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Reviews
The Guardians (1971)
The Guardians - banned from circulation for over 40 years
Enjoying this series as a sixth-former in 1971 the future picture of England was repeated, to a large extent, in the later series "1990" set in the 1980s. Both show a country that has shown the current democratic system the door, replacing it with an authoritarian regime that struggles to contain a disparate range of opponents. The decades since 1971 showed only a limited moving forward in the direction of The Guardians, but in 2020 perhaps the coronavirus pandemic shows how quickly the "democreatic" rights of the citizenry can be cast aside. Freedom of travel, both within the country and abroad, are severely restricted, as is freedom of association etc. The Guardians was never available on VHS, and is now only on DVD... well worth a look
Jeeves and Wooster (1990)
Timeless quality in this depiction of 1920s Britain
Stephen Fry and Hugh Lawrie star in this memorable adaptation of the Wodehouse novels, and it is hard to imagine any other "Jeeves and Wooster" production will ever exceed the quality of their work in this respect. The criticisms of other reviewers of the changes in character over the short four years of production are validly made, but this only slightly detracts from the overall quality of the series.
By the time this series started in 1990, the two principal actors were already well-established on UK television in a range of television programmes. It was a great change for them to embark on "Jeeves and Wooster", and after this series ended they continued their careers, as an "all purpose compère" in the case of Fry, and Lawrie as Dr House in US television.
A quarter of a century has now passed since the series ended, and its timeless excellence will continue to impress audiences worldwide; the series is highly recommended.
The Phil Silvers Show (1955)
The #1 comedy show..... ever
Other reviews have highlighted many of the superb elements of writing, casting, direction, acting etc that made "Bilko" an outstanding comedy success that is as funny now as almost 60 years ago when it was first broadcast.
One element is rarely mentioned, which has helped Bilko to have a timeless appeal... it appeals to all ages, and is completely lacking in "off colour" gags or any obscenities. Was this realistic? Of course not, in an almost all male Army camp in any country or at any time period. But the strict rules of US television in the 1950s meant that nothing in the slightest bit "doubtful" was permitted; everyone knew this, the writers and the actors, and so Bilko was 100% clean.
What a contrast with so many "comedy" shows and performers of the 21st century... whose work is scattered with expletives etc that make them unsuitable for family viewing...and in some cases any viewing at all. We can all be grateful that 1950s US television had these strict rules.. which has permitted Bilko to entertain millions worldwide, and which will continue... hopefully for many decades to come.