1984 was not a particularly great year for writer Roy Clarke. Twice he attempted to create another hit, both times with unsuccessful results. The first was 'The Magnificent Evans', which starred Ronnie Barker as a pompous Welsh photographer. Viewers did not take to it as they felt it was a poor substitute for Clarke's earlier 'Open All Hours'. Shortly afterwards, he scripted a pilot especially for Roy Kinnear called 'The Clairvoyant' in which he played a used car salesman who believed he had developed psychic powers. Sadly, not many viewers cared to find out whether his powers were genuine.
This pilot opens up with the sight of an unconscious, bandaged man lying in a hospital bed. This is Arnold Bristow, the aforementioned used car salesman who is hospitalised after being mowed down in traffic. His American girlfriend Lily ( Sandra Dickinson ) is at his side crying her heart out as she thinks he is about to die. However, he suddenly regains consciousness and is under belief that he is able to fortell events before they actually happen. Life for Bristow is not going to be the same again...
The pilot did make enough of an impression for Clarke to pen a full series in 1986 but viewers grew tired of Arnold's bumbling attempts to fortell the future and it did not return. While it was certainly not comedy gold, there was still plenty to enjoy. It is however not difficult to see why it did not get beyond a single series as the novelty of having a would be clairvoyant as the focal point in a sitcom would wear off quickly. Even so, if the show were to be released on DVD I would not complain.
Belinda Lang is seen for a short time as an ill mannered nurse. She would later appear as Bill in Andrew Marshall's '2 Point 4 Children', which Sandra Dickinson also appeared in from time to time as Bill's snooty sister in law Tina.
Funniest bit - seeing a group of people waiting outside the hospital to see Arnold, Lily is touched as she believes them to be his friends. Her joy turns to horror when she discovers they are in fact irate customers who had bought faulty cars from him!
This pilot opens up with the sight of an unconscious, bandaged man lying in a hospital bed. This is Arnold Bristow, the aforementioned used car salesman who is hospitalised after being mowed down in traffic. His American girlfriend Lily ( Sandra Dickinson ) is at his side crying her heart out as she thinks he is about to die. However, he suddenly regains consciousness and is under belief that he is able to fortell events before they actually happen. Life for Bristow is not going to be the same again...
The pilot did make enough of an impression for Clarke to pen a full series in 1986 but viewers grew tired of Arnold's bumbling attempts to fortell the future and it did not return. While it was certainly not comedy gold, there was still plenty to enjoy. It is however not difficult to see why it did not get beyond a single series as the novelty of having a would be clairvoyant as the focal point in a sitcom would wear off quickly. Even so, if the show were to be released on DVD I would not complain.
Belinda Lang is seen for a short time as an ill mannered nurse. She would later appear as Bill in Andrew Marshall's '2 Point 4 Children', which Sandra Dickinson also appeared in from time to time as Bill's snooty sister in law Tina.
Funniest bit - seeing a group of people waiting outside the hospital to see Arnold, Lily is touched as she believes them to be his friends. Her joy turns to horror when she discovers they are in fact irate customers who had bought faulty cars from him!