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Reviews
Only Fools and Horses (1981)
Possibly the greatest comedy on television. Ever.
It does seem a tad late to review a movie this old, especially after seeing the whole series quite some time ago, but with the recent release of Rock and Chips by the same creator having written it as a prequel to Only Fools and Horses, it gave me the opportunity to do so now.
I have to be honest, I never wanted to watch this series. Not because anything was wrong with it, but I was a teenager, and when my parents introduced me to this show, they were cutting into my busy schedule quite rudely (shooting your friends in online games while laughing maniacally is quite time-consuming and disturbingly difficult to pull yourself away from). Even worse, the first episode in the series didn't exactly quite make up for it, either. At least, only in my case.
"I get better looking everyday, I can't wait for tomorrow." The first words the TV ever spouted upon playing the first episode, coming from one of the few of the Trotter clan, the protagonists, Del-Boy. It was a line I found chuckle-worthy whereas my parents burst into tears laughing. Evidently, I didn't have as refined a taste in humour as they did (I'm quite a pessimist, and it has served me well). Little did I know that old Del-Boy Trotter would predict the future of the series with that very same first line. The gang in Only Fools and Horses had a rough journey getting my stubborn self to like them, but not only have they succeeded, they've done so thoroughly, as well as quickly. Each episode was gradually better than the last, but the gradual improvement in terms of humour and quirkiness wasn't necessarily a slow one. It was a fast one. One that lasted for quite a long while, as a matter of fact, but nonetheless went from your typical sitcom into something worth watching, all in the first season, and the seasons that followed jumped exponentially.
Rodney and Del-Boy Trotter of Trotter's Independent Traders are despicable con-artists, a characteristic that not only never changes in the series, but drives the story further. They try to take the saying "another man's trash is another man's treasure" quite literally, scavenging lousy items and hoping to sell it for a quick buck and a pretty penny in these economically hard times. Sometimes it even works, but more often than, everything goes awry. Like myself, the show itself is almost pessimistic, and each episode often ends on a negative note, albeit a hilarious one, which leaves our two anti-heroes (or, arguably, villains) back where they started.
Family appears to come second in a world where money makes the world go round. That's sort of the theme in the beginning of the series, but it's almost like the theme exists there for development's sake. Rodney and Del-Boy, despite being brothers, one whom the other had to spend most of his years raising on his own and with the help of his grandfather, Ted, there seems to be a lot of dispute between cash, with Del-Boy often using his own brother and conning him in the end just to get the better half of the deal. It isn't personal, it's business, one could argue, but it's a bit of a harsh reality that, in the real world, not everybody is necessarily a saint at heart. That quickly changes as these two, through the course of the beginning of the series, begin to find a middle ground to co-operate and put money second to their own family. It's a touching turnover, but the ride to get there is where most of the action lies, and where most of the fun is to be had. Regardless, it doesn't end here. The episodes each have an independent story of their own, like most sitcoms, but character development between all the cast is dynamic and hardly formulaic, making it worth watching the series from the beginning if more than just to watch the series become exceptional over time.
Acting is superb, and characters are all over the place. Nicholas Lyndhurst is greatly executes the role of the under-appreciated, almost whiny younger brother, Rodney. Lennard Pierce was a great buffer for the ne'er-do-well brothers as Granddad. However, David Jason absolutely stole the show, portraying his character, Del-Boy, best, with such enthusiasm in addition to a brilliant portrayal of a con-artist who has a silver tongue at all times except when things go awry. Not to mention that he has succeeded in making more than only one catch phrase in his character become forever memorable, and a few even mentioned in other reviews in this user review section. The acting of the characters prove that just because it's a comedy doesn't mean that actors don't have to put their best foot forward.
Only Fools and Horses was one of the few good sitcom shows on the air to strike such brilliance in its production to actually be wrapped up and finished by the end of it. Twice. By popular demand, like Sherlock Holmes, the series continued even after it was finally concluded, totalling up to two, separate endings. Unlike other sequels, though, it's debatable as to which ending is better than the other. Both wrap the story quite nicely, and both are truly in the vein of the series itself, but each ending is exceedingly different from the other in more ways than one, despite both of them being "real endings" (one happens chronologically after the other). Regardless, it's proof that when fans asked more, John Sullivan delivered, and showed that his talent as a writer and creator was unwavering even in the slightest.
