'Ever Decreasing Circles' passed me by back in the '80's. Though aware of it, I did not see it due to work commitments ( video cassettes were expensive then! ). I caught up with it recently when an episode was given away in a Sunday newspaper, and liked it so much I bought the rest.
It reunited with Richard Briers with his 'Good Life/Other One' writers Bob Larbey and the late John Esmonde. He plays 'Martin Bryce', a right twit whose life consists of social event organizing ( and haven't we all met people like that ). You name a committee and he is on it. In some ways he is like 'Captain Queeg' from 'The Caine Mutiny' in that he is anally retentive and will tear his house ( called 'Brooksmead' ) apart to hunt for a lost grub screw instead of going out to buy a new one. He is married to the lovely Ann ( Penelope Wilton, seen most recently in 'Dr.Who' as Labour Prime Minister 'Harriet Jones' ), and they live in a cosy suburban close in Horsham. You wonder why she just does not pack a case and leave the daft bugger. This is a man whose idea of a fun evening is dozing in front of the fire whilst reading 'Lamp-Posts Through The Ages'. Martin's closest friends are the equally drippy Howard ( Stanley Lebor ) and Hilda ( Geraldine Newman ) Hughes. His worst nightmare comes true when hairdressing salon owner Paul Ryman ( Peter Egan ) moves in next door. Paul is sophisticated, good-looking and charming, the total opposite of Martin. He is also single and attracted to Ann. Each week, Paul manages to cuckold his neighbour to the point where Martin becomes genuinely convinced the younger man is somehow plotting to usurp his place in the community.
This is one of those sitcoms that took time to grow into something special. Briers is in top form, creating an outstanding comedy character whom like 'Basil Fawlty' digs his own grave, yet never once sees it happening. Egan ( 'Toby Meres' in the 1974 film version of 'Callan' ) is equally impressive; in some ways Paul is just as sad as Martin thanks to his endless amusement at the little man's expense. Like Annette Crosbie in 'One Foot In The Grave', Wilton makes 'Ann' the only sensible character in the show. The scripts are first-rate throughout. The episode in which Martin became nursemaid to a gang of old ladies had me laughing out loud.
Four seasons were made in all. Over time a Steptoe-like bond of affection grew between the main characters. The show bowed out on Christmas Eve 1989 with an 80 minute special in which Martin and Paul were at loggerheads over a Civil War re-enactment while the former was planning on moving out of the area.
( To the person who claimed that prissy and pompous Martin reminded him of Gordon Brown, I have to respectfully disagree. He is more like David Cameron, while Howard resembles Nick Clegg in that he agrees with everything the other man says! ) A very overlooked series.
It reunited with Richard Briers with his 'Good Life/Other One' writers Bob Larbey and the late John Esmonde. He plays 'Martin Bryce', a right twit whose life consists of social event organizing ( and haven't we all met people like that ). You name a committee and he is on it. In some ways he is like 'Captain Queeg' from 'The Caine Mutiny' in that he is anally retentive and will tear his house ( called 'Brooksmead' ) apart to hunt for a lost grub screw instead of going out to buy a new one. He is married to the lovely Ann ( Penelope Wilton, seen most recently in 'Dr.Who' as Labour Prime Minister 'Harriet Jones' ), and they live in a cosy suburban close in Horsham. You wonder why she just does not pack a case and leave the daft bugger. This is a man whose idea of a fun evening is dozing in front of the fire whilst reading 'Lamp-Posts Through The Ages'. Martin's closest friends are the equally drippy Howard ( Stanley Lebor ) and Hilda ( Geraldine Newman ) Hughes. His worst nightmare comes true when hairdressing salon owner Paul Ryman ( Peter Egan ) moves in next door. Paul is sophisticated, good-looking and charming, the total opposite of Martin. He is also single and attracted to Ann. Each week, Paul manages to cuckold his neighbour to the point where Martin becomes genuinely convinced the younger man is somehow plotting to usurp his place in the community.
This is one of those sitcoms that took time to grow into something special. Briers is in top form, creating an outstanding comedy character whom like 'Basil Fawlty' digs his own grave, yet never once sees it happening. Egan ( 'Toby Meres' in the 1974 film version of 'Callan' ) is equally impressive; in some ways Paul is just as sad as Martin thanks to his endless amusement at the little man's expense. Like Annette Crosbie in 'One Foot In The Grave', Wilton makes 'Ann' the only sensible character in the show. The scripts are first-rate throughout. The episode in which Martin became nursemaid to a gang of old ladies had me laughing out loud.
Four seasons were made in all. Over time a Steptoe-like bond of affection grew between the main characters. The show bowed out on Christmas Eve 1989 with an 80 minute special in which Martin and Paul were at loggerheads over a Civil War re-enactment while the former was planning on moving out of the area.
( To the person who claimed that prissy and pompous Martin reminded him of Gordon Brown, I have to respectfully disagree. He is more like David Cameron, while Howard resembles Nick Clegg in that he agrees with everything the other man says! ) A very overlooked series.