Review of Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased): The Complete First Series

Introduction

Saturday night terrestrial television usually leaves a lot to be desired. Most often we are treated to a saccharine diet of game shows, reality TV and talent contests. However, the BBC has a well-earned reputation for Saturday night fantasy drama. All through my childhood, Saturday night meant Doctor Who or Blake`s Seven. Even through the nineties we`ve been entertained by shows like Bugs, Crime Traveller and most recently Jonathan Creek. Unfortunately, shows like this have been very thin on the ground recently, with even the BBC going down the route of cheap reality television and talent shows. But in 2000, for six weeks only we were treated to Randall and Hopkirk (deceased).

Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) is ostensibly a detective series, the twist being that one of them, Marty Hopkirk is a ghost who uses his spectral abilities to aid his partner, Jeff Randall. From what I know, the original series was a fairly dry detective series. This re-imagining (with apologies to Tim Burton) has a far more humorous feel to it. Charlie Higson of Fast Show fame has scripted the entire series and the comic influence permeates the show. This DVD release has the entire first season and extras presented on two discs. The first episode, Drop Dead, has the two detectives hired to protect the wife and muse of an eccentric artist. During the course of this Marty is killed along with the artist`s wife leaving his distraught fiancé, Jeannie and his grieving partner. Some time later, Marty`s ghost appears to Jeff and tells him that he has one night to solve his murder or he`ll be trapped between realms. The murder is solved but Marty has to stay as Jeff`s spectral partner. In Mental Apparition Disorder, Jeannie goes undercover at a casino attempting to solve a theft while Jeff gets admitted to a psychiatric clinic where he gets embroiled in some distinctly dodgy goings-on. We are also introduced to Marty`s ghostly mentor, Wyvern who instructs him in the ways of ghostliness and how to use his many powers. The Best Years of Your Death finds are three heroes undercover in a boarding school where a teacher and nurse have mysteriously vanished. Paranoia finds the trio protecting an author who`s under a threat of death due to his conspiracy theories. Jeannie gets close to the head of security; Jeff gets closer to a femme fatale assassin and Marty breaks spectral wind. In A Blast From the Past, a criminal mastermind who died being chased by Marty`s father is back from the afterlife for revenge, sounding strangely like Michael Caine. Finally in A Man of Substance Jeff and Marty are trapped in a village where nothing is as it seems and Marty can finally enjoy a pint.

Video

The video format is a 4:3 transfer. The original feature was shot in 16:9 so we are getting second best here. For me this is actually an improvement. I am one of the few who still watches analogue TV and I have to suffer the BBC`s compromise transmissions with a pathetic black border that fits neither 4:3 nor 16:9 sets. At least now I get a full screen image of some form. Admittedly widescreen would have been nicer, but the lack wasn`t distracting except in one or two scenes. The effects are stunning and the attention paid to the design of the series exquisite. The look of the series is very stylish with as much attention paid to the costumes and sets as to the effects, the way the show is lighted is also very well done and it`s obvious that the US market was in mind when the BBC invested in the show.

Audio

I love the theme tune and I`ve got it somewhere on a CD single. David Arnold soundtracks are renowned in cinema and he doesn`t disappoint here. The whole series sounds excellent with atmospheric pieces underlying the action. Unlike many TV dramas nowadays, the incidental music doesn`t drown out voices of the actors. Here we get a Dolby 5.1 transfer that is just what this programme deserves.

Features

Extras are also provided. This is the way to do animated menus, I watched the sequence through each time I put in the disc. We get the music video featuring Nina Persson from the Cardigans, which I find quite entertaining; it`s almost a mini episode and features Paul Whitehouse also in A Blast From the Past. There are a series of out-takes lasting about 5 minutes. There`s no exposition to these scenes and seem to have been picked at random, the cast who fluffed their lines had more of a giggle than I did. Finally there is On Set With Randall and Hopkirk, a 45-minute documentary showing the making of the show. Shown last year by the BBC, it is to a degree informative and entertaining, however it is also very "luvvie" and self-congratulatory. Another problem is that Vic and Bob introduce it and they are let off the leash and revert to their trademark sense of humour, which I`m afraid I still don`t get. It`s definitely a case of watch once only. I wouldn`t have minded a few cast or directors` commentaries. The fact that there are no subtitles is criminal. In any DVD release, one of the basic staples are subtitles and I can`t understand why they have been neglected, after all the hard work has been done by BBC subtitling.

Conclusion

I never watched the original series, so I came to this programme with no preconceptions. I must admit that I fell in love as soon as I heard the theme tune and saw the opening credits; no expense had been spared on making this series. Gone are the days of rickety sets and penny-pinching special effects, the production values of these programmes easily match some Hollywood productions and in many cases surpass them.

Actually, I lie when I say that I had no preconceptions. I am a late convert to Reeves and Mortimer, I was never fond of their humour on Channel 4 and it took a few seasons of Shooting Stars for me to get the joke (Ulrika-ka). When I heard that this expensive production would be starring the dynamic duo in the title roles, I watched the first episode with some trepidation. Boy, was I surprised.

The BBC has done a very good job. They have put a tremendous amount of money ensuring the production values do not slip, the scripts from Charlie Higson are top notch and the supporting cast are excellent. When you have actors of the calibre of Charles Dance, Steven Berkoff and Hugh Laurie, you can`t go wrong. Of the four principles, Jeannie, played by Emilia Fox is just stunning and plays off Vic and Bob well. Tom Baker who has been off our screens for far too long plays Wyvern. Watching him in this programme is just a treat. That leaves Vic and Bob, our two heroes. With a foundation as solid as this, they would have to put in an amazing effort to screw up. Thankfully, they have refrained from that and as the series progresses they become more comfortable in the roles. Vic and Bob will probably not win any Oscars, but as Randall and Hopkirk they are perfectly believable in the roles and you have a bucket of fun just watching them. They are well directed and rise up to the performances of their co-stars. All of the episodes are well made and enjoyable, with genuinely funny scripts. The shows creator, Charlie Higson has injected some warmth and charm into the show that could easily have been a special effects showcase. He also makes a Hitchcock like appearance in every episode.

The one problem with the show is that as one man scripts it, Charlie Higson, the series only lasts six episodes. In the US, where budgets are higher and there are several writers on each show, the average run of a series is 22 episodes. In this instance we have a case of quality over quantity. The second series currently showing on TV has a run of seven episodes.

In conclusion, this is an excellent series which all will enjoy. All the cast, including Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are excellent. The effects are spooktacular (heh heh) and it sounds great. The picture format is second best, but I wouldn`t hold my breath for a re-release. The extras are an acquired taste, Vic and Bob fans would lap them up.Marks knocked off for a lack of subtitles though. Let`s hope they get it right for the second series. Don`t let that put you off though, it`s a cracking six hours of television that you can pick up for 17 quid. Well worth it.