ("Great!") and the limp-wristed, wet-behind-the-ears David ("Super!"), Sue Nicholls as the prim-but-sexy Joan, Geoffrey Palmer as Elizabeth's chronically disorganised army officer brother Jimmy ("Bit of a cock-up on the catering front") and Tim Preece as Reggie's bearded, priggishly liberal son-in-law Tom (I'm a something-or-other person!")

Special mention must go to Pauline Yates as Elizabeth, who remains devoted to Reggie even though she cannot understand what he is going through. Elizabeth's catch-phrase is "Have a nice day at the office, darling", to which Reggie inevitably replies "I won't". One character who is mentioned al lot but never seen is Elizabeth's mother. Every time she is mentioned we see a shot of a waddling hippopotamus, which is how Reggie, who evidently dislikes her, visualises her.

Nobbs's writing is brilliantly comic with some great set pieces- the office exchanges between Reggie and CJ, the trip to the safari park, Reggie's attempt to seduce Joan, constantly frustrated by the arrival of unexpected visitors and that memorial service with its excruciating sermon based on the text "Here are the gumboots you ordered, madam". Yet there is more than just humour in the writing. Reginald Iolanthe Perrin is more than just a figure of fun. He becomes an everyman for the 1970s and a symbol of the malaise which seemed to afflict Britain during that economically depressed decade. The programme may be a comedy, and some of the darker scenes in Nobbs's novel may have been excised, but there is still an underlying vein of tragedy. 10/10

Began very promisingly but lost its comic roots.

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 8/10 · 4 September 2017]

"The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" lasted a relatively small number of episodes and was spread over three seasons. The series aimed at being as much a satire as well as that of a sitcom. The leading role gave character actor Leonard Rossiter one of the defining moments in his distinguished career and his performance is both funny as well as a bit manic. Such a character like Reginald Perrin called for a considerable amount of energy and Rossiter had it to spare. I still recall seeing a few episodes back in the early 1980s on a TV recording and I enjoyed the series then. From the opening credit sequence and the rather melancholic music, it immediately becomes apparent that this was not going to be just a typical sitcom. The premise about a man who is experiencing a mid life crisis, is one of the most serious you will ever come across. However, the creator behind this series, David Nobbs, was able to derive humour from such a situation in a person's life. It is unfortunate that the series lost its way by about halfway through the second season. It seemed to have abandoned the initial premise by striving for something totally different. This ended in failure and the last several episodes really don't work. A kind of comic fantasy seemed to have taken over "Reginald Perrin" and nothing seemed remotely steeped in reality. Reggie Perrin is a man in his mid 40s. He has a good job, a loving family, a few friends and a respectable home. However, none of the above seems to satisfy him or to imbue him with feelings of fulfilment. From the opening episode, Reg feels he is living on the edge of his nerves and is nearing breaking point. He often fantasies about how he wishes his life and the people in it could be, could be and these moments are hilarious. The first series focuses on Reg struggling to cope with his predicament and how there doesn't seem to be any way out. But things change. He seems so alone in his conflict, he feels he has no one to turn to. I wouldn't change anything about the first series, it is marvellous. The second series is pretty good but then disappointment sets in. When "Reginald Perrin" is good, it is quite original as well as being funny.

Why Rising Damp is thought of as better than this I will never know!

[brdlybaum · 10/10 · 16 November 2008]

I give this a deserved 10/10 and believe me I don't't ever do that lightly with anything! In fact the only other programs I have given are ones that contain muppets and puppets! Rising Damp in my eyes was funny and deserves to be in the top twenty sitcoms of all time but this easily out-strips that. There were just so many continuous running jokes in it that were always a pleasure to hear again and again each time they happened. It even got to the point that two laughs were caused, the first because you knew what was coming and the second for when it actually happened! The 'farting' leather armchairs, the running hippopotamous appearing in a thought cloud whenever he thought about his Mother-in-Law, the bottles of awful home brewed wine that had been brewed from things like turnips or carrots to name just three of the many.

And what about the items that were sold in the numerous Grot shops as they became a national chain. Items such as the square hoops so that the wouldn't be able to roll away from you and get lost. or the salt and pepper pots that had no holes in (the reason for this I can't remember as it's been a long time while since I've seen the programme) were sold among the rubbish all of which were quickly snapped up by customers all over the country.

