Skip to content
The hugely successful BBC2 black comedy seriesreturned for a third series on Thursday 27th September and the order of theday was simple: change.
An unnecessarily revamped theme tune (atrocious!) and the absence of anyopening “street gags” should have alerted fans that “TLOG” has evolved. andnot very successfully.
Episode 1, “The Lesbian & The Monkey” (even the episode titles are styleddifferently!) was dominated by the continuing adventures of Pauline theex-Restart Officer – released from prison by arch-rival Ross Gaines to spyon Dole cheat Mickey. It was a pleasing turn of events in Pauline’s saga,but more should have been made of Pauline’s stay in prison (surely a settingripe for much more “TLOG” treatment?).
Elsewhere, what surprised me with Episode 1 was the lack of returningcharacters. Tubbs and Edward, the serial-killing “local” shopkeepers, wereresurrected (following their apparent fiery deaths at the end of series 2)and then forgotten about within 2 minutes! A crime! Other key characterswere also absent for this episode – and no doubt for the entire series afterthe culling at the end of series 2! Farewell Harvey Denton and Hilary Briss.
Such a massive shake-up is a double-edged sword. The sublime Christmasspecial showed how minor characters could suddenly become quite popular(Charlie & Stella), and even series 2 developed the seedy landlord Pop intoa cult favourite from his fleeting role in series 1. However, if you chooseto develop already unpopular characters at the expense of old favourites.things become problematic.
Episode 1 had the popular Pauline-Ross-Mickey trio to fall back on whenthings got boring, and thankfully new character Dr Carlton was a highlight -with his strange methods of dispensing medication. However, the rest weresuperfluous and didn’t engage the imagination on any level, with the usuallystrong writing also seeming slightly forced and nowhere near as creepilyamusing as usual.
Episode 2, “The One-Armed Man Is King” (shown immediately after BBC2’sopener on BBC Choice), unfortunately dug series 3’s hole deeper. Here, the2-dimensional character Les the one-armed joke shop owner, had an illegalarm-transplant – and the horror cliché of an uncontrollable limb was playedout – for almost the entire 30 minutes – like a bad “Simpsons’ “Treehouse OfTerror” episode.
Again, a saving grace were some new characters – two inept debt collectorswho tend to end up paying clients for damages caused during their visits!However, despite a neat cameo from the letchy Pop, old favourites from the”TLOG” catalogue were frustratingly absent. Tubbs and Edward? Dr Chinnery?Les McQueen? Herr Lipp? Geoff?
Overall, series 3 (already a third of the way through!) has been a massivedisappointment. There’s nothing wrong with developing secondary characters,but so far this has been at the expense of established favourites. The styleof the show has also shifted away from “broken comedy” (i.e, sketches joinedunder the ‘community’ setting of the show) and seems to be setting itself upfor a mainstream move to BBC1 with its location-based seriousness.
Interestingly, the laughter-track has been taken away (which is a debatableloss) – personally, it’s not that I need a prompt for when to laugh atcomedy, but recordings of a live audience helps the oppressive atmosphere.Another huge flaw identified in series 3 is the lack of a cohesive back-plotto events – series 1 had the “new road development”, series 2 had “theplague” – but series 3 has nothing. By removing a dramatic thread throughoutthe series, they’ve limited its “mini-series” appeal. It now has to sink orswim by virtue of its characters activities – and so far its head is belowthe waterline.
In summation so far, Episodes 3-6 will have to really improve – otherwise thiscould be the last visit to Royston Vasey. I love “The League Of Gentlemen”.I have all of the DVD’s released, I watch the repeats on ‘Play UK’ (“not anylonger as it closes end of September 2002” – DVDfever.co.uk Ed), I sawtheir Live Show. but I don’t want to see them struggle to continue a TVseries with below-par characters just because of the demand for RoystonVasey by fans.
On the evidence of Episode 1 and 2, staleness has begun to set in after only13 episodes. With series 1 they had years of perfectly honed live acts todraw material from. with series 2 they increased their penchant for surrealhorror. but with series 3 they don’t seem to know where they want to go.
Episode 3, “Turn Around Geoff Tipps”.
The third series of “The League Of Gentlemen” continued on BBC Choice(03 Oct 02, 22:30 hrs) and managed to effectively combine the bestelements of the prior two series with the new series’ change in style.
