Mike and Angelo S3E9 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
The Dummy. Angelo's latest find gives him the idea to take up ventriloquism, while Rita is given a daunting task by her boss. One dark and stormy night later, and it's nightmares all round. What will Mike make of it once he gets back from his school trip? This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 16th January, 1991. It never ceases to amaze me just how many boxes this show manages to tick. Viewers better versed than me in the horror genre will have to tell us exactly what's being parodied (Charlie = Chucky?), but, as Children's ITV goes, this is pure nightmare fodder in places! We should give a big shout out to puppeteer John Thirtle for doing such a great job - he sadly passed away back in the mid-90s, but his legacy lives on in the likes of Button Moon and Spitting Image. His IMDB also lists a couple of early T-Bag episodes. All the talk of prime ministers surely won't fail to bring to mind the fact that Mrs Roper - played by Maggie Ollerenshaw - has a real Theresa May vibe about her. Or is that my imagination? Either way, I hope you spotted the major anachronism: Margaret Thatcher was in power when this series started airing, but had been ousted from number 10 a month and a half before this specific episode went out. How's that for unfortunate? Eleven years, and she just couldn't hold on that extra few weeks. I wonder whether any consideration was given to re-shooting the final scene. It doesn't harm the ending these days, but they must have been kicking themselves back then. Stay tuned at the beginning and end for some Children's ITV continuity featuring Jeanne Downs and Scally, with special guest Andy Crane pretending he's never even heard of the broom cupboard. There's also a very good full ad break at the start which should bring back lots of memories. Many thanks to Lee providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S1E1 (1989) - FULL EPISODE
Mike Meets Angelo. Mike King is a 12-year-old boy caught up in his parents' divorce, which is made all the worse by his mother Rita taking him from America to live in England - away from everything he ever knew. But when they move into their new house with a mysterious wardrobe left in one of the bedrooms... Well, there's a surprise waiting. Who - or what - is he? This is the very very first edition of what, at 123 episodes, would go on to become ITV's second-longest-running sitcom of all time (you read that correctly - CITV's #1, and ITV's #2), originally broadcast on Thursday, 16th March, 1989. The main theme of this starting point is relatively grim for a children's programme, especially considering it's a comedy: it centres on parents not having time for their children, the resulting neglect, and feelings of isolation. Not that Rita is in any way not trying her best - she absolutely is - but I suppose what passes for the modern family (in this case single-parent divorcee) was becoming ever more common in the 80s and therefore ripe for exploration. As for what Angelo is, that was left deliberately ambiguous early on. He was always definitely other-worldly, and eventually it was firmly established that he's an alien (hope that's not too much of a spoiler), but when the original story arc was mapped out, the suggestion was that perhaps he was some sort of guardian angel of children who need him most - hence his name. In fact, the show's title is obviously a play on Michelangelo, who painted The Creation of Adam, which depicts contact between the physical world and something beyond. (And also inspired the finger-touch scene of E.T. - see how it all ties in?) Sharp-eyed viewers will have noticed that this recording actually comes from the repeat shown on Wednesday, 5th September, 1990. With that in mind, unfortunately this version has been fiddled with by the powers that be: most notably, the opening titles are different and the laugh track has been added. These are serious mistakes in my humble opinion, as it causes a massive mismatch in the tone (which was originally extremely moody and filled with pathos). Not to mention the fact that Matt Zimmerman's voiceover removes all ambiguity of who or what Angelo is supposed to be! I suppose they (whoever "they" are - I'm certain it wasn't the writers) were on the third series by the time the alterations were made, and were either thinking about bringing everything into line with what was to come, or they were trying to make the show more "commercial" for selling overseas. It really seemed to lose more than it gained, though. On a personal note, I actually remember watching this episode when it was brand new, and had no idea what to expect. As the show wore on, I settled on the thought that it was just going to be some sort of light-comedy family drama - and was completely wrong-footed when suddenly there was some weird chap prancing around on the ceiling. I distinctly recall not knowing what in the world to make of it! It's difficult to get across just how outlandish such a move was back then. On a secondary personal (and slightly meandering) note, I remember watching this brand new as a child back in the 1980s. I also remember watching brand new episodes of My Parents Are Aliens as an adult in the 2000s (it was one of my little cousin's favourites), and thinking that they'd taken their cue from Mike and Angelo. That, coupled with the fact that they're still showing My Parents Are Aliens, means that in my mind the two shows are a generation or more apart. But, actually, they overlapped by a few months. Funny, that. Some unconnected minor technical observations: I was surprised that the outside bits were shot on film rather than video. Most studio sets for television don't have ceilings, but due to Angelo's shenanigans, these ones did, which probably put an extra couple of noughts on the budget. And the shot at 12:15 with both Mike and Angelo in the same frame, the latter on the ceiling, *and* a moving camera - see if you can figure out how that's done. It's quite a funny solution, really. I should mention that Matt Wright's IMDB lists only the 1988 film High Spirits besides Mike and Angelo, so your guess is as good as mine when it comes to what he's done since. Anyone? Meanwhile, his screen mother Shelley Thompson is back living in Canada and concentrating on writing, I believe. Here is her website: http://www.shelleyat.com/Shelley_personal_DAWG/Welcome.html Tyler Butterworth - son of Carry On star Peter and Thatcher-impersonator Janet Brown - was the original Angelo, and, well, I'll just leave this link here: http://londonsightsapp.com/#app-introduction Anyway, look out for some opening continuity presented by Jeanne Downs and Scally - and apologies for the end being cut off rather abruptly. Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording.
