Victoria Wood. Midlife Christmas.
(Possibly the best Christmas program on this Christmas?)
In between during various last minute Christmas finish ups, I sat down and started watching Victoria Wood on the BBC......
OH MY GOODNESS!!
A series of ongoing sketches with Star guest appearances, jam packed with intelligent and seriously funny humour... I think I may have just witnessed the best that British telly has to offer this year....
Victoria opened the show with a brief comedy opening monologue and then in to the main events...
The early 1900s set soap opera, 'Pork Pie Flies To Cranchesterford,' narrated by, and starring the great lady herself was pure class. There were several amazingly strong cameo appearances by numerous thesps. And all acted in with a Norfolk Twang Dialect.
Halibut Finch a particularly memorable piece of comedy acting.
If I say this was a weakish strand and it was still comedy observation at its very best.
The very idea of camp male characters in a soap set in the 1900s was inspired... If somewhat tarnished somewhat by the regularity of these nudge nudge wink wink type of characters, not just in this strand, but all the way through the separate strands. But brilliantly placed into the situations and well acted, this is a minor fleck of critique.
Then the best thread. The 'Week in the life of Mrs Mopp, From Acorn Antiques.'
If I see anything this year half as funny as these embarrassingly acutely observed and acted pastiches, I will be delighted.
The inspired, imagined, ongoing thread about the life of Mrs Mopp, played so brilliantly by Julie Walters borders on comedy genius by all involved.
Special mention for the gentleman who played 'Colin' was an absolute revelation with his blushes and cringing, and the look of 'Oh my god, what and who is this lady (Mopp) on?'
Fantastically brilliant star appearances in these skits too, Notably, Anton Du Berk (Beke) and Torville and Dean.
The Apprentice inspired Dance, acted by Margie and the other guy on the judging panel who looks like an elf with glasses on. A grey haired Elf, but his name escapes me.... Was a classic. And so funny. Inspired music and choreography.
"It was just an ordinary day, I slipped on a chip. I rang 'slipped on a Chip dot com.' I won 8000 pounds in compensation. Enter a funny sketch and then the warning at the end of advert....
"Warning 'Slipped on a chip dot' com is not available for French fries, curly chips or mash." Brilliant.
Enter Julie Walters (The lady is pure class) as the ongoing filming of a week in the life of Mrs Mopp. Anton Du Beke trying to teach Mrs Mopp to dance was classic, and Anton, now recovered after his recent rascist incident on come dancing, strictly So out of character, Surely should be the one to replace Bruce Forsyth?
The Quote when asked to appear on a reality TV show "I was voted best Soapstar 87, 88 and 90." I reckon that without the canned laughter (which was obviously not canned, but toned down somewhat, as everyone was in hysterics!! It really was that good a show!!)
Delia Smith made an appearance too. The owner of Norwich Football Club, Authoress and sometime cook.. She did well not to burst out laughing.
And The skating with Torville and Dean was absolutely brilliant... The sight of Walters trying to get off the ice at the end of this continuing thread of 'Mrs Mopp,' will live with me for a long time.
The sight of Christopher Dean skating off with 'partner' Torville, when he tripped was a little corny.
The guy is a multi gold medal winning skater so asking him to stumble, well, it was so funny, he couldn't even stumble properly on the ice, obviously they are not trained to stumble with all the 'PERFECT' marks they got!! How they managed to keep a straight face....
This comedy classic, and surely a winner something for best Christmas show, or show of the year delivered its comedy in such an excellent way. In fact I think it was as near to a comedy Classic that you are likely to get.
The way it effortlessly slipped from one scene back to another was seamless, and not hard to follow. And talk about laugh?
The closing part of Mrs Mopps week, when Asked if she felt embarrassed, the deadpan way that Julie Walters answered, a brief pause of thought, then the bitingly accurate riposte... "No, I don't feel as though anybody has embarrassed me....."
The closing song. Lets do it.... Rounded off a BRILLIANT BRILLIANT hour of Christmas comedy classic.
What's on the box? When celebrity gastric bands wear out....
Another line from this show. If you missed it UK where were you. Oh, the pub. Right.
Shall be posting a few things later, if all goes to plan.
Have the bestest Christmas.
<(ovo)> XX
Robin Christmas Eve. 10.36 pm.
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