My Name Is Earl (2005)
A genuinely funny, surprisingly intelligent, and hectically chaotic ride through the streets of Camden County
If somebody were to tell you that My Name is Earl was a show about dim- witted people doing crazy things, well, they wouldn't exactly be wrong. But it isn't the whole truth, either. When you make a show that centres around dim-witted people in a small town doing crazy things to pass the time, the general conclusion people would jump to would be that the show would be cliché and stupid. Who could blame them, that always appears to be the case. But My Name is Earl isn't only not stupid and cliché, it is absolutely brilliant, charming, genuinely hilarious, and loaded with twists and turns worthy of M. Night Shyamalan himself. Nothing is ever what it seems, and just when you think everything turned out peachy, a bigger, much more dastardly problem arises for our fiend-turned-friend.
The premise of My Name is Earl is a show that takes place in the small town of Camden County from the perspective of a petty con artist, Earl J. Hickey, who finds himself in an accident after winning a hundred thousand dollars in a lottery. Waking up in a hospital, he reflects on his life and comes to an epiphany; in a word, Karma. Realizing that his life is terrible due to him being a generally terrible person, Earl plans to turn his life around and writes a list of all the bad things that he's ever done, ranging from little things like bullying some kids in his days in school, to huge, punishable-by-law crimes, and hopes to make up for it along the way.
It's a simple premise, but one that is full of possibilities, and Greg Garcia never ceases to surprise the audience through the course of the series. Mix the chaos that ensues with a never ending stream of colourful, charismatic, and most importantly, likable characters, and you've definitely got something. All the characters in My Name is Earl are hardly forgettable, and each of them have an interesting twist on classic clichés that let them shine with originality despite having a certain deliberate lack thereof. Even the least likable of characters, the ones whom the cast want you to hate, have an incredibly human side to them that you will soon discover as you watch the show that will make them carve a special place in your heart.
It also goes well with the acting, which, while it sadly won't win any Oscars (the acting is purposefully lack-luster), has a certain childish charm that really brings out the character in an almost theatrical light that will connect you with the stage that is Camden County as a theatre production may connect you with the characters of Shakespeare's work at a live performance. Jaime Pressly, for example, shines as an over-the- top, selfish, heartless "dumb blonde" that is Joy Turner, but there are more than enough times when with that same childish nature of the casts acting she shows a surprisingly massive level of depth beneath her otherwise paper-thin character, partly due to the sharp writing and character design, partly because of her enthusiasm for the role, and with it, takes the stage every time she makes an appearance in each episode. Each character in the cast is equally "shallow-deep" and likable, coating their enthusiastic role playing with a childlike nature that makes this show have you feeling young at heart, even if the humour can be a little... mature at times.
In addition to the unbelievable plot twist with each episode, the writing is sharp, witty, simplistic, straight to the point, and a little playful as well. Despite having an excellent sense of humour, My Name is Earl tends to have a few vulgar jokes in it, as well. But unlike a majority of the jokes in the later episodes of Family Guy and shows alike, no matter how vulgar it gets, it tends to be somehow tasteful, and never feels out of place, save for one or two per season. Even though most of the show seems to be a situational comedy which focuses mostly on events rather than the words being said, when Earl, himself, begins narrating and tries to make sense of the impossible events that occur to the best of his abilities, or when his loyal brother Randy interjects into a conversation with a ridiculous statement, hilarity is guaranteed.
My Name is Earl is, without a doubt, among the funniest and full of heart shows to ever air on TV, anywhere, and you'd truly be missing out by skipping this one. It's truly a shame that where other dime-a-dozen TV shows continue to overstay their welcome, My Name is Earl hardly had the chance to wipe their feet at the door before bidding "goodbye."