I discovered this Channel 4 series while searching 4 On Demand for something funny to watch. I have no memory of its original broadcast back when I was at college, but then I have very little memory of that period in general.
The most distinctive aspect of this series is the bizarre diction employed by the 2-man cast of Dingle (Barlow) and Box (Ramm) as they narrate and dramatise the key events of the 20th century. It goes beyond the much-lampooned Schama/Starkey style of documentary narration, beyond the well-used bathos of ill-educated characters speaking grandly, beyond contorted am-dram enunciation, and into far more surreal territory.
This is a deal breaker really if you find the daft pronunciation and word-order funny like me, you'll enjoy this. If not, I imagine it will just irritate you.
John Ramm creates a magical character in the irrepressible Raymond Box. His enthusiasm and perseverance are no more so shown where
no more so where shown...
shown so no more where...
where no more so shown than ...
shown nowhere more so than when he is repeatedly trying to deliver his lines correctly.
While Box has the capacity to be endearingly plucky, he is also endearingly fragile, which is evident when his incompetence irritates Dingle. Box is driven to the edge of panic if Dingle chastises him or merely suspends his emotional reassurance. This provides moments of tension that are only resolved when Dingle relents and shows kindness to Box, which demonstrates the real affection between the pair.
It can be a wee bit patchy at times, and some episodes are better than others, but there are moments of true hilarity in this overlooked series.
