Name Dropper. Katy's arranged for an old actor friend to open a local supermarket, but a mix-up leaves Tony Bamber under the impression that she's booked Hollywood star Jim Carrey. Does she have to come clean, or can Angelo salvage the situation? Meanwhile, Mickey toys with the idea of taking Geronimo the space gerbil into school. This episode was originally broadcast on Tuesday, 16th February, 1999.
The energy in this one is absolutely relentless, and it's really hard to believe that so much action can come from only four people and a single location. This is in a huge way thanks to Tim Whitnall, whose performance here as essentially three different characters really is something to behold. Tim was never shy about breaking out the odd impression here and there, but I can't think of another occasion when he took it to such extremes, inhabiting the role for a prolonged period. Top marks to him - this is a real tour de force.
I got a good laugh out of the confused Ace Ventura conversation early on, and there's something about phone conversations on this show where the implied lines (the ones we don't hear) somehow come through loud and clear. I like Katy's natural reluctance to the scheme, and also the fact that that side of the story ties up nice and cleanly. On the other hand, I also enjoyed the fact that they didn't feel the need to tidy up the loose ends on the other storyline - the one that causes the whole instalment to take a massive turn just when you think you know where it's all heading. If anyone tries to tell me they saw that coming...
The guest star in this episode is Philip Bird as Tony Bamber, the high-powered businessman type of a PR guru. He would return in the final episode of this series, and he plays off Tim excellently here. In fact, at times it feels like they're trying to outdo each other, which only serves to ramp up the energy further. Philip's had recurring parts in the likes of Emmerdale, Harry Enfield and Chums, French Fields, Brass, and that Bruce Forsyth sitcom everyone's forgotten about, Slinger's Day. Loads of other stuff, too, such as "Swampie Warrior" in a 1978 Doctor Who.
Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording.
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12 сен 2024
