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Quacks is so-called because all of those featured a very dodgy doctors. And I *do* need a fix of doctors of some sort, since my favourite soap is off-air for the summer yet again!!!
Leading the surgery at the beginning is Rory Kinnear as Robert, who wants to attempt to break the record for performing a below-the-knee leg amputation, originally done in 92 seconds, while dentist, John (Tom Basden), just *smashes* out bad teeth. Doctors and other forms of medical practitioners, today, would take a more measured approach, but the only measures this lot seem interested in, is the measures of spirits. Yes, they’re all constantly on the lash!
The sitcom is set in a time when no-one knows what the side effects of cocaine might be, and anaesthetic wasn’t much used, but then in John’s case, when he puts someone to sleep, it’s hit or miss as to whether they ever wake up!
Quacks is very gross in places yet, for example, while I was warned that the potentially-gross moments were just off-camera, that makes them seem even worse! And it was clear, from a clip shown on Sunday Brunch last weekend, that anything they could show wasn’t particularly funny, and that the most humourous bits were accompanied by scenes that you could NOT show at 9.30am!
Alas, add in some overacting, and Quacks relies on toilet humour too often, and sometimes feels as if the script is as half-arsed as the doctors’ off-the-cuff prescriptions.
I’ve seen the first two episodes, and while all I can say about the second, at this point, is that the men are shown up by new arrival, Florence Nightingale (Milly Thomas), while Sherlock‘s Andrew Scott also pops up as Charles Dickens, I think I’ll need that drink from the first episode, where red wine is mixed with cocaine, to get me through the rest.
Quacks continues next Tuesday at 10pm on BBC2, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD.If you missed it, you can watch it on BBC iPlayer for 30 days after transmission, and click on the main image for the full-size version.
Score: 4/10
Director: Andy De Emmony
Produce: Imogen Cooper
Writer: James Wood
Music: Ian Arber
Robert: Rory Kinnear
William: Mathew Baynton
John: Tom Basden
Florence Nightingale: Milly Thomas
Dr Hendrick: Rupert Everett
Charles Dickens: Andrew Scott
Peters: Ed Gaughan
Sally: Maggie Service
Laura: Amy Marston
Mr Smiles: Tom Godwin
Annie: Victoria Alcock
Butterworth: Osi Okerafor
Fitz The Guard: Andy Linden
Tom: Adam Ewan
Dr Hendrick: Rupert Everett
Caroline: Lydia Leonard
Maggie: Georgia Brown
Becky: Bekka Bowling
Landlord: Geoff McGivern
Mrs Pope: Georgie Glen
Matron: Selina Griffiths
Duke Of Bedford: Nicholas Blane
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.