Forums
New posts
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Awards
Log in
Register
What's new
New posts
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Poison your name this Hallowe'en
There's plenty of time to choose your spooky October username
Click here for more details
Forums
Telly Talk Soaps
UK Soaps Forum
Brookside
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 416606" data-attributes="member: 23"><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Episodes 523 - 530</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Damon & Debbie Episodes 1 - 3</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">2 - 24 November 1987</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em>continued…</em></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Speaking of the Grants, I very much enjoyed the household in those weeks when Damon was in York and Bradford. The Barry/Sizzler stuff was less than gripping (especially since it’s given Sinbad his first non-peripheral storyline, which has mostly been painful), but Sheila’s initial amused reactions made it (not just her comments to Barry when passing on the phone message, but also her having a little chuckle when Barry sheepishly arrived home with his clothing inside out carrying a random dressing gown (another contrivance, mind you. Barry travelled home in a taxi which would have given him plenty of time to sort out his clothing).</p><p></p><p>There was also the relative normality of Sheila’s annoyance at Bobby missing yet another planned special evening and arriving home drunk into the bargain. And her forceful comments about doing the Open University course - and consequently using the video recorder “sourced” by Barry - whether or not Bobby likes it.</p><p></p><p>The Corkhills have been just as watchable. Doreen’s presence is missed, but that’s the point of the storyline at the moment, so it’s fine. It feels there’s a noticeable amping up of Julia and Jimmy’s presences. Too much of either can be simply too much, but it’s tolerable at the moment. In fact, Dean Sullivan’s performance as Jimmy complemented John McArdle’s to help sell what was yet more convenience as the Riordan blackmail storyline was hastily wrapped up when Billy simply refused to do any more illegal activity for him on the basis he now had nothing to lose and didn’t care if he went down… just as long as he took Riordan with him. It was resolved a little too easily, but at least the wrapping up of the Billy/Riordan situation didn’t make me roll my eyes and sigh as much as witless Sinbad duping Sizzler, and getting a car and valuable paintings into the bargain.</p><p></p><p>Incidentally, a little continuity error with the Ford Escort. When Sinbad found it, I could see immediately it was a Ghia model due to the four-spoke steering wheel and plush velour upholstery. When Barry and Sinbad return the car after its “respray”, the black version had the two-spoke steering wheel of and plastic A-frame head rests of the lowlier models in the range (“L” and the like). Considering the respray was meant to be poor, I can’t imagine Sinbad doing a great job with reupholstering and changing the steering wheel, so it was clearly a completely different car.</p><p></p><p>Barry isn’t the only Grant-adjacent character to be involved in the tonal shifts. Much as the writing and performances made it work, the Matty and Paul pairing over their shared interest in running was never going to feel anything other than sudden and forced, and somehow at odds with any unspoken “rules” this series might have.</p><p></p><p>Surprisingly, one of the recent Collins moments that has stuck with me (actually from the previous lot of episodes) was during Mona’s little pre-dinner announcement that she had decided to go into a home. Gordon and Paul were both famished, and when Mona paused in the middle of a sentence, a loud crunch resonated round the dining room as Gordon took a sneaky bite of salad, only for Mona to resume a beat later as Gordon looked sheepish. Something about the timing of this one just worked for me and made me chuckle.</p><p></p><p>Elsewhere, Harry and Ralph have done some stuff at the British Legion. Hilarity ensued. Terry has moved in with Jonathan and fallen for his secretary, Sue (presumably over their shared penchant for loudly slurping coffee). Frankly it’s difficult to care.</p><p></p><p>Back in York, the Bhangra night conveniently brought together practically the entire ensemble, all happily forgiving and forgetting. It could be argued it’s necessary, since we won’t see or hear from most of them again, but it’s still as cheesy as it sounds. Had the series ended on this note, I suspect it would have been forgotten very quickly, but the thing on which the entire series hinged was its ending. They certainly pulled out the big guns for that final scene, even getting Damon into uniform for his new job, raising the romantic imagery to the Nth degree.</p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.vgy.me/iJyEOd.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 580px" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>And it works, because it still tugs at the heartstrings.</p><p></p><p>If memory serves, it was fairly well-known that this would be Damon’s exit, but I forget how much I knew ahead of time (it is, disgracefully, telegraphed in detail in the episode synopsis on STV). One thing I’m very happy about is that I was able to keep the ending from my partner who hadn’t watched before.</p><p></p><p>Intercutting Damon’s encounter with the knife-wielding thugs with the urgent drums of the Bhangra night worked, because the series had opened my mind to something a little more showy than we might see elsewhere. Simon O’Brien, of course, is note-perfect to the end - and this series alone must have been quite a ride for him given Damon’s ups and downs.</p><p></p><p>But what really makes it hit hard is the little speech Frank Cottrell-Boyce gave to Damon for his curtain call which once again gets to the heart of who he was… right to the end:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>[spoiler=Damon drifts]</p><p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.vgy.me/KuB82j.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 534px" /> <img src="https://i.vgy.me/ST8UM2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 520px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.vgy.me/lcCYak.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 544px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.vgy.me/SFYaK4.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 524px" /> <img src="https://i.vgy.me/yilE9B.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 528px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.vgy.me/htPAXy.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 500px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"> <img src="https://i.vgy.me/n7EqCx.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 520px" /> <img src="https://i.vgy.me/vtr8KW.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 522px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.vgy.me/FUkPO5.