Post by Dirty Epic on Jul 6, 2015 15:08:41 GMT
With this being repeated on Drama at the moment thought it was appropriate to create a thread for it. Be aware this post contains spoilers.
I did tape this when it first went out in the mid-90’s and ditched the tapes a decade or so ago so got the DVD when it came out last year. Although I’m not really a fan of country music there is something about Crocodile Shoes I quite like – and not just Jimmy Nail either.
Following the trials and tribulations of Jed Shepherd (Nail) from Parsons lathe engineer to country music star the first series takes in Jed’s family and social relationships in close knit working class Newcastle, with excellent support from Melanie Hill, the late Sammy Johnson and others to the parallel yuppie-esque rock n roll lifestyle of A&R man Adrian ‘Ade’ Lynn (James Wilby) his cutthroat world in London’s music business. After stealing the tape from ‘Tomboy’ the record company he works for Ade likes what he hears and sees potential in Jed. Initially cynical Jed takes up Ade’s offer and the pair work together. However what Ade hasn’t told Jed is his massive debt problems, the injunction from Tomboy preventing Ade signing Jed up to another UK record label, his relationship with lawyer Caroline (Alex Kingston) who two-times him with his former record company boss Rex (Brian Capron) and a pair of vicious drug dealers after revenge for Ade running up a massive drug debt. Ade does his best to keep Jed unaware of his ‘issues’ and a spontaneous trip to the USA/Nashville allows Ade to run away from them for a while. Jed begins to record some tracks. A chance encounter where Jed rescues a fellow musician attacked in a bar allows him to meet country star Carmel Cantrell (Amy Madigan) who puts her band at Jed’s disposal. Cantrell also holds a flame for Jed but after rejecting her Cantrell does a shambolic performance live performance in which she tells the crowd about this much to the fury of her manager Lou Benedetti (Burt Young). This put’s the block on any collaboration between the two and creates some controversy for Jed in the States. Ade meanwhile is back in the UK being interviewed about drug and other offences. Ade conveniently forgets to tell Jed that one of his closest friends from Parsons Jock (Harry Jones) has died. Angry Jed returns to Newcastle for the funeral but also discovers his sister Emma has been struggling for money and has turned to soliciting to make ends meet. Initially disgusted Jed gives his sister the money she needs. The pace also picks up for Jed’s recording career and after impressing Alan Clark (Christopher Fairbank) Jed has a deal with a major label Paradigm. Despite this Ade’s issues come to a head. Jed starts to twig that Ade isn’t giving him is full support and eventually finds out about the issues Ade has with drugs, debt the police and ‘The Snotter’ a dealer who wants to kill Ade in a drug fuelled showdown. Jed rescues Ade but disgusted decides to no longer work with him and the two agree to go their separate ways. Ade hears Jed’s song ‘Calling Out Your Name’ on the radio which has made the charts and chases after Jed before he returns to Newcastle.
This sets things up for the second series two years later. Jed’s now a successful recording artist selling out arena tours, however Ade is still acting dodgy behind the scenes and is now involved in a scam creaming the profits of artists like Jed and others on Paradigm. Ade’s sister’s fiancé Warren Bowles is also involved in this scam with him and after Ade is found dead suspicion falls on Jed who’s been set up by Bowles and a corrupt cop. Dropped by his record label, skint and a facing murder charge Jed sets out to prove his innocence. Meanwhile his sister is due to marry local ‘businessman’ Albert ‘Pep’ Peplo (John Bowler). Pep (a bit-part in series 1) has moved up from selling cut price catalogue goods to his local community to quasi-criminal business activities. He’s also moving up the social ladder (similar to Tosker in Our Friends in the North) and doesn’t want Jed’s issues nor those of Emma getting in his way. Also he has a hidden dark side of extreme violence against Emma whenever he loses his temper. Jed’s now facing charges for Ade’s murder and Emma convinces Pep to put up bail for him which he reluctantly agrees to. Jed trying to escape press intrusion by going on a motorcycle ride but as he’s on bail he get’s into an altercation/assault with the traffic police which see’s him in jail. This infuriates Pep who takes this out violently on Emma. Meanwhile Jed befriends a long term prisoner (Oscar James) and the back up of another (played by a young Idris Elba). Prison is a humbling experience for Jed and whilst inside Adrian’s sister Lucy and a friend Wendy make moves which get him released. Jed moves back to Newcastle and quickly seeks solace with former workmates from Parsons – particularly Archie (Sammy Johnson) who takes on the voice of reason advice role Jock used to give to Jed. Meanwhile Emma and Pep gear up to get married. At the reception Pep get’s drunk and gets overly friendly with two women staying at the hotel. Upset Emma lashes out on Pep who in self defence Emma kills Pep. In a role reversal Jed show’s his support for Emma by proving her innocence and writing a song which he dedicates to her. Emma escapes jail. Lucy and Alan Clark meanwhile have uncovered the Ade’s scam and its connections with Warren Bowles. Jed wants to take his revenge on Bowles but is reluctantly talked around by Archie. During a TV appearance Jed spills the beans on Bowles, his stitch up and the corruption which led to Ade’s murder. Knowing he’s implicated Bowles stages a kidnap which ends badly for Bowles and see’s Jed get his revenge for the Ade’s death and his set up.
Being honest Crocodile Shoes does veer from almost very good to a bit shite in parts. Series 2 does miss the Ade Lynn character and the riches to rags storyline is a bit predictable. However it’s all acted well enough to ignore these flaws and does have a charm to it I quite enjoy – similar to Spender. Even the songs from the show can be quite enjoyable in small doses too. Arguably Jimmy Nail’s not done anything better since – even including the disappointing Auf Pet reboot was very much p*** poor in comparison to this. Now whatever the issue is with Spender please sort it so we can have a proper DVD release or at least a repeat on a channel like Drama too.
