The same wonderful person who sent me last week’s offering also sent me the 9 episodes of “Bottle Boys” he had. I’ve been looking for this show forever!!!! Although unfavorable reviews here and there on the web had me a little leary. Was it really “the worst British sitcom ever”??? Now that I’ve seen these 9 episodes I can say no. They’re actually very cute and funny. Originally I had had the notion that they’d be a continuation of the “Confessions” movies. Something about a milkman servicing every need of each housewife on his route. But, no, nothing like that. It’s all very innocent and light-hearted. Robin has said of the show that by the ‘80s comedy in the UK was getting more restrictive, and they were unable to do the kinds of humor popular in the ‘70s. Nevertheless, this was a good, solid comedy that shouldn’t be dismissed as it seems to be. It should be released on DVD. I promise to buy it, as there are a few episodes I still need to see! Who over there has something against Robin Askwith, I’d like to know!! It’s like pulling teeth to get all his series officially released!!!! And yet, our American PBS carries at least a million of truly the MOST god-awful things that have ever come out of Britian. Ugh, it frustrates me to no end. Our local PBS station, Oregon’s OPB, is a wasteland of BAD British comedy on Saturday nights. Something called “My Hero”? I think? I’m not even going to put energy into looking it up. About a woman whose boyfriend is a superhero? OOOOH is it bad. And some other thing, don’t know the name ‘cuz I don’t watch it but it stars Geofferey Palmer (who is a good actor, he’s in lots of other things) as the husband of a middle-aged woman (no not “Butterflies” I didn’t mind that one) but OOOOH is it mind-numbingly DULL! Britain must have some deal with PBS that says, “Okaaayyyy, if you want our Dr. Who you need to ALSO take these 10 OTHER shows…..!”
Whew. OK, long-winded rant over. But nothing makes me more furious than Robin’s stuff stuck somewhere on a back shelf in storage and absolute JUNK thrust at us instead!
Finally, on to the review of the first episode I have of “Bottle Boys”:
An elderly milkman is retiring, so he needs to be replaced with someone new. This is a time when things are getting more “PC” so the job placement office has renamed the position “Milkperson” and sends along a woman to fill the job. Of course, for the laugh factor, it has to be a stuffy-snooty type of woman that gets right to work fancy-ing up the breakroom with flowered sofas and a feminine tea set. Also rips down all the pornography on the walls. The guys don’t appreciate any of this and set up a plan to force her to quit. The boss doesn’t allow husbands and wives to work together so Robin’s “Dave Deacon” is nominated to ask her to marry him – much to his dismay. Some funny moments as he akwardly attempts this feat – and discovers she is desperately attracted to him!
Good glimpse of Robin’s arms in one of the scenes…wearing a skintight bright pink sleeveless top!
The first two episodes, which I still need to see are:
1. "Fools Rush In" 1 September 1984: "
Dave Deacon finds an elderly customer on a sixth floor windowsill, threatening suicide."
2. "God Save Our Dairy" 8 September 1984: "
Dawson Dairy is on the rocks and the staff rally to fight for their jobs."
Just think Su, you are probably the only person in America who has ever seen Bottle Boys. Even in the UK I don’t think it has ever been repeated since it originally aired in 1984.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great to see the full series released on DVD, especially as there are a couple of episodes that are currently eluding us. If there is justification for releasing both series of “Yus, My Dear” on DVD I don’t see why Bottle Boys can’t be sprung from obscurity.
It would great if it was, together with Full House (UK version), Home James, Time After Time (with Brian Conley), The 5 completed episodes of Bloomers which Richard Beckinsale was working on just before he did which is why there was no 6th episode (although that was the BBC), Close To Home etc. You mentioned Yus, My Dear? Did that have Arthur Mullard in it? The Sweeney on Blu-ray at last including the two movies and the pilot. I know the two movies and the pilot have been out already but I mean in a box set with the four series as well. Now we don't have Network we now have an Australian DVD/blu/ray publisher who puts a lot of classic material from ITV Studios and Fremantle instead. In fact they've both put out a lot of the same material. That needed box set of The Sweeney actually exists... on DVD only but has been completely restored. There's a documentary on there talking about the restoration process. I'm wondering if these are actually 2K or 4K high resolution scans. This has been released by the company I'm always on at to get them to put out Bottle Boys. Via Vision Entertainment. Have a look through their catalogue and you'd be very surprised.
DeleteI've just written out a full article about Via Vision Entertainment. They are next now to publishing that part of your market. Go on their website and click "Contact". Then it will ask you the reason for contacting them and one of them will be "I'd like to recommend a film or TV show" and suggest Bottle Boys from ITV Studios. I've done it about five times now together with other ITV comedies like Full House (UK Version), Home James!, Time After Time (with Brian Conley). They release Fremantle material as well (what was originally put out by Thames Television). Message them yourself and suggest Bottle Boys. The more the better. 😉 Did "Yus, My Dear" feature Arthur Mullard?
DeleteNeat thought, me being the only person in America to have seen it!!! Except probably for those who have moved here from the UK. There are a few ex-Brits here in town I know of and I keep wanting to ask them if they know who Robin is...but then I get too embarrassed, hehe.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can get a group started up over there and campaign for an official release??
The DVD company that releases lots of sitcoms/old TV series here in the UK is Network, if any company were going to put Bottle Boys out on DVD it would be them.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.networkdvd.net/
Maybe you should drop them an email suggesting they should release it, or start a group on Facebook campaigning for it to be released on DVD, I’d join!!!
Oh, good idea. I just went over to FB and saw they do have an official Network DVD group. I'll just join that and ask about Bottle Boys.
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