The third and final season of 'Fall & Rise' is generally held to be the weakest, a view I share, although it is not without its moments. I vastly prefer it to the 1996 sequel 'The Legacy Of Reginald Perrin'. At least Reggie's still alive here! In season two, David Nobbs had a go at capitalism with 'Grot', here he flipped the coin to mete out similar treatment to communism.
Reggie and Elisabeth, heavily disguised ( in shabby clothes and big teeth ) as 'Mr & Mrs.Gossamer', have abandoned their old lives in favour of forever wandering down country roads, holding hands. But they get bored and revert to being the Perrins. Reggie chooses to sell 'Grot', reasoning as only he can that only by being incredibly rich can he hope to escape from the tyranny of capitalism.
An altercation in a bank between impatient customers gives Reggie the idea for his next big project - one he hopes will dwarf 'Grot' into insignificance. A part commune, part self-help centre, aimed at the middle-aged and middle-class, to be called 'Perrins'. Here people will learn to get along with another. He buys a big house in a London suburb, and staffs it with the old gang - C.J., Doc Morrissey, Tom, Linda, Tony, Joan, David and his wife Prue ( played by Bruce Bould's real-life wife Theresa Watson ).
The problem with this scenario is that it gives Reggie virtually nothing to rebel against. In season one, it was conformity, in season two, success, but here - nothing. Only when Reggie was rebelling was he truly funny. The commune idea puts Reggie on the same wavelength as John Sullivan's 'Citizen Smith', who longed for a socialist Utopia.
Tim Preece was unable to return as 'Tom' due to prior commitments, and the part went to Leslie Schofield, a good actor whose credits include 'Star Wars - A New Hope', but despite his best efforts he just was not Tom.
The third series had the misfortune to run against I.T.V.'s much-publicised historical drama 'Edward & Mrs.Simpson' starring Edward Fox, leading to poor Reggie getting thumped in the ratings.
As I said earlier, there is still much to enjoy here. I would love to know who purchased 'Grot' though. Someone with acute business sense apparently - he sacked all of Reggie's appointees!
Funniest moment - Reggie fantasising about what the commune should look like. He sees a wig-wam surrounded by native Americans ( amongst them are Elisabeth and himself ), and says: "We're not going to be the Lost Tribe of Llandrindod Wells, no!". Then he sees a line of Hare Krishna followers dancing along a street. A bald Reggie looks at the camera, and pulls a face as if to say: "No, this won't work either!".
Reggie and Elisabeth, heavily disguised ( in shabby clothes and big teeth ) as 'Mr & Mrs.Gossamer', have abandoned their old lives in favour of forever wandering down country roads, holding hands. But they get bored and revert to being the Perrins. Reggie chooses to sell 'Grot', reasoning as only he can that only by being incredibly rich can he hope to escape from the tyranny of capitalism.
An altercation in a bank between impatient customers gives Reggie the idea for his next big project - one he hopes will dwarf 'Grot' into insignificance. A part commune, part self-help centre, aimed at the middle-aged and middle-class, to be called 'Perrins'. Here people will learn to get along with another. He buys a big house in a London suburb, and staffs it with the old gang - C.J., Doc Morrissey, Tom, Linda, Tony, Joan, David and his wife Prue ( played by Bruce Bould's real-life wife Theresa Watson ).
The problem with this scenario is that it gives Reggie virtually nothing to rebel against. In season one, it was conformity, in season two, success, but here - nothing. Only when Reggie was rebelling was he truly funny. The commune idea puts Reggie on the same wavelength as John Sullivan's 'Citizen Smith', who longed for a socialist Utopia.
Tim Preece was unable to return as 'Tom' due to prior commitments, and the part went to Leslie Schofield, a good actor whose credits include 'Star Wars - A New Hope', but despite his best efforts he just was not Tom.
The third series had the misfortune to run against I.T.V.'s much-publicised historical drama 'Edward & Mrs.Simpson' starring Edward Fox, leading to poor Reggie getting thumped in the ratings.
As I said earlier, there is still much to enjoy here. I would love to know who purchased 'Grot' though. Someone with acute business sense apparently - he sacked all of Reggie's appointees!
Funniest moment - Reggie fantasising about what the commune should look like. He sees a wig-wam surrounded by native Americans ( amongst them are Elisabeth and himself ), and says: "We're not going to be the Lost Tribe of Llandrindod Wells, no!". Then he sees a line of Hare Krishna followers dancing along a street. A bald Reggie looks at the camera, and pulls a face as if to say: "No, this won't work either!".