John Thaw and the ensemble cast are stellar but this is a really poor and bizarre script - unsubtle and often stupid. I haven't read the book but I can't believe Kingsley Amis would write this unless he had an axe to grind about terrible psychiatrists, horrible hospitals and a truly misogynistic outlook.
I don't believe an intelligent father would put up with the abusive crap from a psychiatrist - any doctor acting that unprofessionally would be struck off. I am a huge fan of Geraldine James but even she struggles to make anything with her truly awful script.
Some have described the series as comic, but in the last episode you get the only funny moments - but not for the right reason ... poor Geraldine is reduced to screaming at the camera in close up with such utter abandon that we fell about laughing.
The story founders in episode 2 when Michael Aldridge's character doesn't advise John Thaw's character to complain to the BMA and remove the son to a different hospital. John Thaw was a great actor but his character is driven by events and I don't think he makes a single sensible or logical decision throughout.
Apart from his office co-worker all of "Stanley's women" are chariacature harridans who rant and rave at him but never listen.
I came to this series because it has just about one of the best British casts of its time but what a wasted opportunity.
I don't believe an intelligent father would put up with the abusive crap from a psychiatrist - any doctor acting that unprofessionally would be struck off. I am a huge fan of Geraldine James but even she struggles to make anything with her truly awful script.
Some have described the series as comic, but in the last episode you get the only funny moments - but not for the right reason ... poor Geraldine is reduced to screaming at the camera in close up with such utter abandon that we fell about laughing.
The story founders in episode 2 when Michael Aldridge's character doesn't advise John Thaw's character to complain to the BMA and remove the son to a different hospital. John Thaw was a great actor but his character is driven by events and I don't think he makes a single sensible or logical decision throughout.
Apart from his office co-worker all of "Stanley's women" are chariacature harridans who rant and rave at him but never listen.
I came to this series because it has just about one of the best British casts of its time but what a wasted opportunity.