Mike and Angelo S2E6 (1989) - FULL EPISODE
Angelo's Big Break. Rita's watching a TV talent show for the sake of research, but Angelo's so taken by the glitz and glamour of it all that he starts to get big ideas for himself. If he goes on television, though, won't the big secret of his origins be at risk of discovery? This episode was broadcast on Thursday, 19th October, 1989. The first thing you'll notice when watching is that we have here an original recording - that is to say, it's not a repeat with the theme tune changed and laugh track added. Pure Mike and Angelo! The second thing you'll notice is a moonwalking Mike - all part of a nice sequence demonstrating the generation gap between Rita and her son, which culminates in her putting on some records (yes, records) and them all having a bit of a dance. It's not necessary to the plot and doesn't really go anywhere, but I love it when they have time to throw bits like that in. Needless to say, the talent show itself is a broad parody of Opportunity Knocks - or, as it was at the time, "Bob Says.... Opportunity Knocks". The Bob in that case was Bob Monkhouse, but here it's the irrepressible Matt Zimmerman in the role of the television host. I've said it before, but he's always great value, is Matt, and perfectly believable no matter the role. The parodies, references, and in-jokes don't end there, either: the "last week's winners" photos, for instance, feature the staff of Thames Television, including executive producer Charles Warren and stage manager Bobby Webber. The tap-dancing Seraphina Spratt - there's a Dahl-esque name, if ever I heard one! - is deliberately done up like Debbie from T-Bag. (Actress Lucie Carey went on to play Hammy in Grange Hill, incidentally.) And the "Do Not Adjust Your Set" message? Well, there's a story there, too: writer Grant Cathro contributed some jokes to that show as a young teenager, and its director Daphne Shadwell subsequently gave him an even bigger break in the early 80s when she asked him to write some episodes of Take a Chance - a programme which collaborator-to-be Lee Pressman also wrote for. Anyway, Angelo is at his best and his worst in this episode. He's at his most irritating when star-struck by Bob Bright, but then his most endearing with his optimistic attitude even after things haven't gone according to plan. The final punchline is a bit cheesy, but it's all good fun in general, and there are plenty of big laughs throughout - thankfully without the canned laughter. I'm now off to build a guitar out of a lawnmower and rehearse my unicycling trouser-press-operating routine. Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S2E10 (1989) - FULL EPISODE
California Here We Come. Mike's dad comes to visit, complete with plans to take his son on a trip of a lifetime around America. Thing is, Rita's already decided to take the boys on holiday to France, so something's got to give. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 16th November, 1989. This is a great example to cite when talking about the differences between the early Mike and Angelos and the later ones. Although always a sitcom, more room was made for the emotional side of family life back when the show began, broadly speaking. And by "family life", I of course mean the realities of divorce and its aftermath - a theme quite dark for children's television, especially for the time. But the way they chose to represent the relationship between Rita and her ex-husband Tony is very interesting indeed: rather than showing the couple as sworn enemies out for petty revenge at every opportunity, the more realistic approach of portraying them as two otherwise reasonable people who just can't get along despite their best efforts is taken. That said, there *is* a bit of an undercurrent of Mike being used as a pawn by the pair of them, which makes it all the more gritty. Anyway, it's both funny and emotional, has a nice ending, and (being an early one), we're still being treated to Angelo's fundamental misunderstandings about life on 20th-century Earth - in this case, specifically about flying to your destination and how friendship isn't always absolute. Anyway, Mike's dad is played by Jeff Harding, who was something of a stock American on British TV for a while (good work if you can get it). Besides this recurring role as Tony, Jeff is probably most famous for his "Hi, I'm Ed Winchester" character on The Fast Show - though I remember him best as the LA priest who tries to recruit Father Ted in the very last episode of that particular classic. He was also a dad with a bit of mystery behind him in the 90s reboot of The Tomorrow People, which was by the same writers as Mike and Angelo, of course. Listen out for the original theme tune at the beginning (after a brief piece of Children's ITV continuity with Jerry Foulkes and Scally, incidentally), and a completely different song at the end. Being the final episode in the series, there's a good chance the commission for more hadn't yet come through, so everything was rounded off neatly just in case. Of course, ten more series followed! Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E1 (1990) - FULL EPISODE
The New Angelo. Angelo is unwell - very unwell. At first it seems to be just a few of his quirks being more pronounced than usual, but before too long, it becomes clear that it may be far more serious than that. This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 14th November, 1990, and stop reading here if you've no idea how the story is resolved. MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW. To cut a long story short, original Angelo actor Tyler Butterworth had decided to leave the show, but agreed to one last appearance to enable a smooth transition to new Angelo actor Tim Whitnall. And, so, Angelo is essentially on the verge of death when he transforms into his new self. I'm tempted to use the word "regeneration" here, but despite the similarities, I gather that Doctor Who wasn't really the inspiration at all - it seems that E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was in the back of the writers' minds from the very inception of the programme. (That's where the title of the show comes from - E.T. having ripped off Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam's finger touch signifying the meeting of two worlds, which is the fundamental premise of Mike and Angelo.) They just used the death and resurrection as an opportunity to change actors in between, and then carried on without further explanation. It's amazing how bleak a children's sitcom can get: as far as Mike and his mum are concerned, Angelo *is* actually dead, and they react to the tragedy accordingly. The peril is real, and there's only sporadic comic relief. I wonder whether they'd get away with going to such depths of despair nowadays. On a happier note, there's some nice Children's ITV continuity with Jeanne Downs and Scally at the beginning and end, plus I've left in some ads at the start to help boost that retro flavour. The first one in particular is really quite something. Look out also for a promo for Sea Dragon - a CITV show I seem to have no memory of whatsoever. Anyone? Many thanks as always to Lee for providing this recording. (This is a transfer from an old videotape, so please don't expect full HD quality. To the best of my knowledge, this material is not available commercially anywhere in the world, and has been uploaded for its historic interest. That said, if you are a copyright holder and object, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E2 (1990) - FULL EPISODE
Mother's Fiance. Mike's grandmother comes to visit, and she's accompanied by the Honourable Terence Creighton-Smythe. Could this be true love, or is Rita right to be suspicious? Meanwhile, Angelo's new flying skateboard needs only a little more tweaking to make it as safe as promised, but his other invention has precisely the desired effect for once. This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 21st November, 1990, and it's the first to fully feature Tim Whitnall following the transformation of Angelo. This meant changes to the title sequence, and at this point it's worth paraphrasing the excellent Glad You Remember website at length: ***************************************************************** 'The opening credits now show the new Angelo emerging from the wardrobe, rather than the original Angelo. The change also meant that the walking on the wall and ceiling had to be re-shot. The use of a revolving room for this was, to set designer Graham Probst's knowledge, a TV first, preceded in film by revolving room sets in Royal Wedding, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the video for Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. A 12-foot circular frame surrounded the set with the camera bolted on, due to the impossibility of the cameraman following the turn by any other means. As well as the obvious need to secure all props and furnishings, lighting had to be kept soft so that shadows didn't betray the illusion. The set was turned by a combination of Tim Whitnall's body weight and technicians with ropes and pulleys.' - http://gladyouremember.webs.com/mikeangelo.htm ***************************************************************** The change of actor also meant that Nancy - played by Libby Morris and making a return to the show - needed to have it explained to her why this Angelo isn't what she remembered. It's a nice touch, and shows that they were right on top of continuity back then. As for the episode at hand itself, while there are definitely funny moments, this is a good one to use if you want to highlight the contrast between the early era of the show and the later years. There's no doubt that, while comedy was still the main goal, drama and emotion was higher on the agenda at this point than madcap antics, and the rather serious kitchen conversations underline that. It's also interesting to see Angelo acting as a confidante to Rita, and seemingly understanding (to a point). This has been brought up many times before, but I'm still undecided as to which era I favour. I suppose there's no need to choose, so I won't! It was a delightful surprise to see Alan Ford turn up playing very much against type (mostly) as Nancy's fancy man. He also appeared fairly recently in Brian Pern and Toast of London, but other comedy fans will know him better from some famous sketches in The Armando Iannucci Shows. No? Well then *surely* you must have laughed at him playing the not-at-all-a-murderous-gangster character in Knowing Me, Knowing You, and scaring Alan Partridge with veiled threats of violence and possibly death. Thought so. Look out for a large chunk of Children's ITV continuity, featuring Jeanne Downs and Scally interviewing Graham McGrath from Sea Dragon. I'm afraid that one passed me by. There's also a full ad break, which I hope will bring back memories one way or another. Many thanks to Lee providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E4 (1990) - FULL EPISODE