This is the only Leonnard Rossiter sit-com you should buy on DVD! Yes Rising Damp is good.......but this is SO much better!

More people need to watch.

[watermelon_sarah · 10/10 · 2 September 2020]

I watched this about 10 years ago now. My dad had it in DVD when that was still a thing. Now it's all about the tv/movie apps. Really wish Netflix, Stan or Amazon would add it. It's a great old comedy I love the Hippopotamus, Ravioli, Great Super! And of course I didn't get where I am today jokes. I love the running gag with the farting chairs. I'm in my 20s and more people should watch this. Let's bring it back! There's a fan FB page which I love it's a start and there's YouTube which you can search for videos of funny scenes. If you haven't watched it and like older British comedies give it a go!

Superb, surreal and hilarious

[jamesleeder · 10/10 · 26 June 2019]

One of the all time great British comedies. Reggie Perrin struggles with his awful commute, the often bizarre world of office middle management and his quirky family. He tries to relieve the boredom with flashes of fantasy but then decides to give it all up, only to accidentally found a new thriving business.

Every scene and character is close enough to reality to be believable but warped enough to be hilarious

Brilliant comedy writing and wonderful acting

A true classic of British TV.

[pallelli · 10/10 · 10 March 2021]

I remember this as a kid, and when I recently saw it again, my biggest question was how badly it might of dated. As far as I'm concerned it hasn't. OK it was filmed in the 70's, with 70's sets, 70's special effects and 70's acting; but then again that means that the acting would have been honed by many hours in theater rep in front of live critical audiences. The result is some sublime acting. Add in some top notch writing, and you end up with the most wonderfully thing. In many ways it reminds me of Dads Army and Porridge, its that good.

When will it be on DVD?

[labradors · 19 July 2001]

After years of trying to find this on VHS, I now find that it IS available. The problem is, now I have a DVD player, and would prefer to have this series on DVD.

This was one of my favorite Britcoms, although I haven't seen it in quite a while. Having two great Britcom actors: Leonard Rossiter ("Rising Damp") and Geoffrey Palmer ("Butterflies"), this series was bound to be a winner. Rossiter, of course, as the title character, really is almost a one-man show with everyone else supporting him rather than having major roles. When Perrin, talking to himself after his failed (or, some would say, faked) suicide attempt, realizes he cannot go back home, and decides that he will use, as his new name, the first thing he sees as he looks over a fence, then realizes that "cow pat" would NOT be a good name, one knows that the series is just getting started, and will really take off from there.

PLEASE make this available on DVD!

I didn't get where I am today by watching seasons 2 and 3.

[kindofblue-78221 · 8/10 · 4 September 2022]

I didn't get where I am today by overplaying my hand.

The golden rule of comedy is never to overplay your hand.

Sadly, this series does exactly that . And it does it way too many times.

The BBC should have resisted the temptation not to make any more series after the classic first season.

Season 1 is absolutely brilliant. I watched it when it was first shown and loved it and I still laugh uproariously at it.

It makes so many incisive points about our society that are even more relevant today than They were almost 50 years ago.

So what went wrong?

They made two more series that stretched the joke too far. Yes it had times when it was very funny but most of the episodes grate and grind.

Series 1 is worth 10 stars. It's truly magnificent in every way. Sadly the next 2 are worth no more than 7 at most.

I didn't get where I am today by watching seasons 2 and 3 anymore.

I did get where I am today by being absolutely captivated with the brilliant first season.

The Fall and Rise (and then fall) of Reginald Perrin

[midbrowcontrarian · 8/10 · 5 December 2023]

Middle aged, middle class Reginald Perrin is bored and exasperated by his job, and generally humdrum life. Leonard Rossiter is well supported by a number of characters as richly comic as himself. Most brilliant is his boss CJ, with his catchphrase I didn't get where I am today, which entered common parlance. Also notable are CJ's yes-men, confident Tony and insecure David, and Reggie's food scrounging brother in law Jimmy.

