The Grimleys

Long before Jed Mercurio wrote the best cop (bent coppers) show ever, LINE OF DUTY, he created this brilliantly hilarious comedy masterpiece. If you grew up in the 1970s, this will make you cringe with nostalgia.

Although series three wasn't quite as good, the first two seasons, written by Mercurio have to be amongst the funniest retro comedies ever. Anyone who was at school in the 70s or 80s will recognise their own school down to the sadistic bombastic PE teacher - played brilliantly by Brian Conley and the teacher everyone fancies - Amanda Holden...talk about perfect casting! By the way, the episode with Amanda Holden in a basque is series 2, episode 3.

Despite him not appearing in the cast of actors on here the science teacher, Mr Woollard, was played by William Woollard, probably best known to British TV audiences as a presenter of Tomorrow's World.

This series is set in the mid-Seventies and is not the only British sitcom at the moment to derive "humour" from Seventies fashions.Unfortunately this is not as amusing as some in television would think.Certain parts of the dramatic content i.e. the young boys attempts to fit in at school are quite moving but the comedy is uninspired particularly as Brian Conley's sadistic teacher seems to be acting in a different series to everyone else.The pacing is quite slow which is very surprising as much of the series is grotesque caricature and farce.Amanda Holden is a beautiful but dull object for our affections and struggles with a Black Country accent.

Once again the British do it right. A great series with the lead character Gordon Grimley in love with his neighbor and school teacher Geraldine Titley who herself is dating gym teacher Doug Digby. Rock legend Noddy Holder essentially plays himself as music teacher Neville Holder. Most of the first two series involved Gordon trying to win Geraldine from Doug. Then came Series Three which involved a two year time jump. Without giving anything away Gordon doesn't have to worry about rival Doug Digby anymore but a new rival in the from of wood shop teacher Dave Trebilcock takes his place. The first two series were funny and well written. You felt Gordon's pain as he pined for Geraldine who was with Doug for reasons Gordon couldn't fathom. But then came series three and the time jump which to me didn't help and kind of ruined it a bit. None of the characters were as fun as they were before. But all in all a great series.

Watching the first two series of The Grimley's every Sunday night was an absolute pleasure. It featured stories from a time where I grew up and it just brought back some memories for me.

The Grimley's were a strange family. Gordon Grimley was the young schoolboy who was an intellect and had a major crush on the English teacher Geraldine Titley played by Amanda Holden. There was Darren Grimley who was the brother of Gordon and totally the opposite character to his brother. There was the mother Janet Grimley who kept the house in order. And there was Baz Grimley, a lazy scruffy workshy oaf who spent every episode with his bottom firmly embedded in his chair, not moving but doing plenty of slobbering. That was the Grimley family.

The other scenes were set in the school. Comedian Brian Conley played psychotic P.E. teacher Doug "Dynamo" Digby who was dating Geraldine Titley and who took great pleasure in bullying the pupils. There was also the Music Teacher Neville Holder played by ex-Slade singer Noddy Holder who had some great scenes.

The show didn't have one particular theme. It was all about nostalgia for those like us who had grown up in the Black Country. It was funny but nostalgic at the same time. It was just half an hour of fun each week...until the last series.

The last series was very average. Doug Digby was killed off and the show suffered after that. I'm not saying that one particular character was integral to the show's success. But every character is a cog in a big wheel and if one character leaves, the quality of the show suffers. Digby was replaced by a woodwork teacher who didn't have the same rapport with Geraldine Titley. Also, Gordon Grimley had become a teacher (the third series was set a few years after the end of the second one) and we were seeing less of Baz. To be fair though, the last episode was good. Baz finally left his chair which his bottom had been embedded in and there were other great things too.

All in all, it was good whilst it lasted and gave me plenty of pleasure.