The Time Machine. Angelo's reading a history book, and neighbour Mr Pinner mentions his famous ancestor Sir Cedric de Pinner, hero of the Battle of Lewes back in 1264. One quick patent-pending invention later and we get to meet him - but how will a different century with its telephones, TVs, and fizzy drinks suit him? This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 5th December, 1990. Once again, Nancy is more to the forefront than expected in this one, with Rita relegated to a phone call from the office - with associated rare shot of somewhere away from the house - and Mike not making an appearance until the final third. Angelo's time machine would later reappear on a number of occasions down the years, and the overall shape of this particular story brings to mind the series nine instalment revolving around Cleopatra (complete with unexpected love interest), and the Mozart episode from series seven. All have got their own unique angle, though, and each is enjoyable in its own right - is it too late to call for a spin-off based on this formula? John Levitt is excellent in the dual roles of both Cyril and Cedric, and it takes a special actor to deliver so many different types of uncouthness in such a short period. I love the look on his face upon his return at the end. The split-screen special effects are mostly very nearly seamless, but are let down by that one where the flashing lights are out of sync. Never mind. Interesting shot of the battle, too. By the way, I'm pretty sure we still hadn't actually seen the apparently hospitalised Mrs Pinner yet at this stage, and wouldn't do for another couple of years. *There's* a relationship that raises more questions than it provides answers. Normally I'd trim such a microscopic piece of Children's ITV continuity/promo off the end, but I love Knightmare so much that I left that tiny snippet in. Many thanks to Lee providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E7 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
Brett Shrinks. Rita needs to get a wardrobe up the stairs, and Angelo has just the invention to help: a device that can alter the size of whatever it's pointed at. Clever stuff, and not at all dangerous - unless some unsuspecting guest accidentally turns it on himself. This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 2nd January, 1991. The commonly held wisdom regarding Mike and Angelo is that the early years were more of a drama series with funny moments, while later on it turned into a madcap sitcom. Well, on this channel, we've already come across later editions with highly emotional stories, and now we have our earliest example yet of a farce. (Chances are there may be even earlier ones, but time will tell.) Or maybe "farce" is too strong, but there's definitely that fundamental plot point of desperately trying to keep one particular character from discovering what's gone wrong while trying to put it right - and it's done very well. I like how the situation keeps developing, with the cat, Philippa, the vacuum cleaner, and all the other innocent actions such as throwing away an empty milk carton. It's mostly very natural, rather than forced, is what I'm trying to say. Before I forget, you can see behind-the-scenes footage of this very episode being made in this ITV Schools documentary: https://youtu.be/KKBhiUHezOY?t=62 I don't know for certain what the inspiration was, but it's worth considering that it was made within a year of the UK release of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. (Grammaticists: shouldn't it be "Honey, I Shrank the Kids" or "Honey, I've Shrunk the Kids"?) Some of the blue screen shots are very impressive for their time, though others - particularly the 'punchline' at the end - are rather more what you'd expect from the era. That said, I like that Angelo's invention looks more clunky and home-made and less polished than many of his later efforts. Other things to look out for are Angelo's deafening shout and general noisiness, what I think may be a nod to Lady and the Tramp, the Oliver Hardy catchphrase, "Why don't you do something to help me?", and mentions of Italian footballers Schillaci and Baggio in a joke exactly mirrored on Father Ted a few short years later. Have we mentioned Alessia Gwyther as Philippa before, by the way? She was a regular in the early series, and this must be one of her last appearances on the show. She'd previously been in A Little Princess, and went on to do an episode each of The Return of the Psammead, Calling the Shots, and Poirot - no idea what she's up to now, but I hope she's doing well for herself. Many thanks to Lee providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E8 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
The Form Master. Mike's in trouble at school, but perhaps he can get Angelo to take the phone call from his teacher and pretend to be Rita. There's no way his mother could possibly find out, after all. This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 9th January, 1991. Anyone who's been keeping up with the Polterguests uploads on this channel may spot a couple of familiar elements in this one. Firstly, Mr Doyle is played by Michael Bertenshaw, who showed up as T-Bag's wife in Hee Haw Hotel. (He was also in a couple of episodes of Spatz, by the way.) More obviously, though, the central plot was recycled to a degree in Face the Music and Dance, although I have to say that they toned it down a fair bit in the intervening eight years. I don't wish to make light of anything, but Angelo gets dangerously close to earning himself a MeToo hashtag at one point! At least, that's how it looks through today's eyes - I strongly suspect that the inspiration for *that* scene was actually a Looney Tunes cartoon or two, rather than anything more sinister. (I'm talking about when Bugs Bunny dresses up as a woman rather than Pepe Le Pew.) And what about Rita's tactics to combat it all?! I certainly wasn't expecting that. Shall we just say it's of its time and leap out of this minefield, post-haste? On the plus side, I really liked the slower ceiling moments, as Mike pours out his problems and Angelo plays the role of guardian angel. It's good to take a breath every now and then and escape the madness. There's a nice chemistry between the two actors, considering this is the only full series they did together. Stay tuned at the beginning and end for some Children's ITV continuity featuring Jeanne Downs and Scally, with special guest Michaela Strachan. There's also a full ad break at the start. Compare and contrast that Acorn computer with Rita's word processor in the episode. Many thanks to Lee providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E10 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
Mother's Birthday. (Or, possibly, The Goat. Take your pick.) Mike's gran is approaching her 60th, and it's making her feel like an "ancient old biddy". Rita and the others decide to arrange a nice little surprise to cheer her up, but all the secrecy only leads to paranoia - they're not planning to throw her on the scrapheap, are they? Meanwhile, Angelo has a new four-legged friend named Glenda. This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 23rd January, 1991. This is another one with very little Mike and a lot of emphasis on the (much) older generation, but amongst all the comedy, there's definite heart in there. In fact, how many other kids' sitcoms deal with issues related to ageing and the fear of being "put out to grass"? Of course, the concept of one character getting the wrong end of the stick and therefore driving the whole plot isn't new, but this episode features a couple of the funniest mishearings of that sort that I've ever come across. The writers take advantage of the fact that, when Angelo's involved, they can contrive pretty much any scenario imaginable, but my goodness do they deliver with all those old goat jokes. ("...Because she smells, and makes a mess all over the floor..." being my personal favourite.) I loved them, anyway, along with Angelo's Pancake Pitcher and Lemon Liquidiser inventions. All that, and we haven't even mentioned Bill Maynard yet! Bill - who sadly died last year, I'm sorry to say - is great fun in this, and it's always nice when an outside actor comes in as a guest and just clearly gets it, if you know what I mean. The look of puzzlement on his face as it slowly dawns on him he's in a house of loonies is brilliant, but (spoiler alert) his unexpected return after the apparent resolution gives a wonderfully happy ending to an otherwise emotional episode. I know the overarching theme of it all is that you're only as old as you feel - and, to that end, it's a sad day when it dawns on someone who's younger than Mike that he's now older than Rita - but what's the average age of people who appear in this third series? You'd be going some to find another kids' sitcom with a higher figure, I reckon. There's no Children's ITV continuity in this particular recording, but believe it or not I stumbled across it here: https://youtu.be/tixIjsSkGjQ?t=262. Many thanks to Lee providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E11 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
