philip-225
Joined Jul 2005
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges4
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews4
philip-225's rating
Not a classic like Blackadder or Only Fools and Horses, but quite good all the same. This was very much a sitcom for the Thatcher era in which it was made. The doctors Latimer were always sniping at each other. Dr Tom Latimer (Nigel Havers) was an NHS General Practitioner, a position which he passionately believed in, whilst father Dr Toby Latimer (Tony Britton) was in private practice as a dermatologist.
As well as the private medicine vs NHS jokes, the series also dealt with relationships: Tom's relationships with his ex-wife Helen and his girlfriend Madeleine whom he later married, and Toby's relationship with estranged wife Angela, as well as the (usually strained) father-son interplay, made for some good story lines. The characters were well drawn, and as one would expect from such a stellar cast, beautifully portrayed. But it didn't make it into the Top 100 in the BBC's "Britain's Best Sitcom", a few years ago.
When the series was originally shown, there was one thing that perplexed me: Eagle-eyed viewers will remember that the opening titles and the closing credits were run within a photo album. As the closing credits came to an end, the album closed to reveal the producer / director's name (Harold Snoad) and the copyright. Due to an oversight by the BBC, the same photo album was used throughout the series' run, so unofficially all episodes are (c) BBC MCMLXXXIII [1983], but later episodes feature tell-tale signs like cars and registration plates that weren't available then. They must have thought that no-one would notice!!
As well as the private medicine vs NHS jokes, the series also dealt with relationships: Tom's relationships with his ex-wife Helen and his girlfriend Madeleine whom he later married, and Toby's relationship with estranged wife Angela, as well as the (usually strained) father-son interplay, made for some good story lines. The characters were well drawn, and as one would expect from such a stellar cast, beautifully portrayed. But it didn't make it into the Top 100 in the BBC's "Britain's Best Sitcom", a few years ago.
When the series was originally shown, there was one thing that perplexed me: Eagle-eyed viewers will remember that the opening titles and the closing credits were run within a photo album. As the closing credits came to an end, the album closed to reveal the producer / director's name (Harold Snoad) and the copyright. Due to an oversight by the BBC, the same photo album was used throughout the series' run, so unofficially all episodes are (c) BBC MCMLXXXIII [1983], but later episodes feature tell-tale signs like cars and registration plates that weren't available then. They must have thought that no-one would notice!!
We were lucky enough to see "Once" at a free screening, at Bristol's Watershed Media Centre. It was actually a bit like going to a premiere, because the stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová were there. It's actually hard to believe that neither of them is an actor - the interplay between them on-screen was a joy to watch. There's also a lot of very natural humour, so a good laugh is guaranteed.
After the film, they answered questions from the audience as well as from the Watershed's Programme Director, Mark Cosgrove. During this, it transpired that the director originally intended to cast a woman of around 35 for the 'female immigrant' part, but wasn't able to find anyone. So it was Glen Hansard who suggested Markéta Irglová, whom he had met a few years earlier.
They then performed some of the songs from the film, using Glen's rather well-used guitar and just a microphone each. Even playing as live and un-produced as you can get (no mixing desk or anything), they sounded as brilliant as they did in the film, Markéta's voice sounding especially haunting when she sang a solo.
All in all, this was a film I would been happy to pay to see.
After the film, they answered questions from the audience as well as from the Watershed's Programme Director, Mark Cosgrove. During this, it transpired that the director originally intended to cast a woman of around 35 for the 'female immigrant' part, but wasn't able to find anyone. So it was Glen Hansard who suggested Markéta Irglová, whom he had met a few years earlier.
They then performed some of the songs from the film, using Glen's rather well-used guitar and just a microphone each. Even playing as live and un-produced as you can get (no mixing desk or anything), they sounded as brilliant as they did in the film, Markéta's voice sounding especially haunting when she sang a solo.
All in all, this was a film I would been happy to pay to see.
