Vienna
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Curled up on Miss Jones' lap
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Post by Vienna on Feb 2, 2017 20:58:33 GMT
IMO, Minder went on for far too long, just becoming the Arthur Daley Comedy Show from about Series 5. Bringing the show back in 1991 with Ray Daley (Gary Webster) as Arthur's nephew was a mistake, although there are one or two decent episodes to be fair. Only Fools and Horses dragged on too much. It was much better when Del, Rodney and Grandad/Uncle Albert were all living together in Nelson Mandela House before their relationships with the women started. Rising Damp was never as good once Richard Beckinsale took a break from the show in 1978. Vi
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Feb 2, 2017 21:58:53 GMT
Another one that went on far too long was London's Burning. LWT's flagship show started in early 1988 after the success of the pilot film in 1986.
Great stunts mixed with the drama of the likeable characters meant that this series regularly had ratings of around 16 million viewers.
However things went downhill from the mid 90's when budget cuts for the series meant it became more of a soap opera. It limped on until the 14th and last series in 2002. It should have really gone about 4 series earlier.
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Bojan Scores
Cameraman
Terry you’re very devious when a bird’s involved...
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Post by Bojan Scores on Feb 2, 2017 22:06:05 GMT
I've bought the Dixon of Dock Green box set, of the remaining colour episodes. It has this image of being cosy and past it's sell by date. The two episodes that I've watched featured a Police suicide, and a sex murder. All filmed outdoors in the abandoned London Docks, and factories, Battersea power station and Trellwick Tower looming in the background. Maybe what I'm trying to say, sometimes a long running series can have a 'second wind'.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Feb 2, 2017 22:14:14 GMT
I've bought the Dixon of Dock Green box set, of the remaining colour episodes. It has this image of being cosy and past it's sell by date. The two episodes that I've watched featured a Police suicide, and a sex murder. All filmed outdoors in the abandoned London Docks, and factories, Battersea power station and Trellwick Tower looming in the background. Maybe what I'm trying to say, sometimes a long running series can have a 'second wind'. The advent of colour T.V is known to have saved a few series from the chop. Without it Steptoe and son would certainly have ended earlier. Can't remember who was going to quit, but either the writers or the two leads felt they had done enough of it by the late 60's. Fortunately they were persuaded to continue which was the right decision. Colour breathed new life into the series and the episodes right up to the end were as good as and in many cases better than any of the early series.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Feb 3, 2017 8:38:19 GMT
Auf Weidersehn Pet was a good example of something which ended originally at the right time, as series 1 and 2 were great, but then it was revived several years later, mistakenly. The first of the revivals, in the US, was just about passable, but from then on it became dreadful and I actually stopped watching it before the end.
What about Coronation Street? I am old enough to remember it in the 60s when it was quite a gritty northern drama, almost like those early 60s black and white British films like A kind of Loving or A Taste of Honey, but now its a ludicrous pantomime
Good shout on Londons Burning. That wasn't bad at first but became a tedious soap opera, as did The Bill
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Post by Charles Bronson on Feb 3, 2017 12:15:56 GMT
What about Coronation Street? I am old enough to remember it in the 60s when it was quite a gritty northern drama, almost like those early 60s black and white British films like A kind of Loving or A Taste of Honey, but now its a ludicrous pantomime
I was Watching "Saturday Night And Sunday Morning" the other day on the Talking Pictures Channel, and quite enjoyed it. I was thinking that Coronation Street must have been slightly similar in it's early days. As you say Cartman it's just a joke now. I hate modern soaps now, like most or all of us on here. Being forced to watch them day after day would be my idea of hell. Charles.
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Post by Charles Bronson on Feb 3, 2017 12:30:03 GMT
Talking about soaps I wish a few of them would finish up. I used to Hate Brookside (I live about ten minutes walk from the actual Close where they made it.) I used to long for the day when it got taken off. Mind you, saying that, some of the soaps still going seem worse these days.
Charles.
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Cartman
Producer
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Post by Cartman on Feb 3, 2017 12:33:11 GMT
Brookside was just absolutely dreadful, I think it was one of the worst things ever to infect the cathode ray tube.
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Post by Charles Bronson on Feb 3, 2017 13:03:43 GMT
Brookside was just absolutely dreadful, I think it was one of the worst things ever to infect the cathode ray tube. I agree, but it's ironic how some of the cast have done really well since it finished, Sue Johnson, Ricky Thomlinson, Anna Friel etc. Charles.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Feb 3, 2017 15:55:04 GMT
Brookside was just absolutely dreadful, I think it was one of the worst things ever to infect the cathode ray tube. Fully agree Cartman mind you not really a big fan of Phil Redmond full stop to be honest. As Charles says probably at it's best when Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston and the Billy Corkhill era then went downhill rapidly after that. Don't watch it (don't ever intend to) but from trailers I've seen and TV reviews seems Hollyoaks has become a Chester version of Brookside circa 15 years back now too. Also ironic Redmond lays into modern TV not being 'realistic enough' when some of the over the top stuff he's done... www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jan/13/phil-redmond-british-tv-elite-failing-to-tell-working-class-stories
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