Mother Finds Out. Rita and Mike are off camping, leaving Angelo home alone with Rita's mother, Nancy. How will she react when she catches him walking around on the ceiling? More to the point, can they prevent the secret from going any further, particularly in the direction of committed nosey parker Mr Pinner? This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 30th January, 1991 Quite a few unusual things about this one. Firstly, Mike's largely absent. Who says you can't have a kids' sitcom with no kids in it, though? It feels a bit like a Pinner and Mother spin-off at times, but still works just fine for Children's ITV. The second unusual thing is how careless Angelo is in getting caught out, not to mention his subsequent candour in coming clean. And, thirdly, did we know that Angelo can communicate with plants? That he sleeps floating in mid-air? Or that he has that *other* power that is revealed towards the end? I'm surprised we didn't see more of these in other plots down the years. All the tricks in the book are exploited to deliver the special effects used in this one, including the Lionel Ritchie rotating room. Some of the chromakey shots are very clever, but haven't aged well in these days of CGI - though not quite as badly as that burst of background music that sounds like Sinitta's version of Right Back Where We Started From. That and Ghostbusters - the sequel film having been released in the UK the previous year - in the same episode! What an age we lived in. (And I don't mean that quite as sarcastically as it reads, either.) Mr Pinner's at his annoying best, and manages to tread the fine line between Looney Tunes and Fawlty Towers in his efforts to obtain evidence of Angelo's alien status, what with his bugging, photographing, ladder-climbing, videoing, breaking and entering... It's just dawned on me that he's very much the ARP warden of this series. Another nice touch I liked is that, of course, it's raining where Mike and Rita are camping. For our younger viewers, that's a phone box they're standing in. And as for what Nancy means when she says she'll go see if the milk has "arrived", well, ask your parents. The Children's ITV continuity for this episode can be viewed at https://youtu.be/tixIjsSkGjQ?t=315. Many thanks to Lee providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S3E13 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
Invisible Paint. Angelo's keen to do a spot of decorating in the attic, and wouldn't it be terrible if someone got a bucket of paint tipped all over them? Yes, it would, but not as bad as if said bucket of paint didn't just get them all messy, but caused them to disappear from sight altogether! This series three finale was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 13th February, 1991. I've mentioned a number of times the generally received wisdom that early episodes of Mike and Angelo were more about the personal relationships between the main characters, while later shows often revolved around faster madcap action. I've also pointed out later episodes which absolutely *do* have the heart and emotion of the early years, and here I think we have an exception the other way around. That is to say, the crazy plot of this one wouldn't have felt out of place later on, but it's all written very much in the earlier style. (Am I making sense?) As such, I can't help thinking it's a slightly odd choice for the last in the series, but perhaps necessity came into that. To quote https://gladyouremember.webs.com/mikeangelo.htm: ********************************************** "According to Grant Cathro, Mike's invisibility in this episode was to allow for a planned trip abroad by Matt Wright. When this trip didn't happen, Matt was able to deliver his lines from off camera as the scenes were filmed." ********************************************** Either way, it's a very enjoyable episode, even if we're seeing less and less of Mike (take that as literally as you want) as the series wears on. We do see a more caring side to Nancy that isn't always evident, though, even if her methods are just as fussy as ever. I'm still fascinated by the subject matters of her arguments with Rita, which, for a kids' programme, are often quite grown up. But, of course, the stand-out element of this one for me has to be the special effects. If you look closely enough, you'll see evidence of practical effects, such as strings being used to manoeuvre objects. As for the video effects... Some are better than others (the vanishing toilet being an excellent example), but I really can't imagine the headache this must have all been in the analogue days! There'd have been a lot of standing around in front of blue screens and stuff, while others in the same scene were on the set itself. There may be a nod or two in there to a certain David McCallum series, but I have a feeling that the bigger influence was any number of Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes shorts. All in all, good fun, and although Matt Wright would return basically to bid farewell in the opener of the next series, this marks his last regular episode, and I think the ending of going away on holiday was the 'just in case' happy ending they always had in their back pockets. Look out at the beginning and end for some brief Children's ITV continuity clips featuring Jeanne Downs, guest Michaela Strachan, and Scally telling them both about overpopulation or industrialisation or something. Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S4E1 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
Mike's Farewell. Despite the fact that they're always arguing, Angelo senses the chance to get Rita and Tony back together again when Mike's father flies in for a visit. What follows is a rollercoaster of emotions and a string of hellos and goodbyes, with feelings hurt and no-one quite knowing how we ended up where we did considering where we all started from. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 17th October, 1991, and just in case you don't know what happens and haven't put two and two together, MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW BELOW. This is the last episode in which Rita's son Mike King - the original Mike - appears, to be replaced by Ellie for the rest of series four (and subsequently three other Mikes). It's nice that Matt Wright agreed to round off his storyline neatly, and I sense that his departure was deliberately left open enough for future guest appearances - but such a thing unfortunately never happened. So even though it's the end of an era, at least he sort of got a personal 'Happily ever after'. So that's the destination, but on the journey there are issues explored that normally don't come anywhere near children's television, and I'm not just talking about the oyster references and similar mild innuendos. The fact is that, until everything's resolved, we simply don't know what anyone really wants or what they're really feeling. The will-they/won't-they *seems* to be the theme of the show, and everything *seems* to point to the outcome that they will - and there's an unbelievable moment as they're discussing Mike's school work that Rita's mask appears to slip and show she actually would very much welcome a reconciliation. But a moment after thinking there's a chance that the three could be a family again, the realisation hits that not only is she not regaining a husband, but he's also keen on taking away her son. Turns out the will-they/won't-they wasn't the main theme at all. Heavy stuff, and I doubt anyone saw that coming back in 1991. Which isn't to say there isn't any comedy on offer. Angelo's attempts to get Mike off the scene for a bit and the confusion over the 'OK grades' definitely made me laugh, but it's a credit to the writers that they managed to get the balance between humour and pathos just about perfect. The speeches about the inevitability of change and the 'airports are no place to say goodbye' bit really tug on the heartstrings. Of course, Ellie is played by Jade Magri, who I'm pretty sure I've spoken about before, but as this is her first appearance, I should mention her guest roles in Spatz, Harry Enfield's Television Programme, 2point4 Children, French and Saunders, Playdays, and a more substantial part in Runaway Bay. I'm still waiting to find out whatever became of her - I hope she's doing well. Meanwhile, this is the last we see of Mike's dad Tony, played by Jeff Harding of Fast Show fame. Not content with stealing Mike away from us and dragging him across the Atlantic, a few short years later Jeff tried to pull exactly the same stunt with Father Ted, coincidentally resulting in Dougal having a misunderstanding very similar to Angelo's about going too. Look out for some Children's ITV continuity presented by Tommy Boyd at the beginning and end, plus a full ad break for that extra retro flavour. So outside of the actual episode, we're also treated to a joke about Freud and dreams, unexpected Ian Rush, a quick glimpse of Chris Packham looking like *that*, and plenty more besides. Who says you don't get value round these parts? (I also wonder whether what Tommy said about the kiss was true, and that this one was a record-breaker...) Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S4E3 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
