Broadcast in 1977, 'The Upchat Line' was a witty and sophisticated Thames sitcom which starred the King Midas of '70's telly - John Alderton - as an incorrigible liar with a way with the ladies. It proved a hit with viewers, and a second series was commissioned. But a public falling out between the actor and writer Keith Waterhouse meant that it needed a new star. Replacing Alderton would not be easy, as the producers of 'Please Sir!' found to their cost seven years earlier.
Enter Robin Nedwell, fresh from L.W.T.'s long running 'Doctor' series in which the role of 'Duncan Waring' had required him to 'pull birds' ( or rather, nurses ) and lie like no tomorrow. Ideal qualifications. More importantly, Nedwell had also proved he could successfully replace a sitcom's leading man - he had done as much in 1972 when Barry Evans packed his medical bag and left St.Swithins for good. Interviewed at the time, Nedwell glibly said: "I have been chatted to about doing Upchat!".
The show was retitled ( a mistake in my view ) 'The Upchat Connection'. The first episode opens at Marylebone Station. A man ( Nedwell ) waves goodbye to another as he gets aboard a train. Presumably the departed is the original Mike Upchat ( we do not see his face close up ). As the train pulls out, the first man grins mischievously as he holds up a luggage locker key. Inside are all of Mike's possessions, including a declaration that the owner of the key is the new Mike Upchat.
So rather than put Nedwell into the show and pretend as though nothing has changed, Waterhouse chose instead to make a big issue of it.
The new Mike gets a lift in a van to Polly's Club. This is the first time we have seen the sassy landlady ( Bernadette Milnes - mother of Lystette Anthony, incidentally ) since the first episode of 'Line'. When he introduces himself as Mike Upchat, she does not believe him. But then she did not believe anything the original said either. To test him, she gives him Mike's 'usual' - a vile looking drink in a tall glass - and after taking a swallow, he almost chokes.
He explains that the original Mike has gone to California ( though he told others he was going to Australia ), presumably for good. On his last night in London, he raffled all his worldly goods - an address book containing his pseudonyms, his luggage locker key, a blind date with the stunning 'Suzie', and even the name 'Mike Upchat'.
Maggie ( Susan Jameson ), one of the old Mike's 'friends', arrives, and also thinks the new one an impostor ( well he is, isn't he? ). But she is sufficiently intrigued to insist he take her to lunch at Mario's restaurant.
So now Mike has two dinner dates arranged simultaneously, one with the lovely Maggie, the other with the equally lovely Suzie. Rather than let either down, Mike chooses instead to dash back and forth between restaurants ( luckily they are within walking distance of each other ), gobbling down mouthfuls of food and wine while engaging in meaningless small talk. To excuse himself, he comes up with outrageous lies like "I need to make an urgent phone-call to Wales!".
The girls eventually work out what he is up to and leave him alone. Returning to Polly's, he strikes up an instant friendship with another stunning beauty...
As 'Upchat', Nedwell is more than adequate an replacement for Alderton. The script takes into account this is not the same man by making him less of a smooth-talker and more a fumbling amateur. The problem is that the ghost of 'Duncan Waring' has not been ( and sadly never would be ) sufficiently exorcised. Nedwell also badly missed a performer of the calibre of Geoffrey Davies to bounce his humour off. Waterhouse shot himself in the foot by reworking his opening episode of 'Billy Liar' ( 1973 ) in putting his hero on multiple dates.
'Maggie' is Susan Jameson, who guested in the 'Line' episode 'Casualty Ward' as 'Susan' the nurse. She appeared in every edition of 'Connection'. Karin MacCarthy, who plays 'Suzie', was married to actor Alun Armstrong at the time and would have been familiar to viewers through her role as Bernard Hepton's sexy secretary 'Carol' in Eric Chappell's delightful 'The Squirrels'.
Funniest moment - the look on Mike's face when Polly presents him with a giant plate of spaghetti bolognese. Not the sort of thing you want to eat after two dinners!
Enter Robin Nedwell, fresh from L.W.T.'s long running 'Doctor' series in which the role of 'Duncan Waring' had required him to 'pull birds' ( or rather, nurses ) and lie like no tomorrow. Ideal qualifications. More importantly, Nedwell had also proved he could successfully replace a sitcom's leading man - he had done as much in 1972 when Barry Evans packed his medical bag and left St.Swithins for good. Interviewed at the time, Nedwell glibly said: "I have been chatted to about doing Upchat!".
The show was retitled ( a mistake in my view ) 'The Upchat Connection'. The first episode opens at Marylebone Station. A man ( Nedwell ) waves goodbye to another as he gets aboard a train. Presumably the departed is the original Mike Upchat ( we do not see his face close up ). As the train pulls out, the first man grins mischievously as he holds up a luggage locker key. Inside are all of Mike's possessions, including a declaration that the owner of the key is the new Mike Upchat.
So rather than put Nedwell into the show and pretend as though nothing has changed, Waterhouse chose instead to make a big issue of it.
The new Mike gets a lift in a van to Polly's Club. This is the first time we have seen the sassy landlady ( Bernadette Milnes - mother of Lystette Anthony, incidentally ) since the first episode of 'Line'. When he introduces himself as Mike Upchat, she does not believe him. But then she did not believe anything the original said either. To test him, she gives him Mike's 'usual' - a vile looking drink in a tall glass - and after taking a swallow, he almost chokes.
He explains that the original Mike has gone to California ( though he told others he was going to Australia ), presumably for good. On his last night in London, he raffled all his worldly goods - an address book containing his pseudonyms, his luggage locker key, a blind date with the stunning 'Suzie', and even the name 'Mike Upchat'.
Maggie ( Susan Jameson ), one of the old Mike's 'friends', arrives, and also thinks the new one an impostor ( well he is, isn't he? ). But she is sufficiently intrigued to insist he take her to lunch at Mario's restaurant.
So now Mike has two dinner dates arranged simultaneously, one with the lovely Maggie, the other with the equally lovely Suzie. Rather than let either down, Mike chooses instead to dash back and forth between restaurants ( luckily they are within walking distance of each other ), gobbling down mouthfuls of food and wine while engaging in meaningless small talk. To excuse himself, he comes up with outrageous lies like "I need to make an urgent phone-call to Wales!".
The girls eventually work out what he is up to and leave him alone. Returning to Polly's, he strikes up an instant friendship with another stunning beauty...
As 'Upchat', Nedwell is more than adequate an replacement for Alderton. The script takes into account this is not the same man by making him less of a smooth-talker and more a fumbling amateur. The problem is that the ghost of 'Duncan Waring' has not been ( and sadly never would be ) sufficiently exorcised. Nedwell also badly missed a performer of the calibre of Geoffrey Davies to bounce his humour off. Waterhouse shot himself in the foot by reworking his opening episode of 'Billy Liar' ( 1973 ) in putting his hero on multiple dates.
'Maggie' is Susan Jameson, who guested in the 'Line' episode 'Casualty Ward' as 'Susan' the nurse. She appeared in every edition of 'Connection'. Karin MacCarthy, who plays 'Suzie', was married to actor Alun Armstrong at the time and would have been familiar to viewers through her role as Bernard Hepton's sexy secretary 'Carol' in Eric Chappell's delightful 'The Squirrels'.
Funniest moment - the look on Mike's face when Polly presents him with a giant plate of spaghetti bolognese. Not the sort of thing you want to eat after two dinners!