I remember watching this when it first aired and really enjoyed it. Very well written and very observational. Yet at the same time I can’t help but find it a little dark.
Mrs Merton phoned her and pretended that Malcolm had cancelled the date. She never wants Malcolm to leave her so she has to put a stop to anything that could take him away, such as a relationship.
@@ajax201000 why would she do that if she was busy dreaming that he'd give her a grandchild? Infact why would she have encouraged him to go on a date with her at all if she really didn't want him finding someone?
@@ajax201000 I dont know and more the point I don't know why Carol and Craig don't answer it cos next ep Mr Malik is back, Judith is referenced and it's all forgotten as though it never happened. Your assertion would make sense if they showed Mrs Merton making a call or doing something shifty to at least imply she did something like looking secretly pleased after Malcolm gets stood up which is what would normally happen in this sort of plotline in a show but there's no insinuation whatsoever she has done anything so it's left a mystery so unless you can contact Craig Cash to get an answer we will never truly know now Caroline has gone.
I feel if they had have made this in the early 1990s it would have been received a little bit better - this was 1999, the millennium was about to happen, attitudes were changing to a more open, inclusive and modern society. We had the hope (of course dashed) of New Labour landslide election of 1997, and it felt life was moving on. Mrs Merton & Malcolm just had people living an attitude of 1959 and not 1999 which caused the problem. The style was dated too much come 1999.
You seem to be missing the whole point, Mrs Merton and Malcolm are sposed to both be in arrested development, that's the entire point of the comedy, early 90s late 90s makes no bloody diff cos they're living in a 1950s style bubble regardless. They're already out of sync with time. The politics of the day has nothing to do with this.
Apart from the couch conversation infront of the telly which was already a Royle family theme and Craig cash playing another dim witted fool I don't see any real similarity. This show was done in between series 1 and 2 of Royle family because they intended to do more of it but the critical reception was so poor and actually shocked them so much that they abandoned it and just did more Royle family. So I doubt they "stole" much of anything since only one series of Royle family preceded this.
It is strange watching this, I do remember watching it the first time it aired in 1999. I still can't believe it was written by the same people who wrote the Royle Family. Caroline, Craig and Henry Normal must have been out of the minds thinking this would make a good prime time BBC comedy.
It was ok, but it danced around the darkness of her death grip on her son & her casual cruelty to the mysteriously bed bound Mr Merton. Steptoe & Son did the darkness of co dependancy way better.
@@sarahholland2600 Galton and Simpson the writers knew how to balance dak and light into Steptoe and Son, some great funny moments. I think also since this show didn't have an audience laugh track, it made it feel even more darker
Some of the worst "comedy" i've ever seen, they really try to force these not funny jokes on you. they really wanted that cringy "tremendooo" crap to be like a catchphrase too