The Hovel. Rita has a bit of a cash flow problem, and somehow finds herself persuaded that there's nothing to lose from asking her boss for a raise. Mrs Roper isn't immediately convinced, so Angelo and Ellie team up to help tip the balance in their favour. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 31st October, 1991. Just in case you're wondering: yes, Ellie. Series four of the show is the one in which Matt Wright was seen to leave early on, lumbering us all without a Mike for the time being. Instead of re-casting the part, other sidekicks for Angelo were found for this series, predominantly young actress Jade Magri. (The following year saw Michael Benz join, of course, and never again were we Mike-less.) I love just how thickly they lay it all on when putting their plan into action, not content with looking a little short of the necessities, but going full-on Victorian urchin instead. The biscuit bit particularly made me laugh. Top marks to the set dressers and costume department, too. From a technical standpoint, the shot of the airship in the window reflection is handled very elegantly indeed - but then unfortunately the effect is lost straight away by the next shot showing it directly in all its 'glory'. All adds to the charm, though. Maggie Ollerenshaw puts in a excellent guest turn in this episode, proving her versatility beyond all doubt when you compare this hard-nosed businesswoman to her character Mavis in Open All Hours. This seems to have been her Theresa May years (unless it's just me who sees the passing resemblance). Maggie's done loads of TV down the years, including recurring parts in Lovejoy, Coronation Street, First of the Summer Wine, The House of Eliott, and a whole heap of other stuff. More interesting round these parts, though, would be her one-off Grange Hill role, playing Wilma Wishbone in T-Bag, and being the voice of Henrietta in Thomas and Friends. And if that isn't versatility, I don't know what is. Look out for some complete Children's ITV continuity presented by Tommy Boyd at both the beginning and end, plus a few adverts which I just had to leave in - including the chance to win a Sega Master System, Hale and Pace demanding we adhere to the firework code, a dreadful Fruit Gums joke, plus one that just doesn't fit at all. Feel the retro goodness! Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S4E5 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
Mother's Comeback. Ellie's getting ready for her dance class, which stirs memories in Rita's mother of years gone by. Before you know it, Nancy's been bitten by the showbiz bug and is dreaming of landing a leading West End role - and Angelo is absolutely no help in taming her delusions. She couldn't actually pull it off, could she? This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 14th November, 1991. Five instalments into the series, and it's interesting to see what they were doing with no Mike on board. It was an odd situation for the writers to find themselves in, but they took the chance to explore other characters and their development, while still having Angelo do crazy other-worldly stuff to keep the general flavour of the show the same. In fact, on that note, this is the one in which Ellie finally finds out the "He came from another dimension..." wardrobe truth, and is invited onto the ceiling for the first time. I like the way it's handled, with the child clearly knowing something's up, but the adult desperately trying to ignore all the uncomfortable questions. In fact, there's a bit of a "Where do babies come from?" air about the conversation with Rita, whether that was intended or not. But anyway, Angelo's enthusiasm crossing over into blatantly going too far is very funny indeed, and there are loads of brilliant lines - the 'new pyjamas' one being my favourite. On a really microscopic point, I love how Rita asks, "What are all those men doing out in my garden drinking tea?", rather than the more obvious, "Why are all those men digging up my garden?" It details like that that add so much without anyone really noticing. Meanwhile, things like the reading of the adverts, the smashing glass, the general unbearableness of 'celeb' Nancy, and the final reveal make for an excellent episode, and that's without even mentioning the rendition of Cole Porter's It's De-Lovely. That ties in nicely with the Ethel Merman talk from earlier, in case you were wondering. Look out for a little bit of Children's ITV continuity at the beginning, presented by Tommy Boyd, and featuring a rare special effect. Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S4E6 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
The Blob. It's Mr and Mrs Pinner's 30th wedding anniversary, and all the neighbours are invited to their celebration. Unfortunately, Angelo doesn't have a partner to go with - until he plucks up the courage to ask his good friend Marjorie. The fact that no-one has ever met this Marjorie before doesn't initially strike him as issue, but soon enough a big decision has to made on whether they can go to the party at all. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 21st November, 1991. This one's a nice combination of the funny and the emotional, plus a little surrealism, and the occasional bit of don't-open-the-door farce that we've come to love and expect from the show. There are lots of funny lines - my personal favourites being "I'm no Danny DeVito", "Three of them are blue", and "You're a poet and you didn't realise it" - and I like the concept of the intergalactic transmitter being used like a CB radio. It suits Angelo's character perfectly, and his panic about his first date is endearing. Mr Pinner's really obnoxious invitation also got a few laughs from me, as did Rita's desperate attempts to smooth things over. For all the comedy, though, there's a very sad side to this episode, and a good lesson about prejudice based on looks. To that end, Ellie's reaction to meeting Marjorie seems a little off to me, perhaps because the excellent costume and effects departments went with 'funny-scary' rather than *really* going to town and smearing her with slime or giving her pulsating somethings or others to make her *extra* hideous. (Marjorie, that is, not Ellie.) As it is, it strikes me as a touch strange that everyone focuses on their revulsion rather than the more straightforward "Aaaargh, it's an alien!", but I'm getting over-critical again. I suppose they couldn't risk scaring younger kids who may have been watching, anyway. The guest star here in the role of Marjorie is Linda Coggin. She's since gone on to become a successful children's author, releasing amongst other things the book The Boy with the Tiger's Heart and the poetry collection Dog Days. I gather Linda was presenting The Home Show for Thames around this time, having previously appeared in Ken Russell's Gothic, and I've managed to write all of this without saying "Camille" once. Look out for some Children's ITV continuity featuring Tommy Boyd, plus a Nintendo ad right at the beginning that I just had to leave in. Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S4E7 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
The Dinner Party. Mr Hope next door has an important business deal he's trying to clinch, and he asks Rita if she'll help out by providing a meal for him and his prospective client. There's only one rule: Angelo is banned. Meanwhile, an attempt is made at canine hypnotism. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 28th November, 1991. One of these days I'm going to get round to counting just how many next-door neighbours the good folks of 7 Larkswood Lane managed to get through down the years, but in series four we got to meet Richard Hope and his daughter Lucy. Richard is played by Christopher Bramwell, formerly a Play School presenter and, a year after this, Penny's dad in T-Bag and the Sunstones of Montezuma. It seems he left the screen behind in the 90s. As for Lucy, that role is taken by Kate Ryan, and as far as IMDB is concerned, Mike and Angelo is her only acting credit. Anyway, this episode is unusual in that it's a rare case of Angelo being the relatively stable influence trying to save the day while insanity reigns all around. Without giving too much away, the accidental hypnotism and 'when I click my fingers' repeating joke is right out of the Looney Tunes book of comedy (and that's no bad thing), while young viewers just love to see adults acting like kids. Speaking of which, Lucy is practically incidental to the story here, making this a children's sitcom that would 100% have worked with no children in it at all. You don't get many of those. The one-off guest star, by the way, is Doyne Bird in the part of Mr Spackman. I also wonder if that's the dog from Woof. Probably not. Look out for some ads at the beginning, some CITV continuity on either side presented by Tommy Boyd, and a nice promo for Knightmare - another of my favourites from way back. (Also, the recording cuts off at the end with almost perfect comedic timing.) Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S4E8 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
