ccn89 Reviews

The Brittas Empire (1991–1997)

insane, real and funny...for the first 5 series at least.

[9/10 · 17 August 2015]

Enter the chaotic world of Gordon Brittas,..the well-meaning walking disaster manager of Whitbury Leisure Centre.

For series 1-5, The Brittas Empire is a surreal but real world of hilarious chaos. It's often quite dark, with deaths and bizarre accidents a frequent occurrence. But like all great sitcoms, the writers, Fergan and Norris get you empathise with their nicely fleshed-out characters.

However thinks aren't so good when the writers leave and a new team of writers carry on for series 6, who just don't seem to get it.

Series 7 is better than 6, but really you only need to see series 1-5.

A Christmas special is confirmed for 2015 penned by one of the original writers, as Whitbury Leisure Centre opens its doors once more to the unsuspecting public. Let's hope the show's comeback is 'exxxxxxcellent!'.

The Upper Hand (1990–1996)

gentle & funny

[7/10 · 27 December 2014]

It was unusual for ITV to show a long running sitcom in the 1990s; The Upper Hand was a rare exception. Even rarer was the fact this was a British remake of a US show, that actually works!

Here's a sitcom where everything comes together and just works. The scripts are funny, and the jokes never miss the mark. The acting is good, the theme tune catchy, and unlike most mainstream comedies post-2000, nothing is over-played or too silly, and the characters have a bit of depth to them. The show also manages to get the right balance between comedy and drama.

Highly recommended, and easy family viewing.

Dad (1997–1999)

A real shame they didn't make more...

[9/10 · 7 April 2014]

'Dad' is a great sitcom from the pen of Andrew Marshall, creator of hitcom 2.4 children. Like the latter, it's a comedy that disguises itself as cosy family viewing, but is deceptively dark and subversive. And like 2.4, Dad never really got the recognition as a true sitcom classic that it deserved.

It's great fun to see Kevin McNally (Alan) going up the wall whilst George Cole's character (Brian) drives him quietly insane, with his old fashioned agenda and over-engineered ideas and systems. But more importantly this sitcom goes beyond making us laugh, as we find ourselves sympathising with the characters, and whimpering at their odd moments of sadness; you have to admire a sitcom where the main character breaks down in tears whilst his father is in hospital, something many of us can relate to.

The characters Marshall serves up here are also very well-rounded, detailed and realistic, which draws us into their world even more.

It's therefore a great shame that after just 2 series, this often overlooked and unusual sitcom was stopped dead in its tracks, as a regime change took place at the beeb. You can get both series together with excellent extras on Australian DVD though…a release that finally does the show justice. But just as you finish watching the final episode, a 1999 xmas special, you'll left muttering the words…I just want more.