26th March 2011, 03:28 PM
|
| Cult Rookie | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Reading, UK | |
Hooray for the introduction of Jim Fletcher! One of the cornerstones of the show's first few years, and a very underrated character - always solid, always reliable, tough, but never unfair.
There were some very good guest prisoners in this set, too. Joyce Martin was a great addition to the cast; Bella Albrecht was a fantastic creation, killed off far, far too early; and Toni McNally set the template for many of the future villains to come - certainly there's shades of her in both Sonia Stevens and Ruth Ballinger, although Toni never really had the almighty showdown with Bea that we were all hoping for.
I think this set is all about great characters in need of better plots. Still, the verve and energy of the show is as vibrant as you'd expect - it's funny how fresh the 1979 episodes look compared to the 1980 and 1981 ones. The best runs of Blocky are the ones where the stories are all dealt with before they have a chance to drag their heels. They might not have understood the tone of the show they were making in its first year, but they certainly succeeded in keeping it fascinating.
|
Linear Mode