Sunflowers. Trying to teach Angelo a little about art and culture, Rita and Ellie have have taken him on a visit to The National Gallery in London. Rita in particular was very impressed by a certain Vincent Van Gogh masterpiece, so imagine everyone's surprise when the following day's newspapers carry reports of the same painting as having been stolen. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 5th December, 1991. Many Mike and Angelos start with a small problem that slowly grows with time. I absolutely love the fact that, without giving too much away, this is instantly a full-blown mega-crisis - but then still gradually gets worse anyway. Mr Pinner sticking in his perpetually unwanted oar turns it up a notch, the unexpected arrival of Mrs Roper (Rita's boss, played by either Maggie Ollerenshaw or Theresa May) takes it even further, while Angelo's sheer obliviousness throughout is positively maddening. And it all comes to a head - literally - as the drill and saw come through the basement door at the end, much to everyone's horror, including that of the viewer. It's a brilliantly excruciating moment, as the *slooooow" destruction of the priceless artwork takes place before our eyes, and all you can do is laugh. It really caps off a near enough perfectly balanced episode in terms of tone, comedy, farce, and just plain family life. I really can't praise this one highly enough, and as usual there are lots of great gags. The "I don't know my art from my elbow" line naturally stands out, but for one reason or another the "You're detached"/"Divorced, actually" exchange got the biggest chuckle out of me. Of course, the Andy and Fergie tea towel has dated worse than the rest of the show, but it somehow seems fitting to be uploading this the week their younger daughter announced her engagement. (That wasn't planned, by the way. [The coincidental uploading, I mean, not the engagement.]) One device used sparingly by the writers that always makes me giggle is the casual serious crime committed by the heroes to get themselves out of trouble. Usually, it's something like entrapment and blackmail, but here it's kidnapping and false imprisonment. Oh, and stick around for a punchline which, I suppose, they were duty-bound to use at some point, and I think they picked precisely the right moment to do so. Look out for a little bit of Children's ITV continuity at the end, presented by Tommy Boyd. Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S4E10 (1991) - FULL EPISODE
A House Divided. Rita's mother has come to stay, and soon there's talk of this becoming a permanent arrangement. They agree - for the last time in quite a while. After one blazing row too many, can Angelo cook up an ingenious plan to put an end to all the bickering? This episode was first broadcast on Thursday, 19th December, 1991. The inspiration for this one was a 1972 episode of Steptoe and Son called Divided We Stand - though actually Galton and Simpson themselves may have been inspired by a similar idea done on I Love Lucy back in the 60s. The concept of splitting an entire house in half and the problem of who gets what is a funny one, and I especially like the clever logistics of it here. By that I mean that it's believable that Angelo has cobbled together that barrier with all its crazy automatic bits, rather than just a barbed wire fence or a line drawn on the floor. It's a proper alien's solution that's been thought through to a point, but no further. Other things I like include Ellie being the voice of reason (even though she takes a back seat for most of the episode), the new hairstyle skit at the beginning, and that old-fashioned music score that evokes the late silent and early talkie era of the film industry (and Laurel and Hardy specifically at one point). It's also easy to forget just how futuristic that CCTV rig would have looked back in 1991. Libby Morris appeared in Mike and Angelo as Rita's mother sporadically throughout the first four series, but this marks her last appearance in the role. (The same goes for Jade Magri as Ellie, by the way.) She's excellent in this as she throws some real cheap shots at her daughter, refusing to back down when the opportunity presents itself. Libby also notched up a guest part in Spatz, but back in the 50s she had her very own radio show before moving into TV and film. Stick around at the beginning and end for a lot more Children's ITV continuity and ads than usual. Glenn Kinsey is the presenter, there are promos for Grotbags and The Tomorrow People, two breaks, and an extra intro into a very unsettling episode of Children's Ward which dealt with themes of abuse. Oh, and what's going on with that Lucy Lou doll?! Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E1 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
New Kid on the Block. Rita's high-powered international jet-setting businesswoman of a sister comes to visit, and she brings her young son with her for the trip. You may like to think of this as the start of Mike and Angelo: The Next Generation, as this is when we're introduced to Michael Benz in the role of Mike Mason, ultimately the most prolific of all the Mikes. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 7th January, 1993, and is the first to appear under the Tetra banner (Thames having gone belly-up a week earlier). In its own right, I'd describe this one as a bit of a slow burner, as there's a lot of storyline to get through in order to lay the groundwork for the whole series to come. But by the end, though, it's absolutely classic Mike and Angelo, with all the silliness and comedy mixed in with the emotion and pathos that goes with the theme of a child being ignored by his parents. In that sense, although we're settled on the idea of Angelo being an alien, we're sort of returned to the original intended ambiguous concept of whether perhaps he's something of a guardian angel for kids who really need him. ("Angel-o" - geddit?) The pair are treated to a hilarious first impression of each other, in more ways than one, and you just knew they were going to hit it off perfectly. So, Michael Benz. I can't believe how young he looked when he started, and how quickly he grew! Maybe it's just my imagination, but there's a touch of the Macaulay Culkins about him, isn't there? I gather he used that as his starting point, and it proved very successful for him. Where is Michael now? Well: http://www.georgetown.edu/news/michael-benz-hamlet-shakespeare.html His fictional mother in this, meanwhile, is played by Jocelyn Cunningham, who I think was made Director of Arts at Lancaster University earlier this month: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/articles/2016/new-director-of-lancaster-arts-appointed/ Just for clarity, the original Mike was Mike King - Rita's son - played by Matt Wright. He was in the show for three full series, and his departure came in the first episode of the fourth. The rest of that series had no Mike at all, but from the fifth until the end of the tenth, Mike Mason - Rita's nephew, played by Michael Benz - was Angelo's regular partner in crime. There were more Mikes to follow, but I've typed "Mike" so much that it's beginning to look wrong on the page, so let's leave that there for now. Look out for the Children's ITV continuity at the beginning and end featuring - and many thanks to David for the amazingly good knowledge - a certain John Eccleston. John was a presenter on Disney Club (and I really should have recognised him from that) and Run the Risk, but is probably more renowned as a puppeteer. He's plied his trade on the likes of Get Fresh, What's Up Doc?, Live and Kicking, Ministry of Mayhem, and a whole host of more recent stuff including Horrible Histories. Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (This is a transfer from an old videotape, so please don't expect full HD quality. To the best of my knowledge, this material is not available commercially anywhere in the world, and has been uploaded for its historic interest. That said, if you are a copyright holder and object, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E2 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Robot Rita. Starting a new job is always stressful, especially when you're running late, and then your new boss brings forward that all-important first presentation you have to give. And then you find your car on a roof and yourself in hospital. Thankfully, Angelo may be able to put his latest project to good use to cover for Rita's absence. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 14th January, 1993. If the previous instalment was basically one giant setup for the new Mike to be introduced, this one is where the series gets back on track to where it wants to be: Rita's doing her best to make ends meet, Angelo is doing daft things, and his young friend does his best to dig him out of any difficulties they find themselves in. Building a robot is a very Angelo sort of thing to do, and the way it becomes useful to the plot is all woven together very nicely. I don't know whether the piano-playing arm owes anything to the Addams Family or anything like that, but it's a good joke that stops the concept from ever crossing the line into being disturbing. The super strength is a nice touch, and top marks to Shelley Thompson in what I suppose is technically a dual-role. Brilliant episode, and let's not deconstruct the special effects shots we end on too deeply. We really do take CGI for granted these days. We've previously mentioned John Savident - playing the part of Howard Fogle, Rita's boss - but this is actually the first of his appearances on the show, and as he would always prove, he's excellent value. The other guest is John Grillo, who returned to Mike and Angelo as a Victorian character in series 10, and was also in Spatz and B&B (all from the same writers), plus the likes of Chocky, Watt on Earth, and Blackadder, amongst far too many more to mention. He's good in this, and provides many hair-curling laughs. (Take that how you want.) Look out at the beginning for a brief snippet of CITV continuity presented by Glenn Kinsey. Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E3 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
