Prospects

This gritty comedy drama series featured two unemployed likely lads' adventures throughout East London, during the grim days of Thatcher's Britain in the mid eighties. Pincy and Billy, the series main characters, were continually 'duckin' and divin' across an area of London called The Isle of Dogs, as they struggled to survive on their 'social' (Government Benefits) and earn a meagre crust from the odd dodgy employer.

All cash in hand, of course.

The series covered many topics such as the racism that Billy encounters, as the only (just about) black person to regularly appear in each episode. Pincy sometimes comes to his friend's aid when these situations arise, which often causes resentment on Billy's part, as he is fed up of meeting discrimination whenever he tries to improve his lot. The two actors who portrayed the main characters, the late Gary Olsen as Pincy, and Brian Bovell as Billy, seemed to have quite an amiable chemistry together. And it's quite clear that in some scenes that they were having much fun during production of the series. In one hilarious episode that I remember very well, the boys take their new girlfriends on a camping trip. But unfortunately they pack only one small tent by mistake, which collapses during a heavy downpour. They go through many women during the series, as they ironically never seem to have much prospects...or money.

All in all, Prospects was well written, acted, and produced, by Channel 4. Alas, only one series was made.

It is much missed by fans such as myself.

This much under-rated gritty show carried on in the tradition of other greats such as Auf Weidersien Pet and followed the mis-adventures of two young likely lads Billy and Pinch on there quest for love, money and a bit of a life.

Think there were 2 series although not 100% on that, always remember the camping episode, the prison episode(they make alcohol out of potato skins and poison half the inmates) and the robbery episode where they tunnel through to what is supposed to be a flush underground storage area but all they find is butchers meat so they take that instead.

Great show would love to see it on DVD release think it was the same people as made Minder.

A bit late to the minder/only fools and horses party, this is a desperate attempt to get in on the act.

Positives first: it's wonderfully evocative of the mid-80s - not grim and bleak in a "boys from the blackstuff" way, but has a more optimistic visual appeal, from when fashions and hairstyles were starting to improve a little. The script isn't completely bad, it's just not that great, with the occasional good line. There is loads of wonderful location filming, in a much changed London.

The trouble is, it really is a transparent rip-off of minder. Instead of the father/son, dynamic of that great show, we have two likely lads (another touchstone) of about the same age as each other. Their ducking and diving is hackneyed and uninspired - Arthur Daley cornered the market (so to speak) in dodgy products like fire damaged fire extinguishers. These guys are really in his shadow. The acting is poor - I don't wish to speak ill of the late Gary Olsen, and I have seen him do much better in other things, but his take on the geezer here is really lame. His co-conspirator, Bovell, is similarly weak.. There is what is fondly known as a "cast of characters" surrounding them, market traders, racist police, all the stock personae. It's not bad, and at only 12 episodes, worth a watch, but probably won't live up to the memories of a lot of people.

On a sidenote, the theme tune, by Ray Dorset of Mungo Jerry is wistful and evocative, as are the opening titles... A promised mood that is never delivered.

I have it on DVD and have had it for some years, but I believe it is difficult to get hold of now. This is a poor quality reproduction - in the credits, Dorset sounds like he was recorded off another TV into a cassette recorder. There are no subtitles and the dialogue is very muffled. Apart from all that...

I enjoyed the series of Prospects 86 and would love to get a copy of the series ( i have tried E bay @ Amazon @ channel 4 without any success!! When it First came out on Channel 4 you have to remember there was not a lot of choice of television!! and it was a refection of the times we was in! i have tried to get the series so i am desperate to get a copy please!i am willing to pay for this! The late Gary Olson RIP was taken from us to soon!I was never sure why no more series were ever made if some one could let me know i would be grateful to know! it would be interesting to hear Brian Bovell comments on the programme he helped to create!!

I remember this series well, I watched it for the fabulous Hazel O'Connor (Breaking Glass fame) She had a guest part in the series and also wrote and sang 2 songs ('Today could be so good' and 'We tried' Released on red bus records. There were a lot of people i recognised in the series who were then unknown!

I remember being glued to the set at the time as I'm sure many others were!! There was an album to accompany the series too. The theme tune was OK too, I'm sure this was a 12 part series. I would love to see this series released on DVD. It was produced by the same people who did Minder.