The first series' episodes I rate 7 to 9, the second 6 to 7, the third 4 to 6. My two favourites are in the first series. In 'The Sunday Extraordinary Business Meeting', wife Elizabeth is away, so Reggie invites secretary Joan round, hoping to consummate his long felt desires. Unfortunately, with Joan upstairs, various relations unexpectedly call. It has the air of a stage farce, one expects Brian Rix to be found hiding in the wardrobe. One caveat, I never did understand Reggie's infatuation with horsey Joan, Elizabeth is far more attractive.

'Trying a Frenchman, Welshman, Scotsman, and an Italian' gives Rossiter the opportunity to try out various disguises and accents. I was a bit startled when, at a job interview, he was asked if he drank, to which he replied only to excess. I've been using that quip for decades, without remembering where it came from, a case of unconscious plagiarism.

Perrin is often compared to Rising Damp and Fawlty Towers. I'd say far superior to Rising Damp, I'm sorry but I just didn't find anyone apart from Rigsby remotely funny. It's not as great as Fawlty (but then nothing is) because by the third series it had ran out of good ideas. I didn't get where I am today by not recognising when a series has outstayed its welcome.

'Nothing wrong, darling. Things have never been right, I promise!'.

[lawrence-14 · 17 March 2000]

The late, great Leonard Rossiter will always be remembered best in the classic sitcom, Rising Damp, but the BBC's The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin is also not to be missed.

Reggie was quite different to the many other TV comedies of the seventies in the fact that the programme (adapted from the writer's novels) continued the story in a 'serial' fashion which was that of middle-aged, rebel, Reginald Perrin, who suffers a breakdown with hillarious results and resorts to faking his own death. This all happens in the first series but i'm sure that many laughs beyond Reggie's original six misadventures.

Rule Brittania

[hayden-8 · 3 March 2002]

From what I gather this was a 1970's British television series. What I saw was a 100 minute film, albeit with a laughtrack, so it may well have been a condensation of several programmes of the series.

No matter. This was FUNNY. I don't mean quiet chortle funny; I mean laugh out loud, uncontrollable giggle, hearty guffaw funny.

Leonard Rossiter of "Rising Damp" fame (a television series that I DID see) is Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, a middle aged marketing executive suffering a severe midlife crisis. He fantasises about having an affair with his secretary, torturing his overbearing boss (John Barron giving a marvellous performance) and escaping from the drudgery which is his life. After drinking too much wine before giving an embarrasing luncheon speech he effects his escape by faking his own death. Away from the constraints of work and family life he finds that his new found freedom is not all it's cracked up to be and he finds himself longing for his wife. Now he has to find a way to come back...

The situations and dialogue are hilarious, while the performances of very British characters are uniformly excellent. Even after repeated viewings the bittersweet ending still gives me goosepimples.

Highly recommended.

One of the All Time Classic Bricoms

[tzer0 · 31 January 2005]

There's nothing like Reginald Perrin. The only things that approach it are Ronnie Barker's stammering speeches in Open All Hours, or his cockney patter in Porridge, and John Cleese's tantrums in Fawlty Towers. Leonard Rossiter's gift for rattling off a screed like a machine gun is amazing. If Reg Parrin ever did walk into the sea he'd never drown because he never has to stop to take a breath!

Every episode is remarkably simialar. Elizabeth sends him off to work, to which he is invariably late. He fantasizes about his secretary Joan until he's called on the carpet by his boss CJ, who didn't get where he is by . . etc . . . who gives Reg the completely mad assignment of the day.

And then he goes home for the day, where his dinner, which is invariably rizotto, is interrupted by his nutty military brother-in-law's cockup on the catering front, or his pipe smoking son-in-law's latest attempts at nettle wine. And then he thinks about his weekend visit to his mother-in-law whom he pictures as a hippo. I know! It sounds about as boring as anyone's routine. What isn't boring is watching him slowly go into meltdown, and start spouting off like a volcano erupting. It just get's better and better as Reggie's life gets worse and worse.

Reg really does try to make his way through the day. But if you or I had days like his we'd probably turn our hand to eccentric occupations too. But hang on, because with every new twist in his otherwise monotonous road there will be another fall and rise in this roller-coaster ride of a comedy.