The new series of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) started its run of 6 x 50 minute long episodes on bbc1 on the 18th March 2000,and it looks as if the beeb have stretched their budget to include lots of special effects and big name British actors such as Tom Baker,Charles Dance,Martin Clunes,Steven Berkoff and Hugh Laurie.
I've never been a fan of Reeves & Mortimer,but having seen the first episode i think i can say it's not a bad effort,but only time will tell if it can get better(or worse).
Something that will take a bit of getting used to is the computerised special effects,which obviously weren't available in the original series,Marty dosent have to blink to make himself disappear,he just dissolves into a cloud of smoke.Also Bob & Vic's North-Eastern accents,and Jeannie's kick boxing skills.Yes you read correctly,Jeannie is an expert kickboxer all of a sudden ! Well,it is the year 2000 !
I'll be updating this page weekly,with the episode titles and a brief outline.
The BBC
have
announced that they will be making a second series with Vic Reeves and
Bob Mortimer as Marty and Jeff,to be screened on BBC1 next year.
This
follows
the announcment that the first episode got 10 million viewers,and 8
million
for episode 2
R & H 2000 Main Cast :
Jeff Randall - Bob Mortimer
Marty Hopkirk - Vic Reeves
Jeannie Hurst - Emelia Fox
Mr.Wyvern - Tom Baker
(from episode 2)
Episode Guide
1. Drop Dead
Supporting Cast :
Kenneth Crisby - Charles Dance
Gordon Stylus - David Tennant
Annette Stylus - Hanna Miles
Felia Siderova - Jessica Stevenson
Wendy gill - Melissa Knatchbull
Sgt. Liddell - Steve Pemberton
Insp. Large - Mark Gatiss
Transmission date :Saturday18th
March
2000 8.55pm
Episode outline :
Bored of spying on cheating wives,Marty and Jeff take on a case from
artist Gordon Stylus,who fears his wife is going to kill herself.He
invites
them to an arty farty party at the Stylus' home,so they can keep an eye
on her while he entertains guests.This is all much to the dismay of
Jeannie,whom
Marty is due to marry the next day,and wants to finish off the
arrangements.They
have an argument,she tells him to drop dead,and thats the last she sees
of him.Marty gets killed by Gordon Stylus's car going over a cliff,and
his agent Crisby kidnaps Jeff and tries to kill him,but fails after
help
from Marty's ghostly powers and Jeannie's kickboxing skills ! Marty
comes
back as a ghost,and together,he and Jeff solve his murder.
2.Mental
Appirition
Disorder
Supporting Cast :
Dr. Lawyer - Hugh Laurie
The Mouth - Steven Berkoff
Craig Nash - Martin Clunes
Felia Siderova - Jessica Stevenson
Percy "Three-Piece" - Tim Perrin
Karen - Sandy McDade
Alice Fullcup - Wanda Ventham
Cecil Waterman - Richard Todd
Transmission Date : Saturday 25th
March 2000 8.55pm
Episode Outline :
Jeannie starts to worry about Jeff's mental health
after
he tells her that he can see and talk to Marty's ghost.He spends a week
in a 'Mental Health Farm',run by Dr.Lawyer,to try and cure him of
his 'hallucinations'(It dosen't work !!),while Jeannie takes on a case
at a Casino.Marty,meanwhile gets tuition in haunting from the eccentric
Mr Wyvern,plyed by Tom Baker.
3.The Best
Years
of YourDeath
Supporting Cast :
Captain Graves - Peter Bowles
Wendy Gill - Melissa Knatchbull
Daniel Gill - Rory Jennings
Angus Gill - William Chubb
Harriet Banks-Smith - Phyllis Logan
Percy Banks-Smith - Hugh Simon
Praetor - Alex Brown
Delingpole - Nick le Moignan
Meades - Ben Johnstone
Parker - Martin Slav
Transmission date :Saturday 1st
April
2000 8.55pm
Episode Outline :
Jeff and Jeannie go undercover at an old fashioned public school to
solve a murder mystery involving one of the teachers,Captain
Graves(Peter
Bowles).Jeff applies for the job of Housemaster,and gets the job with
some
help from Marty,who is perfecting his powers of bodily posession with
the
help of Mr Wyvern(Tom Baker)
And watch the bit where Marty posesses the body of a pigeon !
This sequence shows how Marty fades
away.(Episode
3...)
4.Paranoia
Supporting Cast :
Douglas Milton
-
Paul Rhys
Judith Milton
-
Arabella Weir
Richard Shelley
-
Alexis Denisof
Swift
-
Simon Day
Lacey
- Tim Wallers
Bulstrode
- Charlie Higson
Justin
Pope
- Simon Pegg
Magda
- Joanna Kanska
Transmission Date : Saturday 8th
April
2000 8.55 pm
Episode Outline
Conspiracy theorist and ex-Government employee Douglas Milton is to
address a conference to let the world know of conspiracies which he has
studied over the years.He hires Jeff and Jeannie to protect him after
he
has recurring nightmares that someone is trying to kill him to stop him
making his announcements.He was right to do so,as there a several
groups
of people trying to kill him,including his wifebut the funny thing is
that
they all end up killing each other by mistake.When the time comes for
Milton
to deliver his speech,the world awaits,only to hear that his
revelations
were what everybody already knew about;Mafia activities in
America,Government
ministers taking bribes,the US President possibly having an affair etc
etc.Everyone starts to get up and walk out with the giggles.Also in
this
episode Marty perfects the art of wind-blowing,and ends up clearing
rooms
because of the smell!
5.A Blast
From
The Past
Supporting Cast
Sidney
Crabbe
- Paul Whitehouse
Harry Wallis
-
Mark Benton
Maurice
Crabbe
- Grant Masters
Old
Ken
- Dudley Sutton
Deidre Hope
-
Susan Brown
Gomez
- Charlie Higson
Transmission Date : Saturday 15th
April 2000 8.55 pm
Episode outline
Dead Cockney gangster Sidney Crabbe has a grudge against Marty's
father(who
is also dead!).But he can't get to him so he makes do with terrorising
Marty instead.Jeff gets shot,and his brief 'death' is enough time to
save
Marty from Crabbe,who wants to push him into the pit of fire.Charming
gentleman!
6.A Man of
Substance
Supporting
Cast
Mrs Glauneck - Elizabeth
Spriggs
Lauren Lee - Jennifer Calvert
Dickie Bechard - Gareth Thomas
Mr.Modius - Ralph Riach
PC Buns - Richard Riding
Vicar - Richard Durden
Mrs Endor - Mary Ann Turner
Transmission Date : Saturday 22nd
April 2000 8.50 pm
Episode Outline
Marty and Jeff go on a cross-country trip,and stumble accross a village
with a deadly secret.
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Updated 23rd April 2000
by Andrew
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