Mike and Angelo S7E6 (1995) - FULL EPISODE

A Dog's Life. Neighbour Daphne Fawkes-Bentley is so impressed with Katy's housekeeping skills that she invites her to come work for her instead. The worse-than-usual behaviour of Mike, Angelo, and a mysterious four-legged friend makes Katy seriously consider the proposition. This episode was originally broadcast on Thursday, 9th February, 1995. I've got to say that this one's an absolute hoot for several reasons, but, first and foremost, this marks the debut of Elizabeth Estensen on the show. Regulars on this channel will no doubt have got a big laugh out of her very first conversation being to ask if she can fill a kettle, and her pained cry of "If I don't get a cup of tea in the next two minutes..." There are numerous other references to said beverage ("Nobody dumps me like an old teabag"), and, speaking of in-jokes, I hope that Mike's "I feel like that kid in Home Alone" wasn't lost on anyone. Another reason I particularly enjoyed this episode was that there are at least three plots that could have been strung out for the whole running time, but are unexpectedly resolved within moments. I mean, obviously Katy's misunderstanding of the boys' apparent insults is the main story, right? Not this time - she soon twigs, laughs about it, and that side of things is back to normal. There's a reward for the dog? Well, now it's going to run off, and they'll have to catch it, and hilarity will... Nope, they returned it and received the money without a hitch. Sneaking Alice around the house, the dress, and a few other things could all have made for full episodes, but instead, we're treated to 20 frantic jam-packed fun-filled minutes that could go in any direction at any time. But I think the clincher for this being just so good is that mad bit towards the end when Angelo uses his powers to do whatever it is he did. The way it plays out is really quite trippy, and more than a little spooky, almost psychedelic. Love it. Throw in a daft conversation about Daphne's old servant and the roof, plus a fit of anger about entering a Mrs Worzel Gummidge lookalike competition, and I just have to say that it's brilliant all round. Obligatory technical notes: (1) We get a rare glimpse inside next door's house; (2) I'm not sure that garden fence we see through the front door is correct; and (3) The music Mike's rocking out to isn't Iron Maiden, but that Crying on the Floor song by his girlfriend's band from three episodes earlier. I still quite like the tune, in a raw mid-90s indie/Britpoppy sort of way. Stay tuned at the end for a little bit of Children's ITV continuity. What's that Databurst thing all about? I remember the Bad Influence Datablast, but not a CITV one... 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.)