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Post by Where's The Money on Apr 12, 2020 9:33:05 GMT
Another series I have never watched, though Adam Faith was a fairly constant presence on the box growing up.
I can never think of Adam Faith without a smirk comng over my face in relation to his reported final words. A nurse that looked after him at the end of his life was reported as saying that his final words were on the lines of 'Channel Five, what a load of crap that is, what's that all about'.
Superb stuff.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 18, 2020 6:06:47 GMT
I bought the DVD and yet have also set up a series link for the Talking Pictures repeats
Anyone else do this kind of thing?
Still yet to revisit Budgie though
Still looking forward to it
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jun 19, 2020 10:56:43 GMT
I gave Episode 1, ‘Out’ a proper watch yesterday. Generally not bad stuff if perhaps not quite in the zone for it to be essential viewing. Please note this next section may contain spoilers. I think the first episode sort of lays the ground for what will follow sort of giving Budgie a bit of a back story, been in the Nick, fresh out, got plans, under the wing of serious villain’s like Charlie Endell (Iain Cuthbertson) the stories will flow from that. Adam Faith isn’t too bad in the role seems reasonably natural but some of Budgie’s dialogue does over rely/use Cockney rhyming slang in it, to the point where that doesn’t seem as natural as it does in say The Sweeney. However that has changed very radically over the last 5 decades so who knows it might have been a toned down version back then. Iain Cuthbertson’s, Endell seems an interesting character and (so far) seems to suit him. To me sort of seems like a heavier Arthur Daley with Budgie a more subservient Terry McCann who’ll do his jobs and dirty work for him – as long as something is in it for him and he can still do some of his long shot, hair brained scheme’s too – like trying to blag a van load of perfume and toiletries fresh out of jail. Endell had no problem getting Budgie to look after the ‘Salford Stripper’ Charity (Adrienne Posta) for a few days and certainly Endell seems like he can use/ditch Budgie for dirty jobs he needs doing. Shame Iain Cuthbertson didn’t do more roles like Endell as he seems to take on the villain role quite well, have we mentioned him as an actor for The Sweeney by any chance? Strangely he wasn’t in Taggart either which surprises me, I reckon he’d be a natural in an Endell type role in some of the earlier Mark McManus episodes. Yeah agree with some of the posts about the ‘Scrubber’ reference. It doesn’t offend me but I don’t really use it and can see how it could offend some, again in the early ‘70’s for characters like Endell it was probably in common use and would like to see anyone dare challenge someone like him on that. Not sure if anything else will crop up in Budgie that would offend the PC brigade but from what I can see so far it’s all a bit light hearted right now! Not to sure how the supporting cast will fair in Budgie. Lynn Dalby’s Hazel, Budgie’s love interest seems to be the usual fed up bit on the side which still stands by her man no matter what… that’s the impression I got from the first episode. However she’s not playing the role badly and might add a bit more spark as things go on/Budgie’s estranged Jean Budgie (Georgina Hale) enters the fray – that should be good hopefully. Don’t know if Budgie’s Irish mate Grogan (Rio Fanning) will reappear but seemed to be played up as the ‘Thick Mick’ type which was (rightly/wrongly) standard fair back then. Again different times but personally I don’t think the Irish are any dumber/smarter back then than what they – or anyone else, are now! A few Sweeney faces in the mix including Rosemarie Dunham who’d mutated from the flirtatious Dowager in Supersnout to a hard boiled café owner here and another Supersnout face Frank Coda with a bit part as the civilian driver of the van Budgie blags which rather than having the perfume’s and deodorants he can get some quick cash from has seized porn from the Obscene Publications Office and incurs the ire of Endell who orders Budgie to destroy it… and pay him back as compensation. I rate the episode as 7/10 maybe slightly more a bit similar to the Derren Nesbitt era Special Branch in look and feel. I’ll definitely stick with it and see how it progresses I’ve certainly seen much, much worse than Budgie and have heard some good things about it. I suppose it will stick to a formula that Budgie tries pulling off a outlandish scheme which looks great – on paper, but in reality goes wrong and leads him to grief with the police, Endell etc. but Budgie finds ways to charm himself out of this trouble and these situations. That tale has probably been done many times and better in things like Minder, Prospects etc. and it does seem Prospects did something similar albeit with better acting, storylines, actor chemistry and with just one short and sweet series but I wonder if Budgie was their inspiration for it all. It is worth a watch even with the first episode and not knowing much about it previously I felt it knocked spots over anything else I could’ve watched that night!
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 19, 2020 19:24:01 GMT
Funny word 'scrubber', it shouldn't sound as bad as 'slag' but somehow it sounds worse, must be the 'scr' sound like 'scrape'.
You can see how shows like this paved the way for Minder, even the episode titles are similar- 'Fiddler On The Hoof', 'Louie the Ring Is Dead and Buried in Kensal Green Cemetery', Budgie's co-creator Willis Hall wrote 4 Minder episodes in fact & Verity Lambert produced both shows. Keith Waterhouse & Willis Hall also created Billy Liar, a similar sort of character to Bird, a dreamer & a loser.
