Chance in a Million

One of the quirkiest and funniest sitcoms of the 1980s, this series captivates me. The very English middle class awkwardness of the relationship between the two central characters, the array of coincidences which dog poor Tom's life, Tom's bizarre way of speaking,the acting, the music - it's absolute perfection. How I wish they made TV like this nowadays! Captivating telly programmes - including the Beiderbecke Trilogy, Edge Of Darkness, Spitting Image and, of course, Chance In A Million - seemed far more prevalent back in the decade of shoulder pads and brick phones. So glad this is now on DVD, I waited for years!

Currently watching this again, on Forces TV, it is brilliant, 'coincidentally', it's hilarious. Simon Callow and Brenda Blethyn are fantastic together, the scripts are totally mad. Pull up a chair and watch this 80's extravaganza of misunderstanding and coincidence.

When considering the junk that does make it to DVD, why, oh why, has this been overlooked for so long? It is superb and certainly not another twee safe little 'middle-england' sitcom where it is compulsory for EVERY actor's line to be funny then followed by canned laughter. I'm sorry but true comedy isn't like that - genuine workable comedy is best with stooges to bounce things off. Come on - there are 18 true gems lying in a vault being ignored. No wonder people pirate things from home-made video copies - I cherish the 6 episodes I taped direct from the TV but would love a DVD boxed set of all 18 in higher definition. Put my name top of your list for a copy and please, please, hurry - 'before one of us dies' to quote a well known comedian - more than 20 years has elapsed now! Brenda Blethyn and Simon Callow went on to star in much bigger productions but the magic blend of their comedic skills married to a surreal script with it's manic obsession for co-incidence is simply genius - I would urge people to seek out surviving tapes - you won't be disappointed.

I never saw this first time round, and don't think I ever remembered that it existed until recently.... I saw the first episode a few weeks back and I only did so to remind myself if I had seen it before..... I hadn't, but I am glad I did....!

I never really enjoyed the typical U. K. sit-com especially at the time of its height in the 70s and 80s...... I found them to be unfunny and ham acted....

But this show was different to the typical sit-coms of the day.... it was very well written, in terms of the clever way those acts of chance that Tom Chance suffered were set up and paid off.... and the two main characters were very well played....

I found of the episodes I have watched so far that although this show has a typical sit-com feel.... but the characters and situations are just very surreal and sometimes very dark......

I enjoyed this in the same way I enjoyed Get Some In, for example, although it might appear to be a typical 80s sit-com it is worth watching to find out for yourself just how different it is from the shows of the time...

I can't think of any one else who could play the main role as well as Simon Callow... either at the time or indeed if there was a remake today..... The lazier programme makers today would likely pick a comedian of some type, whereas this show works better with a good dramatic actor rather than a comedian....

It's a testament to the talent of Callow & Blethyn that this is not unwatchable but in fact still bloody funny and charming.

All the clichés of early 80's sitcoms in abundance - awful lighting, wooden sets, even more wooden acting from the other characters and extras, past-it's-sell-by-date canned laughter.

I only have memories of this as a child when it was originally aired. I can see why C4 haven't showed it again as it's just too dated.

But if you do have a spare few quid get the DVD set and marvel at Blethyn's hilarious, sweet and barely repressed sexual librarian and Callow's bumptious but likable bad luck lightning-rod.

Mention must go to the writers - incredibly convoluted and humorous plots. Maintains the great Brtitish tradition of the farce.