The Phantom Zone. Rita's at her wits' end and, after one suspicious breakage too many, she finally tells Angelo exactly what she thinks of him and where he should go. Has she really lost Mike's best friend forever in the heat of the moment? Or is there some way back from in between the fourth and fifth dimensions? This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 21st January, 1993. To say that this one is highly emotional is an understatement of mammoth proportions. Although it's bookended by comedic moments, the main body is all about relationships and how people *really* feel about each other, and it's played to perfection. That includes the main three regulars, plus Mike's mum/Rita's sister Patti (played by Jocelyn Cunningham). There have probably been deaths in TV shows that haven't hit as strongly as this. Funniest bits? Well, there's the literal confusion over the instruction not to show one's face, and the obvious self-reference to being trapped between BBC Two and Channel 4. Most upsetting? Well, I really felt for everyone at some point, but especially Angelo when he's being properly laid into over the award. That's something we can all relate to. Anyway, look out at the beginning for a nice promo for Zzzap!, plus some continuity on either side presented by Glenn Kinsey - a matter of weeks, I believe, before in-vision presentation was scrapped all together. Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E4 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Tunnel of Love. Mr Pinner's broken gnome is the least of his problems: his niece has come to stay, and he just can't cope with the sulky untidy moodiness. Rita invites her round for a girly chat, and there's absolutely no way that Mike would ever be interested in getting involved in that on any sort of level at all. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 28th January, 1993. Regular viewers of this channel will recognise Alexandra Milman in the part of Melanie - she was one of the stars of the B&B movie (from the same writers) the year before, and this marks the first of her recurring appearances on this show. It strikes me as a little soon into the new Mike's tenure to be giving him a whirlwind romance to fall into feet-first, but on the other hand it provides plenty of opportunity for Angelo to act as the friend, confidante, and guardian angel type of character he was always meant to be. The ceiling scenes take the show right back to its roots, while the running cupboard joke gave me a good laugh, as did the "I could murder a sandwich" silliness. Nice blend of comedy and emotion. There's probably a serious point to be made about Mr Pinner's ridiculous over-reaction to the blossoming relationship, but instead I'll just say that I like how it's portrayed in comparison to Rita's acceptance of it. (That said, I have to confess maybe I'd have asked a couple of extra questions if I'd found myself as the parent in that situation.) But the whole funfair thing keeps everything in the realms of the world as children see it, and all in all it's really quite a heart-warming episode. If anything, it could probably have done with an extra five minutes just to let the sentimental parts sink in a bit more. [EDIT: And as pointed out in the comments below, the spooky bits starting around 21:37 were reused three years later at https://youtu.be/Bi8B9-fqXR0?t=678 in the episode Night of the Zombie. Tremendously well spotted, Ludicrous Wolf!] Look out at the beginning and end for some generous chunks of CITV continuity presented by Glenn Kinsey, plus a full ad break to get you in the retro mood. Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E5 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Mountains out of Molehills. It's the day before Mike turns 11, and an ugly great spot has appeared on his nose. Will Angelo's carefully-brewed remedy pull out the infection as intended, or will the birthday party have to be cancelled to spare the inevitable humiliation? This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 4th February, 1993. I don't think it qualifies as a spoiler to say that of course everything goes wrong. Happily for us, it goes wrong in a funny way, and suddenly the objective is to get through the big day without anyone else noticing. Not quite the level of farce that would come in later series, but rather a bit of a sense of actual peril as there's no knowing when it will wear off - if it will at all. Making your girlfriend cry isn't a recommended move, either, but there are still plenty of laughs, with "Eau de Rita" taking the top prize. I also really liked the letter-opener joke, and of course the constant stream of nose gags, cheap shots and hastily-corrected slips-of-the-tongue. Now's as good a time as any to give a shout-out to the backroom people, such as the make-up artists, who helped make Mike and Angelo what it was down the years. That nose really is surprisingly convincing, you can't see the join, and it even stands up to a bit of waggling. Then there's the props department - just look at the cake-making machine at the beginning, or the lab scene with all the science equipment. I can't figure out whether working on the show would have been seen as liberating fun for them, or a never-ending nightmare of ridiculous requests. Either way, they all did a great job, and I'm told that some of the young extras in the party scene are children of those employed by Tetra. Look out for some CITV continuity presented by Glenn Kinsey, a full ad break, and every immature viewer's favourite production company ident right at the start. Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E6 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Putting Up with Pinner. The neighbour from hell turns into the lodger from hell after a blazing row with his wife sees next door's Cyril thrown out of his own home. Will he swallow his pride and apologise, or are Mike, Angelo and Rita stuck with him? This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 11th February, 1993. There's something about this one that foreshadows the series six closer, A Wonderful Wife - at least in tone, if not in plot. By that, I mean it all starts out in your standard knockabout Mr-Pinner's-being-annoying, everyone's-annoying-Mr-Pinner sort of way, but then it grows and grows until it takes quite a dark and emotional turn. The stark realisation of not quite being the reasonable, friendly, helpful, generous bloke he thinks he is, but actually that the others see him as arrogant, thoughtless, selfish, and the most unpopular man on the street... Well, that hits quite hard, and actor John Levitt brilliantly gives the character a dimension never seen before. I also love the way Angelo very compassionately listens and gently guides him through the Scrooge-like quandary. Many kids' shows would have resorted to trickery to get rid of Mr Pinner, but we're a class above that here. I believe this episode is the one and only time we ever actually see Mrs Pinner, and I like the way it plays out, even though it undoes the long-running joke of her being an Elizabeth Mainwaring/Her Indoors sort of unseen character. The part is played by Miranda Forbes - and I'm sorry to say she's no longer with us - who you may recognise as the school secretary in Press Gang. But I'm 100% confident that even the most ardent Beatles fan would *not* recognise her as the busty blonde (Paul's words) hostess Wendy Winters from Magical Mystery Tour. That's what it says here, anyway. My jaw hit the floor when I found that out. Elsewhere, I enjoyed the silliness regarding the sponsored bunny hop and the shelf-hanging fiasco. Mr Pinner's egregious faux pas turning out to be recording over a wrestling video that wasn't properly labelled gave me a good laugh, not least because none of that would really mean anything to the current generation. Oh, and Spatz fans may notice that Mike's choice of Sunday afternoon listening - Sins of the Flesh - is also Freddy's favourite band, if you're looking for proof that the shows take place in the same universe. Believe it or not, Sins of the Flesh were a real act who had minor local success in the early 90s: https://www.discogs.com/artist/332964-Sins-Of-The-Flesh It can be neither confirmed nor denied that one of the band's gigging musicians was related to one of the writers of Spatz and Mike and Angelo. Stay tuned at the end for a brief clip of CITV continuity presented by Glenn Kinsey, I believe the day before him being handed his P45. Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E7 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Fly on the Wall. Mr Fogle has some important new projects for Rita to work on, and he brings his favourite nephew Raymond along to show him how the creative process works. Angelo, meanwhile, is busy perfecting his Cranium Interchange Modulator with Mike. