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Dom Robinson reviews 
- Cert:
- Cat.no: BBCDVD 1116
- Running time: 88 minutes
- Year: 2000
- Pressing: 2003
- Region(s): 2, 4 (UK PAL)
- Chapters: 10
- Sound: Stereo
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English for the hard of hearing
- Fullscreen: 4:3
- 16:9-enhanced: No
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £15.99
- Extras: Outtakes (with commentary), Comic Relief special, Photo Gallery, Option to view all programmes as originally transmitted, Audio Commentary
Director:
- Hugo Blick
Producers:
- Hugo Blick
Screenplay:
- Rob Brydon and Hugo Blick
Cast:
- Keith Barrett: Rob Brydon
“Good morning, good morning!” is what seemed to begin most episodes of Marion & Geoff, a series which I never got into first time round – and wondered what could be so interesting about a cab driver called Geoff…
Then when I watched A Small Summer Party, the 50-minute ‘prequel’ to this series so we could find out how it all began, I realised that the only character that was on view was Keith, whose wife Marion and run off to live with her boss Geoff (played in that one-off by friend of Brydon’s and co-star of last Xmas’ special, “Cruise of the Gods”‘, Steve Coogan).
After that, I started to watch the individual near-10-minute episodes on UK Play (before that was shut down due to lack of interest, or too much input from channel controller and life-long friend of DVDfever Stuart Murphy), but these were often shown in not the correct order and I only really caught up before the channel’s closure when they had a ‘Marion & Geoff night’.
Watching the programme from start to finish, you realise just how bloody good Rob Brydon is as the crest-fallen cabbie who tells us piece by piece how his life fell apart, pointing out in detail the events that were to follow in the aforementioned one-off. One of the primary moments that stands out for me comes when he comes back from a trip to see his sons – or his “two little smashers” as he calls them – and doesn’t get to give them their presents (something that seems to happen with disturbing regularity) of toys of Tigger and Eeyore.
Why this stands out is because is shows off exactly how Keith’s optimism is astonishing in that he never lets things get him down until… the point where he cracks up and breaks down entirely. When he imagines he’s talking to his sons, Alun and Rhys, as he’s talking to the two Disney characters, if there isn’t a dry eye in the house when he’s finished then you’re not human.
There’s also brilliant comic moments such as having to see the doctor about a wind problem and was made to first eat a barium meal (“I didn’t ask for seconds.”, he comments in a wry piece-to-camera), and when he wins £70 on a radio station quiz, yet forgets to leave his name and address. This is revealed as the series’ single camera/microphone is left switched on in the car listening to the radio as Keith goes into the petrol station to pay – it’s amazing the way this was used in series two as Keith’s car was towed away to the strains of The Humming Chorus.
In fact, music plays a great role in the programme throughout the series – and I haven’t gone through all of this DVD yet because I’ve seen it before, but the box doesn’t state if any music’s been changed for the home release, as can sometimes happen. As a result of Marion and Geoff, that is what I’m reminded of when I hear Slade‘s Coz I Love You, Bruce Springsteen‘s I’m On Fire and the final episode’s Nothing Hurts by Catatonia and The Bee Gees‘ atmospheric Run to Me.
There’s no problems whatsoever with either the picture or the sound, but they won’t tax any DVD player. There’s only one camera, fixed inside Keith’s cab and pointing at Keith the whole time – apart from when he just nips out as mentioned earlier. At first I didn’t think the DVD cover was much cop, but then I realised – well, what else can they show? It’s always Keith. There’s no single still shot that could encapsulate the whole of his character – you have to watch the programme.
The sound is in Dolby Stereo which is used for dialogue from Keith and the background music. It won’t push your speakers to any extremes but comes across as pleasing enough.
The extras are as follows:
- Photo Gallery: A mere seven pictures, but it’s interesting how technical things were when it came to the in-car camera, as director Hugo Blick affixes it with blutack and a Fleetwood Mac cassette case.
- Outtakes (19 mins): This doesn’t contain fluffed lines, but clips not used in the finished product, all from most of the episodes, including his feelings about Pingu – complete with sound effects – and how the show really took things on from Attenborough’s more factual offerings. The audio commentary points out how a number of things were cut for timing reasons. Great to see them included here though.
- Comic Relief Special (6 mins): Does exactly as it says on the tin. I love it when extras like this make it onto the DVD, such as this one-off made for 2001’s charity show. It’s a shame “A Small Summer Party” wasn’t included as that certainly should’ve been.
- Option to view all programmes as originally transmitted: Just listed in the extras menu as ‘additional feature’, this shows all the programmes as originally transmitted complete with intro music and end credits music. Once you’ve watched them this way, this is how you’ll always go back to them because everything fits together much more effectively.
- Audio Commentary: From ‘Keith’ (Rob Brydon) and director Hugo Blick.
There’s just one chapter per episode, making 10 in total, with English subtitles for the hard of hearing and the menus include footage from the programme, the best being the mobile phone one from the extras menu. Sadly, my phone doesn’t do that one so I had to program in “Popcorn”.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL 
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.