18 September - 2 October 1978
3013 - 3021
There are some weird promos for #3013 as a bonus, but I’m a little confused about what they were promoting and where they would have been shown. By themselves, they don’t really show anything - one has Meg answering the phone and we hear her end of a conversation. The other has Sandy on reception, interrupted briefly by David Hunter before he plays with paperwork then looks directly to camera. I couldn’t even tell you what they were discussing.
It’s a rare treat to watch consecutive episodes of a vintage soap this way, rather than curated episodes to show of a series’ highlights. I’d almost forgotten how compelling the humdrum can be. In these episodes, many stories have barely moved forward from where I left off, yet I find myself hooked on every word and every small development.
The entire arc with Mrs Bailey’s hypochondria and her dependence - and demands - upon Dr Butterworth is a little repetitive and feels as though it’s gone on forever. At the same time it feels fascinating. Perhaps it helps that it feels rather camp, and adding to the fascination is that I cannot tell whether or not this is intentional. There are lots of extreme close ups with ticking clocks and outside noises to suggest her worsening state of mind. It all kind of works, but it also feels bizarre and on a different plane from the rest of the show. One of the latter episodes also had an extremely
Acorn Antiques-esque line from Mrs Bailey to Meg:
Mrs Bailey said:
That’s a very thoughtful thought, but in the future there won’t be any future.
Mrs Bailey On The Edge Of A Nervous Breakdown isn’t the only plot operating within isolation. Indeed, at the moment the show feels like a series of bubbles, many taking place in locations other than the motel.
There’s Diane and Jane at the flat which seems to be a hub of eternal melodrama. After Diane’s stalker, there’s been the crisis with the complaint letter sent to PC Steve Cater’s super, accusing him of an affair with Bernard Booth’s mysterious young wife (who, it’s now been revealed, was working as some kind of escort when they met at the hotel overseas). Diane, Jane and Steve have been sleuthing to work out which of the cast could have sent it (we seem to have settled on Diane’s brother). Now things are mysteriously moving around or disappearing in the flat (I’m willing to bet this is also Diane’s brother).
But in good news Steve has proposed to Diane. Sue Hanson gave a great, vulnerable, performance in their discussion of Diane’s previous marriage to another man and child by another still. As I watched I felt guilty for almost forgetting about Vince. I can easily accept the intense, brooding and handsome Steve Cater as Diane’s new hubby. He’d certainly make a decent series regular, even if he opened his mouth so wide for that first kiss I thought he was going to unhinge his jaw and devour Diane from the hair down.
Despite the series feeling slow-moving, scheming couple George and Linda have wanted no time in sidelining and usurping poor Benny and Doris while taking advantage of Ed Lawton. With him mostly turning a blind eye to their shortcomings because they want to buy into the business Ed in particular came across as extremely gullible and disloyal and it seemed most out of character compared with the man who couldn’t wait to return the cheque given to him by Benny’s father in an effort to buy him off. The latest development saw him agreeing - rather too quickly - to sack Doris because Linda doesn’t like her. Linda is very boo-hissable, swooping in uninvited to make sure she beats Ed to telling Doris to leave or to tell Benny that George is Ed’s new partner, and all with a smirk on her face. We’re on the road to redemption, with Ed starting to see sense and giving the pair a piece of his mind, and Benny going one further and chasing George outside to flatten him and press his face into something brown and wet on the ground.
This hasn’t been the only location work. There was a wonderfully colourful scene in Kings Oak with Miss Tatum making a rare appearance to tell Meg she’s selling up the Post Office and moving into a nice little cottage. It’s sounding a bit final, but I hope we still get the occasional glimpse of her.