I did tape this when it first went out in the mid-90’s and ditched the tapes a decade or so ago so got the DVD when it came out last year. Although I’m not really a fan of country music there is something about Crocodile Shoes I quite like – and not just Jimmy Nail either.
Following the trials and tribulations of Jed Shepherd (Nail) from Parsons lathe engineer to country music star the first series takes in Jed’s family and social relationships in close knit working class Newcastle, with excellent support from Melanie Hill, the late Sammy Johnson and others to the parallel yuppie-esque rock n roll lifestyle of A&R man Adrian ‘Ade’ Lynn (James Wilby) his cutthroat world in London’s music business. After stealing the tape from ‘Tomboy’ the record company he works for Ade likes what he hears and sees potential in Jed. Initially cynical Jed takes up Ade’s offer and the pair work together. However what Ade hasn’t told Jed is his massive debt problems, the injunction from Tomboy preventing Ade signing Jed up to another UK record label, his relationship with lawyer Caroline (Alex Kingston) who two-times him with his former record company boss Rex (Brian Capron) and a pair of vicious drug dealers after revenge for Ade running up a massive drug debt. Ade does his best to keep Jed unaware of his ‘issues’ and a spontaneous trip to the USA/Nashville allows Ade to run away from them for a while. Jed begins to record some tracks. A chance encounter where Jed rescues a fellow musician attacked in a bar allows him to meet country star Carmel Cantrell (Amy Madigan) who puts her band at Jed’s disposal. Cantrell also holds a flame for Jed but after rejecting her Cantrell does a shambolic performance live performance in which she tells the crowd about this much to the fury of her manager Lou Benedetti (Burt Young). This put’s the block on any collaboration between the two and creates some controversy for Jed in the States. Ade meanwhile is back in the UK being interviewed about drug and other offences. Ade conveniently forgets to tell Jed that one of his closest friends from Parsons Jock (Harry Jones) has died. Angry Jed returns to Newcastle for the funeral but also discovers his sister Emma has been struggling for money and has turned to soliciting to make ends meet. Initially disgusted Jed gives his sister the money she needs. The pace also picks up for Jed’s recording career and after impressing Alan Clark (Christopher Fairbank) Jed has a deal with a major label Paradigm. Despite this Ade’s issues come to a head. Jed starts to twig that Ade isn’t giving him is full support and eventually finds out about the issues Ade has with drugs, debt the police and ‘The Snotter’ a dealer who wants to kill Ade in a drug fuelled showdown. Jed rescues Ade but disgusted decides to no longer work with him and the two agree to go their separate ways. Ade hears Jed’s song ‘Calling Out Your Name’ on the radio which has made the charts and chases after Jed before he returns to Newcastle.
This sets things up for the second series two years later. Jed’s now a successful recording artist selling out arena tours, however Ade is still acting dodgy behind the scenes and is now involved in a scam creaming the profits of artists like Jed and others on Paradigm. Ade’s sister’s fiancé Warren Bowles is also involved in this scam with him and after Ade is found dead suspicion falls on Jed who’s been set up by Bowles and a corrupt cop. Dropped by his record label, skint and a facing murder charge Jed sets out to prove his innocence. Meanwhile his sister is due to marry local ‘businessman’ Albert ‘Pep’ Peplo (John Bowler). Pep (a bit-part in series 1) has moved up from selling cut price catalogue goods to his local community to quasi-criminal business activities. He’s also moving up the social ladder (similar to Tosker in Our Friends in the North) and doesn’t want Jed’s issues nor those of Emma getting in his way. Also he has a hidden dark side of extreme violence against Emma whenever he loses his temper. Jed’s now facing charges for Ade’s murder and Emma convinces Pep to put up bail for him which he reluctantly agrees to. Jed trying to escape press intrusion by going on a motorcycle ride but as he’s on bail he get’s into an altercation/assault with the traffic police which see’s him in jail. This infuriates Pep who takes this out violently on Emma. Meanwhile Jed befriends a long term prisoner (Oscar James) and the back up of another (played by a young Idris Elba). Prison is a humbling experience for Jed and whilst inside Adrian’s sister Lucy and a friend Wendy make moves which get him released. Jed moves back to Newcastle and quickly seeks solace with former workmates from Parsons – particularly Archie (Sammy Johnson) who takes on the voice of reason advice role Jock used to give to Jed. Meanwhile Emma and Pep gear up to get married. At the reception Pep get’s drunk and gets overly friendly with two women staying at the hotel. Upset Emma lashes out on Pep who in self defence Emma kills Pep. In a role reversal Jed show’s his support for Emma by proving her innocence and writing a song which he dedicates to her. Emma escapes jail. Lucy and Alan Clark meanwhile have uncovered the Ade’s scam and its connections with Warren Bowles. Jed wants to take his revenge on Bowles but is reluctantly talked around by Archie. During a TV appearance Jed spills the beans on Bowles, his stitch up and the corruption which led to Ade’s murder. Knowing he’s implicated Bowles stages a kidnap which ends badly for Bowles and see’s Jed get his revenge for the Ade’s death and his set up.
Being honest Crocodile Shoes does veer from almost very good to a bit shite in parts. Series 2 does miss the Ade Lynn character and the riches to rags storyline is a bit predictable. However it’s all acted well enough to ignore these flaws and does have a charm to it I quite enjoy – similar to Spender. Even the songs from the show can be quite enjoyable in small doses too. Arguably Jimmy Nail’s not done anything better since – even including the disappointing Auf Pet reboot was very much p*** poor in comparison to this. Now whatever the issue is with Spender please sort it so we can have a proper DVD release or at least a repeat on a channel like Drama too.