He has a marvellous pedigree and this was one of his earliest masterpieces.
TO SERVE THEM ALL MY DAYS TV SERIES SERIES
Worst of all: once I notice that some editing has occurred, I wonder how much else has been tampered with.Īndrew Davies,who adapted this series from the great Delderfield book of the same name,was also responsible for the original House of Cards AND co-wrote the screenplay for Kevin Spacey's super-duper new version House of Cards - Season 1 (DVD + UV Copy). But it dismays me that the rest of the world has to endure the same neutered products. Now – I’m not bothered if the American censors chop these programmes up for their own audience. I think that "I Claudius" ran into similar problems. And I suspect that some editing went on to protect delicate American sensibilities from “coarse” material. I know that this series, along with many other BBC productions, was shown in America. I tried to find some information on this on the net but I had no luck. I then noted that this episode seemed a couple of minutes shorter than the others. I thought this the funniest line in the whole series and I was looking forward to relishing it again on DVD……and it wasn’t there. He then goes on to wryly add (and I must paraphrase here) that the recently deceased head “did not show noticeable proficiency in the second of these categories”. Howarth refers to the old observation that life amounts to nothing more than birth, copulation and death. It happens in episode 11 when Alcock has died and the teachers are irreverently discussing him in the staff room. I recall a marvellous scene from the BBC transmission. Now I must get to my major gripe – which doesn’t involve the series itself but this DVD release.
I also find it doubtful that such an obviously committed social activist would ever be happy at Bamfylde. Susan Jameson is a fine actress but the chemistry between her and John Duttine doesn’t quite convince. The last phase of the story, where Christine enters seems just a little contrived to me.
I would agree with some other reviewers that if there was one flaw in the overall production, it is that there is a certain feeling of steam running out in the episodes after Alcock’s death. The aging process throughout the series is beautifully managed. He conveys the latter quality though his look of helpless astonishment whenever his authority is challenged.Īlan MacNaughtan is magnificent as my favourite character, the cynical Howarth who gets all the best lines and delivers them with perfect dryness. There isn’t a weak link in the supporting cast but I must mention the following in particular:īelinda Lang – soon to appear in the inventive sit-com Two Point Four – is perfect as the generous, selfless wife who meets a tragic fate, this being one of the most heart-breaking scenes to ever appear on television.Ĭharles Kay manages the considerable feat of making the paranoid headmaster Alcock both sinister and pathetic.
The decisive moment comes when his soft spoken hesitant manner gives way to a fiery authority during a schoolboy prank in his first session. John Duttine is perfectly cast as the shell-shocked Powlett-Jones, nicknamed PJ, who, on returning from the trenches of the First World War, tentatively takes a step into the world of Bamfylde School for boys and eventually regains his confidence.
I doubt if the BBC ever produced a finer drama series than this. I loved it then and watched it with greater appreciation on DVD – although I have one gripe which has led to me docking one star and I’ll get to that at the end. I saw this series when it was first shown on the BBC back in the early 80s.
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