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 524px" /> <img src="https://i.vgy.me/rIyq2h.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 533px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.vgy.me/A6fN5w.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 582px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p><p>[/spoiler]</p><p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p><p></p><p>Whatever else <em>Damon & Debbie </em>has done, it's given us a definitive character exit that still gets me today.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em>continued…</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Spells & Karma, post: 416606, member: 23"] [CENTER][SIZE=5][B]Episodes 523 - 530 Damon & Debbie Episodes 1 - 3[/B][/SIZE] [B][SIZE=5]2 - 24 November 1987[/SIZE][/B] [I]continued…[/I] [/CENTER] Speaking of the Grants, I very much enjoyed the household in those weeks when Damon was in York and Bradford. The Barry/Sizzler stuff was less than gripping (especially since it’s given Sinbad his first non-peripheral storyline, which has mostly been painful), but Sheila’s initial amused reactions made it (not just her comments to Barry when passing on the phone message, but also her having a little chuckle when Barry sheepishly arrived home with his clothing inside out carrying a random dressing gown (another contrivance, mind you. Barry travelled home in a taxi which would have given him plenty of time to sort out his clothing). There was also the relative normality of Sheila’s annoyance at Bobby missing yet another planned special evening and arriving home drunk into the bargain. And her forceful comments about doing the Open University course - and consequently using the video recorder “sourced” by Barry - whether or not Bobby likes it. The Corkhills have been just as watchable. Doreen’s presence is missed, but that’s the point of the storyline at the moment, so it’s fine. It feels there’s a noticeable amping up of Julia and Jimmy’s presences. Too much of either can be simply too much, but it’s tolerable at the moment. In fact, Dean Sullivan’s performance as Jimmy complemented John McArdle’s to help sell what was yet more convenience as the Riordan blackmail storyline was hastily wrapped up when Billy simply refused to do any more illegal activity for him on the basis he now had nothing to lose and didn’t care if he went down… just as long as he took Riordan with him. It was resolved a little too easily, but at least the wrapping up of the Billy/Riordan situation didn’t make me roll my eyes and sigh as much as witless Sinbad duping Sizzler, and getting a car and valuable paintings into the bargain. Incidentally, a little continuity error with the Ford Escort. When Sinbad found it, I could see immediately it was a Ghia model due to the four-spoke steering wheel and plush velour upholstery. When Barry and Sinbad return the car after its “respray”, the black version had the two-spoke steering wheel of and plastic A-frame head rests of the lowlier models in the range (“L” and the like). Considering the respray was meant to be poor, I can’t imagine Sinbad doing a great job with reupholstering and changing the steering wheel, so it was clearly a completely different car. Barry isn’t the only Grant-adjacent character to be involved in the tonal shifts. Much as the writing and performances made it work, the Matty and Paul pairing over their shared interest in running was never going to feel anything other than sudden and forced, and somehow at odds with any unspoken “rules” this series might have. Surprisingly, one of the recent Collins moments that has stuck with me (actually from the previous lot of episodes) was during Mona’s little pre-dinner announcement that she had decided to go into a home. Gordon and Paul were both famished, and when Mona paused in the middle of a sentence, a loud crunch resonated round the dining room as Gordon took a sneaky bite of salad, only for Mona to resume a beat later as Gordon looked sheepish. Something about the timing of this one just worked for me and made me chuckle. Elsewhere, Harry and Ralph have done some stuff at the British Legion. Hilarity ensued. Terry has moved in with Jonathan and fallen for his secretary, Sue (presumably over their shared penchant for loudly slurping coffee). Frankly it’s difficult to care. Back in York, the Bhangra night conveniently brought together practically the entire ensemble, all happily forgiving and forgetting. It could be argued it’s necessary, since we won’t see or hear from most of them again, but it’s still as cheesy as it sounds. Had the series ended on this note, I suspect it would have been forgotten very quickly, but the thing on which the entire series hinged was its ending. They certainly pulled out the big guns for that final scene, even getting Damon into uniform for his new job, raising the romantic imagery to the Nth degree. [CENTER][IMG width="580px"]https://i.vgy.me/iJyEOd.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] And it works, because it still tugs at the heartstrings. If memory serves, it was fairly well-known that this would be Damon’s exit, but I forget how much I knew ahead of time (it is, disgracefully, telegraphed in detail in the episode synopsis on STV). One thing I’m very happy about is that I was able to keep the ending from my partner who hadn’t watched before. Intercutting Damon’s encounter with the knife-wielding thugs with the urgent drums of the Bhangra night worked, because the series had opened my mind to something a little more showy than we might see elsewhere. Simon O’Brien, of course, is note-perfect to the end - and this series alone must have been quite a ride for him given Damon’s ups and downs. But what really makes it hit hard is the little speech Frank Cottrell-Boyce gave to Damon for his curtain call which once again gets to the heart of who he was… right to the end: [spoiler=Damon drifts] [CENTER] [IMG width="534px"]https://i.vgy.me/KuB82j.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="520px"]https://i.vgy.me/ST8UM2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="544px"]https://i.vgy.me/lcCYak.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="524px"]https://i.vgy.me/SFYaK4.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="528px"]https://i.vgy.me/yilE9B.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="500px"]https://i.vgy.me/htPAXy.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="520px"]https://i.vgy.me/n7EqCx.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="522px"]https://i.vgy.me/vtr8KW.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="524px"]https://i.vgy.me/FUkPO5.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="533px"]https://i.vgy.me/rIyq2h.jpg[/IMG] [IMG width="582px"]https://i.vgy.me/A6fN5w.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] [/spoiler] [CENTER] [/CENTER] Whatever else [I]Damon & Debbie [/I]has done, it's given us a definitive character exit that still gets me today. [CENTER] [I]continued…[/I][/CENTER] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
What month follows July?
Post reply
Forums
Telly Talk Soaps
UK Soaps Forum
Brookside
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…
Top
