Mulberry

Ingenious, sweet-natured, and perhaps even better focused for being a limited-run series -- the actors seem to be having a great time and the scripts are really well-crafted. The local (Seattle) PBS station is running these and they're worth watching the schedule for!

I can only just imagine a writer going into the chief of BBC and explaining they want to make a sitcom, where an agent of the Grim Reaper has the responsibility of taking the acidic Miss Farnaby to the other side, career suicide? Now perhaps, but in 1992 there was a different attitude, plus the BBC knew how to make sitcoms.

It is a joy to watch, the show has a wonderfully delicate, gentle demeanour, even though the subject is perhaps a little grim, but the journey and transformation of Miss Farnaby from spindly spinster to a sweet, amiable, fun loving person is wonderful, the reason why the show works so well.

The actors work incredibly well together. McEwan was always a favourite of mine, such a strong willed actress, I adored her in Marple, as she always had a cheeky glint in the eye, here she showed that comedy truly was her forte. Karl Howman was fabulous, a comedy king in the eighties and early nineties, his soft manner and handsome looks made him perfect for the role, sadly this was pretty much the last quality show he was part of. John Bennett was wonderful, one of the best actors I can think of, Selby was good, as was Mary Healey, who replaced Lill Roughley. I can remember being miffed that Healey was brought in, but I think her style suited the character better. Caroline Blakiston was always great as Adele, and I remember a fabulous performance from Sylvia Syms.

I'm glad there were two series. I loved it. 10/10

Mulberry is a funny, witty Britcom that stars Karl Howman as the mild-mannered but always imposing Mulberry, servant to the cranky, elderly Miss Farnaby (Geraldine McEwan). Bert and Alice, two other servants of Miss Farnaby's, are much needed additions to the cast, as their incredulous reactions to Mulberry's actions make for some of the funniest parts of this series. Howman's character is charming and clever, always scheming, and highly intelligent (what more could you ask from the "son of death"?), and it is truly his acting abilities that pull this Britcom together. Some of the episodes are less funny than others, but the majority are the reason I keep tuning in Saturday after Saturday for rerun after rerun. Of course, the reason Mulberry is there is to eventually "kill" Miss Farnaby, so the series did not last indefinitely. Overall, this is one of the top Britcoms I've seen.

I have recently seen this series on my local PBS and fell in love with it. The premise is deceptively simple but very well thought out. The primary characters, Miss Farnaby (pronounced Farnby) hires a stranger "Mulberry" as her personal servant. Through the course of their time together he encourages Farnaby who has become an shut-in during her declining years, to come alive once more. But there is a hidden plot underneath as Mulberry is actually the son of Death and has been sent by the Dark Angel to take Miss Farnaby on to her ultimate reward or to die. He however grows to love the old woman as a sort of surrogate mother and refuses to "kill her" in his own words. Instead he pleads with his father to give Miss Farnaby three more months of time to begin living.

Miss Farnaby's other two staff members, Alice, the cook and her husband who is the gardener/stable master/grounds keeper are almost as shut-in as their employer. They both resist the re-awakening of the old lady during the course of the series but it is obvious that there is a deep seeded loyalty between the trio that is thinly disguised by proper English manners and traditions. Their interaction with Mulberry often results in some of the series' most humorous moments.

It is a wonderful story that shows that through it all sometimes you can be so close to the end of life and still never have lived at all. He breaths life into Miss Farnaby's existence and brings her back from the brink of destitution. It is a powerful series that often evoked both laughter and tears in each and every episode. If you have any of these episodes especially episode 8 in which the character Mulberry falls over a cliff and supposedly dies, this episode was never aired where I live. I would love to get copies of it since it does not appear to have ever been put into any medium to purchase in the USA or overseas.

If it does come onto PBS or one of your local TV channels it's a very good show and is excellent even for the kids as the show is suitable for general audiences.

This short lived show aired on PBS, I loved it and sad the show ended. It's a fantasy TV series worth seeking out to watch.

Mulberry is a stranger in town. Miss Farnaby hires him to assist her with many tasks as she's up in her years. Mulberry is actually Death's son and was there to take her life but he found himself liking her as a mother and asked his father to keep her alive longer.

10/10.