Ricketts - The Hidden Gems and Oddities of British TV Comedy 1

ITV

16/02/1992 12/04/1992

Oneof the rarer traits youll find in the required skills section of a jobdescription is that of duplicity. Its an undesirable attribute for mostemployers due to the cancerous effect it can spread through their business.

However,theres one role where its an absolute prerequisite. Youre probably thinkingsalesman, but, whilst understandable, thats not what were looking for. And ifyoure thinking politician then youre still wrong, albeit getting rathercloser.

Because,of course, its spies who thrive on the virtue of duplicity. The environmentsand situations they encounter demand a wildly divergent personality not only tosucceed, but also to avoid lasers aimed squarely at the genitals.

Obfuscatingthe truth, therefore, may appear to be essential in some professions,particularly when you want to avoid world record levels of infertility. Whatif, though, youve teamed up with a couple of fellow spies and need to trustthat their chicanery is restrained?

Itsa recognisably fiendish paradox, but one which must be explored in Old BoyNetwork.

FromRussia with Love

LucasFrye (Tom Conti) has taken to life at MI5 with a deceitful zeal. Selling hiscountry down the river, Frye is working as a double agent for the Russians and,with some relish, is hoovering up all the trappings of this perilous lifestyle in particular, women, money and success.

Unbeknownstto Frye, though, hes on thin ice as MI6 agent/desk jockey Peter Duckham (JohnStanding) is hot on his treacherous tail. Duckham has been thwarted by Fryeever since their school days, but has now gleaned enough evidence to hang Fryeout to dry. Duckhams boss Sir Roland White (Robert Lang), however, is keen toavoid yet another spy scandal.

Muchto Duckhams chagrin the unthinkable happens. Far from being publiclyhumiliated and held to answer for his actions, Frye is merely banished toMoscow. Just as Sir Roland White has had to sweep this illicit affair under thecarpet, Duckham has no choice but to conceal his fury and move on.

Fastforward a few years and Frye is back in the UK where he plans to set up afreelance espionage agency. Fearing Fryes questionable ethics, Sir RolandWhite aims to pre-empt any PR nightmares this time by asking Duckham now exMI6 to keep tabs on Frye.

Nothingimbues a man with a sense of determination more than the glittering promise ofrevenge, so Duckham quickly gets to work. Duckham meets with Frye, to sound himout, but is inexplicably offered a partnership at FDA (Frye Duckham Associates Fryes already got the stationary sorted!).

Eagerto get close to Frye and stitch him up like a kipper, Duckham leaps at thechance to join FDA. Despite the title of the show, FDA wont purely be thepreserve of old boys; the enigmatic ex CIA agent (and delectably attractive)Parker Morrow (Jayne Brook) will also be obliging FDA with her feminine guile.

Superficially,the trio embrace teamwork as they embark on missions to spy on computerwhizzkids, investigate dodgy sports agents and thwart plots against Fryesfreewheeling life. Nonetheless, the reality of this teamwork is suppressed bythe triumvirates determination to hoodwink each other for their own personalgains.

SecretBlueprints

OldBoy Network wasa seven episode series produced by Central and aired on ITV during the springof 1992; the scribes behind the series were comedy legends Dick Clement and IanLa Frenais.

Supportingthis fantastic duo was Sydney Lotterby, himself a marvel in British comedy andprevious collaborator with Clement and La Frenais on The Likely Lads,Porridge and Going Straight.

Theseries only received one airing tucked away in a post 10pm slot on Sundays but did manage to secure its legacy with a VHS release. Although, like all VHS,its now long out of print, its possible to pick the video up on Ebay, but themore technologically advanced of you may want to seek out a DVD copy fromonline purveyors of bootleg DVDs.

Uncoveringthe Subterfuge

By1992 my growing appreciation for British comedy was gathering pace, but perhapshamstrung by not having a TV in my room and the late transmission time (I was9, okay?), Old Boy Network completely passed me by at the time.

However,when I discovered it on a bootleg DVD site, a sense of intrigue descended uponmy finely tuned TV receptors. Here was a sitcom which was not only written bythe astounding Clement and La Frenais, but also starred Tony award winner TomConti.

Anillicit DVD copy was soon winging its way to me.

Now,I wont insult your intelligence by describing the life and times of Clementand La Frenais; after all, if youve picked up this book youll already befamiliar with their grandeur. And Old Boy Network sees them deployingall their well-honed tricks with ease.

Clementand La Frenais had been writing TV for over 25 years by the time Old BoyNetwork aired and their talent for constructing believable characters isevident from the get go; Duckham and Frye are both incredibly three dimensionaland their amazing discord emanates from them inhabiting opposite ends of the chalkand cheese spectrum.

Theinitial scene of episode one introduces Duckham as a seemingly industrious andaspirational chap. Its a revealing introduction which hints at him being thetype of fellow you could set your watch by, but, at the same time, one with apetty and vindictive streak.

Duckhamsdiligent nature isnt enough, on its own, to create comedy, so it needs somejuxtaposition. And in Frye, Duckham doesnt half get juxtaposed.

Fryesfirst scene finds him relaxing, confidently, in bed with a beautiful woman justbefore hes banished to Moscow. His second scene set eight years later finds him in Moscow and, again, confidently entertaining a beautiful women in. So yeah, hes a bit of a cad, and, yes, I secretly dream of being him.

Clementand La Frenais, though, are mindful not to fall into the trap of stereotypingfemales as mere deferential pawns in the game of espionage. And to eschew thisout-dated view, the writers introduce Parker Morrow.

Morrowmakes for an interesting twist on the Bond babe stereotype given the prevailingtrends at the time. Remember, a female Q was still a few years away and MissMoneypennys subservient nature was all that represented women in the UKssecurity agencies. Morrow, however, is clever, sexy and more than capable ofmatching the boys for initiative.

Theconflict between the three secret agents is compressed into a finely balancedrelationship, but one where friction and deception are essential to keep the wheelson the whole pretence. It makes for some striking moral dilemmas for thecharacters, but also helps to stoke some magnificent performances.

TomConti reaches lofty heights in Old Boy Network; its not often thatyoull find someone whos been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in an ITVsitcom, but when you do its breathtaking. Conti drinks cocktails with style,flirts outrageously with women and affects disguises with a glee which showsthat hes having the time of his life.

Theantithesis needed to foil Fryes ebullience is perfectly captured by JohnStanding. With his hangdog expression and innate sense of British awkwardness,his expressive features can tell a thousand words with just one inelegantglance.

Muchlike their onscreen characters here, Standing has not tasted the glamoroussuccess of Conti, but his talent and determination has delivered a highlyimpressive rsum.