Did everyone see it just now on satellite? What I thought I'd do before I
compiled all the anorak details is just post my sad opinions on the episodes, if
everyone's up for it. Maybe it'll kick off some discussions on the two lists
again.

Was it great? Sure. As good as I remembered? Maybe not. here's what I
thought...


MY LATE LAMENTED FRIEND AND PARTNER

"Free advice is rarely worth having."
"And good advice is rarely taken."

A wonderful ITC curio, combining fag-smoking, gin-soaked 60s nostalgia with
far too loud incidental music and some ropy secondary cast members. This is a
hugely likeable first episode, even if the rapport between the two leads isn't
as good here as you perhaps remembered. Mike Pratt gets to grips with his
character instantly, though Kenneth Cope (infamously wearing his wig back to
front
for the first few episodes) seems unsure how to pitch his performance.

The plot isn't the greatest the series ever had, as for one of the few times
we're well aware from the start who actually did it and why, so we're left
waiting for Marty and Jeff to play catch-up with the viewers. There's also the
usual problems you might expect with exposition and so on, but generally this
works extremely well at establishing the premise. Perhaps possessing more
populist appeal now than it did when it was actually being broadcast, this
quirky
series has considerable charm and more than a touch of poignancy. The
deceptively simple plot is wrapped up by no more than Marty blowing a newspaper
onto a
car window, but for a first episode this is more than good enough.
****


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