#a mild farce from sitcom stalwarts Larbey and Esmonde (The Good Life‚ Ever Decreasing Circles etc)‚ filled with sitcom faces (Selby fresh | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mariocki · 2 months ago

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Play for Today: A Touch of the Tiny Hacketts (BBC, 1978)

"It is very possible that I could have stopped it ever getting into the papers."

"Well, I don't see how, we don't even know how they found out about it."

"You're missing the point, Ray, there are things like injunctions for contingencies like this."

"Against who?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm a legal expert. But I will say this: I am experienced enough in life to know the value of the Mr. Ridleys of this world."

"Well, I know he was very good over the crazy paving, but is he capable of slapping injunctions against newspaper editors? I mean, particularly when they only printed the truth?"

"I dunno. But we could've tried him. And failing him - had you told me - who knows? I could have taken it to the ombudsman!"

#play for today #a touch of the tiny hacketts #1978 #bbc #single play #john esmonde #bob larbey #james cellan jones #ray brooks #judy cornwell #tony selby #brenda bruce #patrick newell #nat jackley #rusty goffe #george innes #anthony langdon #karl howman #doug fisher #george tovey #a mild farce from sitcom stalwarts Larbey and Esmonde (The Good Life‚ Ever Decreasing Circles etc)‚ filled with sitcom faces (Selby fresh #from working with the writers on Get Some In!‚ Howman later to star for them in Brush Strokes). it's all quite silly but pleasantly so #Brooks is a mild mannered home body who one night apprehends (and knocks unconscious) a burglar in his home; the attitude of everyone in #his life changes overnight as a result of his perceived heroics‚ only to change again (for the worse) once it becomes known the would be #robber is a person with dwarfism. this could have been badly handled‚ as could the crux of the plot (that everyone is son concerned with #appearing‚ to use a modern term‚ 'pc' that they lose sight of the point that the man was breaking into a house) but to give them their dues #the writers mostly keep it pretty balanced and the emphasis is much more on the casual hypocrisy of Brooks' co workers and friends (Newell #is a stand out as the boss whose heart supposedly bleeds for what he calls 'unfortunates' but who is really taking advantage of being able #to pay minority workers a lower wage). I'm making a hash of these tags but this is genuinely p funny and largely inoffensive I think #Brenda Bruce is mvp in a beautifully deadpan performance as the robber's mother‚ telling the sad tale of his life to a bemused Brooks

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