Here's a curiosity - the first failure of the Lawrence Marks & Maurice Gran writing team. Having created 'Holding The Fort' ( starring Peter Davison, Patricia Hodge and Matthew Kelly ), they next served up 'Roots', all about a newly-qualified Jewish dentist called Melvin Solomons ( Allan Corduner ) who dreamt of being an artist, but whose domineering parents Nettie ( Joy Shelton ) and Harry ( Stanley Meadows ) had other plans.
I.T.V. gave the series a Friday 8 P.M. slot, but viewing figures were so bad it was relocated to Sunday afternoons. Several regions did not bother to reschedule it at all. I myself saw only two of the six episodes made, before it was hurriedly replaced by repeats of 'Maggie & Her'. 'Roots' did not strike me as particularly bad, just not terribly good either. Allan Corduner was agreeable in the main role ( he was tipped to become a big star on the back of this show. A prediction that must rival Criswell's for accuracy! ), playing 'Melvin' in a decidedly Woody Allen key. Lesley Joseph, whom Marks and Gran used again eight years later in 'Birds Of A Feather', played 'Melanie Goldblatt', Melvin's married sister. Arwen Holm guested in the second show as 'Lorraine Levy', a rich man's widow whom Melvin seduces.
Also around this time, London Weekend Television had another flop on its hands ( though I rather liked it ) - Nigel Kneale's sci-fi sitcom 'Kinvig'. But 'Roots' was the bigger disaster by far.
Don't expect to see this on D.V.D. in the not-too distant future. Not unless Network includes it in a themed box-set devoted to I.T.V. sitcom flops alongside Johnny Speight's 'The Nineteenth Hole', 'Sir Yellow' ( starring Jimmy Edwards ), 'Big Boy Now!' ( with Leslie Crowther ) and, 'Grundy' ( the final work of Harry H.Corbett ).
Marks and Gran's biggest mistake probably was to name a dental sitcom after a recently transmitted American mini-series about slavery!
I.T.V. gave the series a Friday 8 P.M. slot, but viewing figures were so bad it was relocated to Sunday afternoons. Several regions did not bother to reschedule it at all. I myself saw only two of the six episodes made, before it was hurriedly replaced by repeats of 'Maggie & Her'. 'Roots' did not strike me as particularly bad, just not terribly good either. Allan Corduner was agreeable in the main role ( he was tipped to become a big star on the back of this show. A prediction that must rival Criswell's for accuracy! ), playing 'Melvin' in a decidedly Woody Allen key. Lesley Joseph, whom Marks and Gran used again eight years later in 'Birds Of A Feather', played 'Melanie Goldblatt', Melvin's married sister. Arwen Holm guested in the second show as 'Lorraine Levy', a rich man's widow whom Melvin seduces.
Also around this time, London Weekend Television had another flop on its hands ( though I rather liked it ) - Nigel Kneale's sci-fi sitcom 'Kinvig'. But 'Roots' was the bigger disaster by far.
Don't expect to see this on D.V.D. in the not-too distant future. Not unless Network includes it in a themed box-set devoted to I.T.V. sitcom flops alongside Johnny Speight's 'The Nineteenth Hole', 'Sir Yellow' ( starring Jimmy Edwards ), 'Big Boy Now!' ( with Leslie Crowther ) and, 'Grundy' ( the final work of Harry H.Corbett ).
Marks and Gran's biggest mistake probably was to name a dental sitcom after a recently transmitted American mini-series about slavery!