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 18th February, 1993. I've mentioned John Savident a few times elsewhere as he was a recurring character for a bit - and he really needs no introduction anyway - but this is a one-off appearance for Joe Greco in Mike and Angelo, and it marks something of a crossover with Spatz (from the same writers, of course). It's great to see Joe as the baddie, proving his versatility here as the lazy good-for-nothing post-Thatcherite Teflon yuppie sleazeball without a shred of conscience or ethical standards. Come to think of it, he can be seen playing someone else's nephew here: https://youtu.be/ehHwup-lu74?t=3m44s Logically speaking, within the bizarre universe of children's television, this could mean that John Savident is related, or possibly even married, to... Actually, it's probably better we don't dwell on that thought. Not treating this as a therapy session or anything, but perhaps my all-time most hated feeling as a child was that powerlessness of not being believed - or even listened to - when wronged, and the injustice that inevitably followed. The reason I remember this is that episodes like this one bring it all flooding back so clearly! I suppose it has to go down as excellent writing, as it captures that intense frustration and impotence just perfectly. Of course, these things still happen from time to time as an adult, but when you're a child and the odds are already stacked quite massively against you anyway... well, like I said, this isn't a therapy session! Moving on, and there are some nice special effects which couldn't be more analogue if they tried - all part of the retro charm - while the major plot point is somewhere between a specific episode of Red Dwarf and The Fly. I can think of a million simpler ways for Mr Fogle to have come into the necessary knowledge that resolved the episode, but why bother with any of those when you can have a Cranium Interchange Modulator instead? Brilliant. Many thanks to Joe for lending me this tape. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E8 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Brett's Lucky Day. A mysterious little rock from another dimension beyond infinity finds its way through the wardrobe, and Angelo fashions it into a necklace of sorts. Soon, everyone who wears it experiences a change in fortune - sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Meanwhile, Rita's old friend and colleague Brett braves a visit to the house for the first time in ages. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 25th February, 1993. This is the final guest appearance on the show for Gavin Richards, and my goodness does he make the most of it. The character was always steeped in greed and gaining unfair advantages, so it's funny that Angelo's so over-the-top keen to see him again, and extra funny that Brett is so trepidatious. Highly understandable, of course. My favourite bit has to be him laying it on so thick with his tale of woe, culminating in the tragic story of Bobby the Budgie's sad demise. But there's also a really good gag towards the end, when Rita assumes Brett's asking her out on a date. I didn't see that one coming at all. It's interesting to note what each individual character counts as 'good luck' (if it's not looking too deep to do so). Winning a competition, fixing a strimmer, getting away with having broken something... and striking it rich at the local casino. I like the way Mike is the first to spot the pattern of what's going on, and Angelo's subsequent practical demonstration of what could happen is well done. The 'too much of a good thing' speech makes it all sound rather philosophical, but the way everything is tied up at the end is a good reminder of why we love the show so much. Really good episode. Huge thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E9 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Mr Perfect. Things are going great between Mike and girlfriend Melanie, right up until Jeff shows up and sweeps her off her feet. His charm is one thing, but the bigger problem is that he's a judo champion, and has the medals to prove it. Meanwhile, Rita's flute skills improve instantly thanks to Angelo's new invention. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 4th March, 1993. This is an excellent one, and there's a lot to unpack, with Mike evidently experiencing emotions he's never felt before. It's all acted extremely well, with perfectly believable jealousy and foul moods coming through, not to mention the misplaced bravado towards the end. I have to admit, I was expecting (semi-spoilers ahead) a 'weaker character thinks he has superpowers, defeats enemy, then finds he didn't have superpowers after all' type of ending, but of course not. That's been done a million times before in far lesser shows, and in a nutshell this is why I could never be a screenwriter. This takes an entirely different and less obvious approach, and although it all works out, it's not exactly plain sailing to that happy ending. The guest role is played by Nick Zwicky, and I haven't been able to track him down with any certainty. He's excellent in this, though, exuding all the necessary confidence the character would definitely have, and I hope he's doing all right for himself now. I've talked about Alexandra Milman many times before, but this has only recently come to my attention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct6irPXM8pk Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S5E10 (1993) - FULL EPISODE
Homeward Bound. Mike's mother Patti returns from her business trip unexpectedly early, and she's ready to take her son back across the Atlantic. He hasn't even started packing yet, and, frankly, doesn't want to leave. Will Angelo's new invention solve the problem and help ease tensions? This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 11th March, 1993. I really like how this one works on two levels. For the youngsters watching, this was all about Mike, what he wants, and how he feels about Melanie and the situation in general. It's very telling how he pours out his heart to Angelo rather than either his mum or his aunt. And that's the other level I'm talking about: the real story, in many ways, is much more about the warring adult sisters and the obvious decades-old baggage they're still carrying. You can sense the barely-concealed rivalry most of the way through, but in the end it's defused by a common goal and they regain their perspective. Despite all the emotion, there are loads of very funny moments in this episode. Angelo's transporter going wrong and lumbering Mike in various locations, the running joke of the clock, the phone call home (which wouldn't work these days thanks to mobiles), the closing punchline which leaves them all in trouble... Being the final episode of the series, everything is sort of wrapped up in a way that meant if they made more, they could carry on without a problem, but if the plug was pulled or certain actors didn't return, all the characters were happy enough for this to be considered a "happily ever after". Always a balancing act, but they struck it well. Nice to see so many other locations, too! Huge thanks to Lee for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
Mike and Angelo S6E3 (1994) - FULL EPISODE
Like Father, Like Son. Rita's bad ankle has left her practically bed-bound, and she's determined that Mike and Angelo should wait on her hand and (dodgy) foot. But then there's a visitor from through the attic wardrobe which complicates matters greatly. This episode was first broadcast on Tuesday, 8th March, 1994. Conventional knowledge states that the first couple of series of this show had their emotional story arc, but then along came Tim Whitnall and it was all zany shenanigans for the remainder. Well, that's partly true, but this episode is a very strong argument to the contrary. Without spoiling anything, the dilemma felt by Angelo is phenomenally deep, the issue of not being listened to (a recurring theme) profound, and the concept of flying the nest while trying to remain loyal borderline upsetting. The resolution isn't the sort of thing you expect in a Children's ITV sitcom. Strangely powerful stuff. Meanwhile, I feel really stupid admitting this, but I never gave the phrase "Home is where the heart is" a second thought until now. It's not 'Everyone loves their home'; it's 'You feel most at home with those whom you love'. One thing defines the other, not the other way around. I had it upside-down all these years. Something else I'm not sure whether I've got or not is if the first line of the guest star as he enters is a Romeo and Juliet balcony scene reference... What do you reckon? Either way, said guest star in this one is, of course, Ron Moody - Fagin to you and me. He's sadly no longer with us, but he plays the part with its range of emotions brilliantly and believably. Besides the films and proper Shakespeare and all that, regular television credits of Ron's include Into the Labyrinth, Hideaway, numerous voices in The Animals of Farthing Wood, and the lead in Hart of the Yard. Now, Ron was excellent, but here's a real treat as you've bothered to read this far, with thanks to the excellent Glad You Remember website: http://gladyouremember.webs.com/ma-wisdom.JPG It turns out that enquiries were made to enlist none other than Norman Wisdom for the role! That would have been a coup and a half, and it's a pity it never came to pass. Too smutty, though? I think I must have missed something. (My mind is also conjuring up images of Derek Hatton as Angelo's dad - the Scouser from across the universe...) No continuity, but listen until the end for that weird extra burst tacked on to the theme tune. Many thanks to Grant for providing this recording. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
