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Reviews
Seinfeld: The Statue (1991)
There are degrees of coincidence.
I love this episode with the exception of one character that I despise - Rava. She is the most hideous, arrogant and loathful character to ever appear in a Seinfeld episode.
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased): Just for the Record (1969)
Not the most enjoyable
Despite my love for this series, I've never been a fan of this particular episode for many of the same reasons as another reviewer touched on here. Awful backdrops, ridiculous villains, Jeff acting dumb and unprofessional when surrounded by beautiful women. This is completely out of character for him (even when Dandy, whom he escorted in A Sentimental Journey, tried to seduce him his response was: 'When I'm paid to do a job I do my very best') and an embarrassing fight involving two big burley men against one woman using her handbag in defence make for easily the silliest episode of the lot, even more so than The Ghost Talks, which is for another review. I only revisit this episode every few years for the few brief moments of comedy such as Jeff trying to give Marty the slip and Marty getting caught with his arm round Miss Moscow. Even when the V sign is given by a lorry driver, his mouth doesn't match the dialogue of 'get lost' so the moment is ruined a little. R&H was a family favourite when I was a kid but this is the one episode none of us liked.
Only Fools and Horses: Who's a Pretty Boy? (1983)
Kentucky fried canary
One of the best of the series thanks to the brilliant script in a very familiar story of someone trying to replace a dead pet on the sly - yes, it's been done before in other shows, but they didn't have John Sullivan's genius and such a perfect cast. We are introduced to Mike Fisher, the landlord, who within two minutes of meeting Del Boy must have been double glad that he did, and another, who we would sadly never see again, Corinne, who couldn't be more displeased to see Del Boy after he mucked up her wedding to Denzil, another regular we are introduced to. We would hear of Brendan a couple of times after this episode but he was never seen again. Italian Louie was also a memorable character after having conned grandad in to buying his 'flea-bitten' canary for £45. Great mix of characters, superb twist and a win for Del Boy at the end puts this in my list of top ten OFAH episodes.
Only Fools and Horses: Miami Twice (1991)
Good movie in its own right
As a Christmas special, this episode is a fairly good movie in its own right. Regarded by David Jason as one of his favourites, we get a wonderful combination of British humour and authentic American dialogue which sometimes serves to comedically confuse the characters who couldn't be further apart in terms of lifestyle and - at times - the English language. The mafia heavies are brilliantly cast, believable and not overplayed or terribly exaggerated as you might expect from an English writer writing for Americans. John Sullivan was able to get it right here. David Jason's excellent portrayal of the sinister but likeable character, Don Ochetti, is just enough to take the episode from being an idea on paper as perhaps being rather silly, to an enjoyable and not to mention funny movie that is quite believable but more importantly a lot of fun. If you haven't seen this episode, or you haven't revisited it for a while, do so. It's worth the hour and a bit.
Only Fools and Horses: Heroes and Villains (1996)
Memories that won't fade.
The excitement and anticipation felt by everyone in the house on Christmas Day 1996 knowing that Only Fools And Horses was returning for one last special trilogy was something I have never felt again since. No show has ever come close for me to be so excited on Christmas Day. OFAH was always a family favourite in our house and to this day I will never forget belly laughing at the sight of Del Boy and Rodney as Batman and Robin running through the Peckham mist. Even now I will laugh like I had never seen it before. I always remember part of the anticipation for this trilogy was induced by rumours in the papers that the trotters were to finally become millionaires. The national lottery was a relatively new thing so surely they were going to win it. But John Sullivan was a lot smarter than that. A receipt for an old watch (or a Victorian egg-timer as the receipt suggests) was all that was needed to prove that it was their property, bought fair and square. This tied in so perfectly with the first episode 16 years earlier where Del Boy berates Rodney for keeping the receipts hanging around. Lucky for Del Boy, Rodney kept safe this crucial slip of paper and their life was transformed. I can't praise OFAH enough, save for the 'other' trilogy when the show returned a few years later when the Trotters lost it all. There were a couple of funny moments in those but for me, they didn't come close to the perfection of the rest of the series and felt very forced and awkward.
The 1996 trilogy for me was the true ending of Only Fools And Horses and the memories it brings when I watch it will never fade. Thank you John Sullivan.
Frasier: Room Full of Heroes (2001)
My party, my game, me me me!
I feel I have to stand up for this episode against the bad comments. Apart from a few cringe-worthy performances (Frasier imitating Sigmund Freud (with accent), Niles imitating Martin Crane (head flung back and 'HA!' and subsequent embarrassing dressing down from Martin to a beer-drunken Niles) I found this episode to be one of the funniest of the whole lot and a unique, wonderful illustration of Frasier's deep insecurities, which is what this whole comedy is based on after all - a paranoid, neurotic, obsessive, self-important man (who we love anyway) who just happens to be a psychiatrist, and whose traits are akin to those of patients that should be lying on his couch, not those of which he displays with his immature behaviour, stamping his feet when things aren't going his way: 'Now if we could just return to my game', 'this is my party' and 'I know what you're doing, you're trying to curry favour with dad!' The fact that he's totally oblivious to the fact that people are calling him up pretending to be ill so they don't have to go to his party is hilarious. Some of my favourite Frasier one-liners are in this episode: 'When you saw me in a beard and holding a cigar, what super hero did you think I was supposed to be, hm?', 'Roz, I don't think you can even do that to the flag!', 'I think I know what my game's objectives are and they do not include this nascent migraine!', sulking: 'You're not playing my game. This is chaos, we're just five people in costumes drinking!' and 'Brothers can be 'butt-faces'!' This episode certainly remains at one of my top ten. Maybe number 7, and I recommend it.
Columbo: Forgotten Lady (1975)
One of my favourites.
This is certainly one of my favourite Columbo episodes. All of the elements of a classic are included; his brush with famous people which leaves him starstruck and humbled, putting his foot in his mouth 'My wife 'dragged' me to every musical you did' (to Ned Diamond), getting under people's skin, particularly the Butler, Raymond. Saying sweet things to Grace Wheeler Willis which makes him very likable to the murderess, Physical comedy (climbing out of the balcony and hanging from the tree), looking a god-awful mess when he arrives to the scene of the crime, appearing in a scene brushed up wearing different clothes (a very smart Tuxedo in the last scene) and of course, a marvellous twist at the end. Where usually we are watching the murderer or murderess squirm with Columbo poking around, I noticed this time, while watching for the first time, that the murderess seemed very confident that she wouldn't get caught and actually reacting the way someone would after the death of a spouse. Even when she's in her room and first hears the butler, Raymond, calling to Dr Willis through the door, she looks concerned that something may be wrong, where usually, we would expect her to wait in anticipation to hear the commotion and then put on an act of surprise. Even when she was asked, 'Why do you think the page in his book was not folded down before he put it down for the night?', she looked genuinely confused rather than worried. Thus, the ending reveals why this was- she'd already forgotten that she did it. The best twist to any Columbo episode. And when I watch it back I feel sorry for her because she really doesn't know she did it, acting as if she really is a widow of a man that killed himself, rather than someone who murdered her husband. I loved the line she delivered, 'Lieutenant, you're so involved with details, that maybe i can see something clearer than you? My husband was a revered and distinguished man. Eminent in his profession, loved at home. Who would want to kill him?'. Exactly the kind of thing you would say if you had nothing to do with it. My second favourite murderess next to the brilliant Ruth Gordon as Abigail Mitchell in 'Try And Catch Me'.