The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

I didn't get where I am today without knowing a good show when I see it!

What average Joe suffering through the daily grind does not have a bit of Reggie Perrin hidden inside, boiling and bubbling just under the surface?

Reginald Perrin is perhaps the most thoughtful character ever seen in a comedy series. He is a deep and complex man.

Supporting characters each have an unforgettable "trademark" (for lack of a better term)... Sometimes direct, sometimes symbolic -- the creator of Reggie Perrin effortlessly distills the essence of real life oddities.

Brilliant and funny. On the whole, this is the only British comedy I put ahead of MONTY PYTHON and FAWLTY TOWERS. Reginald Perrin is worthy of such a supreme compliment. A sitcom Masterpiece. All else is just Grot.

Comedy-City, Arizona! Super! Great!

Reginald Perrin is a middle-aged man in a bland job who has a bland existence, a boss who speaks in slogans, a marriage that has seemed to have lost its spark, and a grown daughter whose husband is unbearable company. He also finds himself constantly daydreaming about his attractive young secretary.

Unlike Al Bundy of "Married With Children", though, Reggy does not plan to suffer in silence. Instead, he plans and executes an escape. He fakes his own death and assumes that his new life will be full of fun and adventure. However, with no references since he essentially has no past after his "resurrection", he finds he can only get a job as an assistant to a pig farmer. Also, he finds himself missing and drawn back to his wife/widow.

The comedy is quite British. If you don't appreciate that kind of humor you won't like this series, but it seems quite relevant even though it was made over 35 years ago. It pokes fun at what and who society finds valuable and why, and the scenes of Reggy talking things over at night with his cat are hilarious.

There is one big difference between Al Bundy and Reginald Perrin though - Reggy Perrin really does love his wife and she loves him. Their tenderness and fondness for one another shines through regardless of what else happens. I haven't seen this show aired in America for about 30 years, and then it was only shown on PBS as far as I know. Recommended for all who have dreamed of something better for themselves, find society to be at times - or always - ridiculous, and love British comedy.

The late, great Leonard Rossiter will always be remembered best in the classic sitcom, Rising Damp, but the BBC's The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin is also not to be missed.

Reggie was quite different to the many other TV comedies of the seventies in the fact that the programme (adapted from the writer's novels) continued the story in a 'serial' fashion which was that of middle-aged, rebel, Reginald Perrin, who suffers a breakdown with hillarious results and resorts to faking his own death. This all happens in the first series but i'm sure that many laughs beyond Reggie's original six misadventures.

From what I gather this was a 1970's British television series. What I saw was a 100 minute film, albeit with a laughtrack, so it may well have been a condensation of several programmes of the series.

No matter. This was FUNNY. I don't mean quiet chortle funny; I mean laugh out loud, uncontrollable giggle, hearty guffaw funny.

Leonard Rossiter of "Rising Damp" fame (a television series that I DID see) is Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, a middle aged marketing executive suffering a severe midlife crisis. He fantasises about having an affair with his secretary, torturing his overbearing boss (John Barron giving a marvellous performance) and escaping from the drudgery which is his life. After drinking too much wine before giving an embarrasing luncheon speech he effects his escape by faking his own death. Away from the constraints of work and family life he finds that his new found freedom is not all it's cracked up to be and he finds himself longing for his wife. Now he has to find a way to come back...

The situations and dialogue are hilarious, while the performances of very British characters are uniformly excellent. Even after repeated viewings the bittersweet ending still gives me goosepimples.

Highly recommended.

David Nobbs' brilliant satire of modern life features the incomparable Leonard Rossiter as middle-aged, middle-class, middle-manager Reggie Perrin, who longs for a life that is just out of reach. Despite his best (and most bizarre) efforts to break free from the insipid conformity that he sees all around him, he never quite succeeds. Perrin is surrounded by one of the finest and funniest ensembles in the history of British comedy - you'll find most of your friends, family and enemies represented here. As Reggie's fatuous boss (a character that anticipated the Dilbert comic strip by about 20 years) would put it, "I didn't get where I am today without appreciating one of the finest British sitcoms ever." Outstanding writing and hilarious acting make this one of the greats.