I read that John Tracy's face was based on Adam Faith ( and Charlton Heston ). Faith had a great face, he was a short man but had impressive bone structure.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jun 19, 2020 23:03:36 GMT
I've heard of this series but never seen it so have set a link up to watch it on TPTV . I missed the first one and TPTV doesn't have a catch up facility but looking forward to tuning in for episode2.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jun 24, 2020 0:08:06 GMT
Just caught episode 2 of Budgie. I quite enjoyed it and can see it developing into a decent little number. Budgies relationship with Cuthbertson reminds me of a McCann -Daley type affair. There's plenty of scope for scrapes with the law but I suppose Budgie will need the dough now he plans to support his son. Back in those days men like Budgie did the bizzo and cleared off. Is Budgie just an older Lukey Sparrow ? Time will tell.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jun 24, 2020 7:12:58 GMT
I'm going to give Episode 2 a good watch today/tomorrow, as Del says it's a similar feel to Minder and currently enjoying it so far and it's shaping up well.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jun 26, 2020 9:37:50 GMT
I watched Episode 2 – ‘Some Mothers’ Sons’ a couple of nights ago and again pretty much enjoyed it. Please Note this may contain Spoilers. Following on from Episode 1 Budgie’s a little indebted to Charlie Endell for the debacle with the ‘Salford Stripper’ etc. Budgie takes/minds on a flat from a Tom, Delores (Marion Mathie) which is actually a front for one of Endell’s vice-rackets. Endell put’s the squeeze on Budgie to take the flat and take on minding duties for Pakistani immigrants who’ve ‘entered’ the country and are under the wing of one of Endell’s ‘associates’ in Bradford. In addition to this Budgie’s girl Hazell is reluctantly coerced by her estranged mother (Stella Tanner) to take out a court order on Budgie for child maintenance – aided by Mrs Fletcher’s, current ‘squeeze’ the rather incompetent lawyer Mr Purvis (James Bree). They succeed seemingly with the court going through the motions to get an order against Budgie but this is the last of his problems. Despite strict orders from Endell not to let the immigrants leave the flat they do so purchasing international cuisine and making themselves visible. The law is also coming down heavy on the ‘knocking shop’ too and DS Cooney (Nicholas Smith) tries to load Budgie up for running a Brothel… Budgie under coercion from Endell signed a lease on the flats which makes him legally liable for the brothel activities going on there. Cooney’s more interested in the big fish (i.e. Endell) and leaves off Budgie, meanwhile the immigrants do a bunk and are later found dossing in the Ladies Room, at a railway station. Again despite being a bit pausey/bitty in parts an enjoyable watch, sort of showing the hold Endell has over Budgie and what he’s willing (through loyalty, fear etc.) to do for him. It’ll be interesting to see how his relationship with Hazel and child develop but I’m fairly certain Budge is of the ‘keep ‘em lean keep ‘em keen’ school of though and will probably see them as an afterthought until he’ needs them. The introduction of a hen-peck character like Mrs Fletcher will be interesting, upping Hazel’s flaws and failings while conveniently forgetting hers. I felt she had a similar battle-axe role to that of Mrs Rix from The Sweeney/Mercury of the Gods albeit Mrs Rix seemed a much tougher and cartoonish character in comparison to Mrs Fletcher. The fact she’s cased-up with a aging bumbling character like Mr Purvis probably suits her purposes too… until they don’t. The illegal immigration storyline is just as relevant now as it was then, won’t get into the rights, wrongs etc. of that. This episode had a similar feel to the Trevor Preston scripted Series 1 Special Branch episode, The Promised Land. What was interesting as Endell points out was Budgie’s fairly friendly and easy going attitude to them albeit peppered with a few-light hearted remarks none of which would be considered acceptable now. However nothing Budgie said was as heavy as what say Jimmy Nail’s Oz said in Auf Pet over a decade later! Unacceptable it may be now, but I'm generally of the opinion we shouldn’t really censor these old programmes as they reflect the times they were made and the pre-warning TPTV put on should be enough, like say with certain comedians… ‘if easily offended please stay away!’. I sort of find Budgie a bit similar to ‘Lukey’ Sparrow both in the terms of look and dialogue and a more easier going/light hearted Terry McCann. Not necessarily a bad thing and as this came out before both you can see some of the influence this might have had on these characters and shows like Minder etc. Could an actor other than Adam Faith have played Budgie, yes. Is Faith good in the role… yes! As I say so far I’ve enjoyed the first two episodes so far, it’s not necessarily essential or high quality viewing but it’s got an authenticity and with it not being shown for a fair while a uniqueness most programmes on the box don’t have. I’ll definitely be sticking with it… even if at the end I like or don’t like it.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 26, 2020 11:36:37 GMT
I've not read your posts yet Dirty Epic as I'm only halfway through episode one - hopefully I'll catch up soon
So far whilst there's things that jarr to the modern eye and ear (e.g. limp wristed gay stereotypes, the cliche dimwitted Irish pal, and nobody batting an eyelid at a 15 year old (!) stripper), generally I'm impressed
I really like Adam Faith who is a really charismatic screen presence and somehow makes Budgie likeable despite his terrible behaviour
Iain Cuthbertson is great value too. Of course.
And Lynn Dalby as Hazell is a really credible and sympathetic character too.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 26, 2020 14:58:30 GMT
Short clip of an episode of Budgie being recorded-
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