Tuesday, October 11, 2005

FOLLOW-UP: BRIERS & BARKER

Having no clue regarding English geography, I don't know if Surbiton is anywhere near Doncaster. So I don't know if it would have been feasible for Richard Briers character of Tom Good from 'The Good Life' to make a crossover appearance in 'Open All Hours' which starred Briers' friend the late Ronnie Barker as Arkwright.

Currently I'm working my way through the boxed set of the complete series for 'The Good Life' (known in America as 'The Good Neighbors'). And the episode I watched at work last night (I love my job!) had another possibility for a missing link between shows starring Briers & Barker*.

In 'The Day Peace Broke Out', Tom ended up serving 28 days in prison for shooting a leek thief in the buttocks with an air pellet gun. It seemed that the characters did have a nickname for the place that seemed farily common to them, but I couldn't quite catch it. Something along the lines of 'Penitentville'.

But it got me thinking - what if the prison was the same place where Fletcher was incarcerated in 'Porridge'? If so, we didn't have to see Tom actually cross paths with Fletcher in the stir to consider them sharing the same TV universe.

Just an idea.......

BCnU!
Tele-Toby

* Briers & Barker..... sounds like the name for a new product: ice cream for dogs......

2 comments:

total said...

I always loved Good Neighbors -- especially the wife. I don't remember the actress' name right off, but she later had her own series, "Solo", I think.

Toby O'B said...

That was Felicity Kendal. I'm as big a fan of hers as was the washing machine in 'The Young Ones'. (You'll have to look for it in the show; I don't want to ruin the scene.)

I also liked her as Viola in "Twelfth Night" and in "Shakespeare Wallah".

She's my leading candidate should they ever decide that the Doctor should be played by a woman on 'Doctor Who'!

Thanks for checking in!