“Turn Around Geoff Tipps” focused on plastics factory worker Geoff (agenuine “friend from hell”) after he was cruelly sacked by boss, andlong-suffering friend, Mike. In a brave move for the show Geoff decidedto move down to London to perform stand-up comedy at a small venue,leaving the macabre Royston Vasey behind…
The trappings of series 3 continued in this episode, but after twoepisodes the plot-threads are beginning to tie together quite nicely. Soagain, this episode takes place within the same 24 hour period asprevious episodes, meaning we see the train that will (eventually) killshopkeepers Edward and Tubbs in Episode 1, and the enigmatic red plasticbag starts its cameo role throughout the series…
It was great to find that the show is now beginning to gel together nowwe’re half-way through – but the saving grace of Episode 3 was thereturn of genuine laughs. Geoff’s forays in the bustling London weregreat, as was the clever return of desperate theatre company ‘LegzAkimbo’.
There were also some nice in-jokes that revealed the fortunes of madbutcher Hilary Briss (last seen in the Caribbean at the end of series 2)and an unpredictable return for bad-actress Pamela Doove’s director fromthe last series. Kewl. On a downside it was strange to find Tish (acharacter premiered in their 2001 Live Show) failed to utter hercatchphrase “to die forrr!” – as I’ve been awaiting her appearance withbaited breath. Never mind.
Overall, “The League” seemed to have some fun with this episode at longlast. Released from the confines of Royston Vasey it showed their brandof gruesome comedy doesn’t have to be limited to a fictional town for itto work. Of course, it also helps that Geoff is a genuinely strongthree-dimensional character (unlike Episode 2’s atrocious Lance thejoke-shop owner) and Geoff’s plot was solidly entertaining andbelievable from beginning to end.
In summation, Episode 3 was a real saving grace for the show. Itretained some bad elements of the new series (the awful theme tune) butredeemed a few along the way, while managing to be funny and deliciouslyentertaining. Now, fingers crossed, I just hope the last half of series3 can build on this sudden return to form…
Episode 4, “The Medusa Touch”.
Episode 4 of ‘The League Of Gentlemen”s third series focuses almostexclusively on Alvin and Sunny – proprietors of Royston Vasey’s ‘HotelWindemere’. Alvin is a quiet, good-natured man (permanently wearing aneck-brace and cheesy grin) who runs the establishment with his wifeSunny; a sexually-charged middle-aged tart who forces him to participatein lurid sex games with their clientele.
In ‘The Medusa Touch’ Alvin is once again coerced into organizing a sexromp for more visiting “sexplorers”, but manages to slink away tocontinue an affair he’s having with a plain-faced garden centreassistant.
This latest episode takes a step back from the “tapestry” of the series’interwoven moments; although it does still take place within the sametime-span (the red plastic bag and bizarre denouement confirm this).
But, perhaps as a breather, ‘The Medusa Touch’ is a much simpler episodethat introduces a lot of new characters to the show; such as a pair ofreligious weirdo’s, a seedy Cockney who arrives at the Windermere B&Bwith his ‘Medusa’ sex-machine, and some overly competitive snobbyparents who enter their daughter in a school competition.
After the recent return to form last week, Episode 4 is a little lackingin the humour stakes, but there are still some fine moments of darkcomedy along the way (particularly with some inflatable sex-suits!). Ithelps that Alvin (Mark Gatiss) is an engaging character to watch as he’sperhaps the only normal resident in the whole town!
Now we’re almost at the end of series 3 the change in style of the showis finally becoming bearable. In fact, the lack of canned laughter nowseems to give the show a greater sense of overall realism, and even thetheme tune is slowly beginning to grow on me.
It helps that ‘The Medusa Touch’ introduces some new characters to playwith, even if most are rudimentary clichés (competitive parents), butwhat keeps the episode from falling apart is the excellent Mark Gatiss -who plays Alvin with great humanity throughout.
If series 3’s modus operandi has been to give relevance and depth to thesupporting cast of series 1-2, then mission accomplished. This isn’t thefunniest episode, and its flaws are evident, but it remains a solid 30minutes of black comedy that should cause shivers and guffaws oflaughter with enough regularity to make it worthwhile – if only to seehow the series linchpin of Geoff’s van crash sets up the finalepisode…
Episode 5, “Beauty & The Beast (Or, Come Into My Parlour)”.
Series 3 nears its climax with “Beauty & The Beast (Or, Come Into MyParlour” (fnar, fnar) – an episode mainly devoted to the marital miseryof dour oaf Charlie and the acid-tongued Stella.
Since Stella was framed by a secret society in the “Christmas Special”(not mentioned once here!) Charlie has been busy helping Mrs. Levinson -the snobbish widower usually seen patronizing her housekeeper. Now Mrs.Levinson runs a beauty parlour (‘Spit & Polish’) where Charlie has foundhis niche massaging Royston Vasey’s residents… unbeknownst to them!
This is an average episode, with its inclusion in the series havinglittle effect on the ongoing plot-thread – which is a great shame. Theseries should have been steaming ahead with revelations and eye-openingsurprises, but has decided to slam on the breaks with last week’sAlvin/Sunny breather and now this weaker offering. Still, the dark twistsurrounding Charlie’s expertise in massaging (and fellatio!) issublimely played by all involved.
“Beauty & The Beast” does suffer the same problem as Episode 1’streatment of Pauline/Mickey/Ross evoked – all too often you do get thefeeling credibility is being stretched with characters we’ve watcheddevelop over the years. Its salvation only comes with the fact Charlieand Stella aren’t quite as beloved as Pauline and Mickey – so theirout-of-character moments can be better forgotten.
Frustratingly, the “supporting plot” for Episode 5 is very hit-and-miss- with a ginger father and son taking to the streets to fight crime in”Maxy Power”; a home-grown version of KITT from “Knight Rider”. The easylaughs you’re probably already envisioning are there, but the tone ofthe underdeveloped subplot is shaky and effectively just very silly.
Overall, this is an episode that’s consistently funny when dealing withthe Charlie/Stella/Levinson trio, but supported by worryingly inanefringe characters. Its main problem is the continuing lack of connectionto the supposed “interlinked comedy series”. This is the penultimateepisode and should have been far more busy layering subtext andbackground to the ‘van crash’ sequence, but instead we get anout-of-place diversionary instalment better suited as Episode 3.
Episode 6, “How The Elephant Got Its Trunk”.
The grand finale. Perhaps inevitably it comes as quite a disappointment,especially if you remember the real sense of excitement and intelligencethis “time-layering” gimmick had attained by Episode 3.
“The Midas Touch” and last week’s “Beauty & The Beast” snatched away themomentum the first trio of episodes had, so now Episode 6 wrestles toregain the impetus series 3 lost weeks ago.
For the climax to the series the episode focuses on the most unapparentcouplet of characters – Vinnie and Reenie, the Charity Shop workers witha fixation for bags and shared loathing of the ever-absent Meryl.
To say much more about the story would give away the best surpriseseries 3 has had to offer fans of “The League Of Gentlemen” – despitethe fact the revelation will doubtless confuse most viewers untouched byseries 1 and 2 previously. Sorry to be so vague, but you’ll understand.
The last episode utterly fails in its supposed objective tosatisfactorily resolve the ongoing ‘van crash’ plot – which has been anepilogue to every instalment of series 3.
Maybe this should have been expected given the increasingly shaky use ofthe gimmick post-Episode 3, but at times Episode 6 just looks hideouslythrown together. An admittedly amusing denouement even commits theheinous crime of resolving Barabara the transvestite’s pregnancy withinone camera shot! Why was this subplot practically abandoned so early onin the series anyway?
Loose ends are hurriedly tied together in slapdash fashion throughout,and there’s no hiding the fact series 3 has been very badly paced. Thegimmick of each episode covering the same 24 hours is a great idea, butit has been cruelly underutilized and so obviously unsuited to sixhalf-hour episodes.
Series Conclusion
Series 3 has been a huge evolution for the show. Stylistically theseries has “grown up”, and begun to challenge its audience who werebecoming too accustomed to the show’s ‘sketch-comedy-meets-sitcom’-styleand its overused catchphrases. They bravely shook Royston Vasey up abit… but with mixed results.
The decision to focus on specific characters in each episode was good.The move to axe popular characters was fearless. The man responsible foraltering the theme tune should be shot. But, I digress. Overall, series3 has been a very daring but ultimately flawed experience.
The greatest annoyance is that it needn’t have been so defective – butthe strength of writing this series just hasn’t been consistent, and ifyou’re going to interlink the entire series “Pulp Fiction”-style atleast remember to pace the action and give audiences a satisfyingconclusion!
Still, I applaud the “League Of Gentlemen” for having the guts to altersomething they knew would cause an outcry amongst fans. We were becomingtoo blase about the show, beginning to second-guess the situations andmime along to Tubbs and Edward’s murderous rant. We needed series 3 toroot us to our seats with questions and a new outlook on life in theirstrange, multi-layered world of Royston Vasey.
If only they’d polished the scripts some more, properly planned theseries’ ongoing narrative, and culled all the unnecessary charactersthat lurked around and detracted from their “master story” (was thereeven a point to the ‘nipples tweaked?’ customer survey man or thetotally unfunny ‘Dog Cinema’ scenes in Episode 6??!!)
As I write this there’s talk of “The League” filming a movie next year.This is excellent news. I hope they leave Royston Vasey far behind andembrace a totally new adventure with the same devilish glee and keen eyefor dark laughter.
It’s still clear from series 3 that they have great affection for thesurreal world they unleashed on the comedy world, but the unclear focusof series 3 suggests they’d be far happier cutting loose from thetrappings of Vasey and latching on to something altogether fresh.
Review copyright © Dan Owen, 2002.E-mail Dan Owen
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.