This BBC show of the late 1980s was truly superb. The premise, an aging rock and roll band who were a one hit wonder going back on the road to celebrate their silver jubilee, may not be an obvious foundation for a sharp witted, thoroughly entertaining drama but John Byrnes and the rest of the cast and crew definitely manage to pull it off.
First and foremost is the quality of the ensemble cast. Robbie Coltrane is excellent as Danny, the failed artist brother of the lead singer who is asked to go on tour with them following the sudden death of his brother. Meanwhile, Emma Thompson does a quite credible Scottish accent in a superb performance as the feisty Suzy Kettles. Together they play great sparring partners. The other band members all have a crucial part in ensuring there is never a dull moment as their personal lives threaten the success of the tour. Most notable is Maurice Roeves’ outstanding performance as Vince: from comical scenes where he is obsessively protective of his carpet to the self-destructive moments where his troubled personality gets the better of him.
The second key element that made this show so much better than many of its contemporaries was the quality of the dialogue. Don’t be put off by the Scottish brogue. Switch off for one moment and you will miss some of the sharpest, funniest lines that have ever been heard on television. I kid you not. Discussions about kebabs, bus shelters, french fancies and shag pile carpets will have you laughing out loud ages after the scene has finished.
An excellent series that should either be re-shown or officially released on DVD!
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Show Summary
EDIT
Welcome to the TV.com 'Tutti Frutti’ guide. This award winning six-part, BBC dark comedy-drama of the late 1980s made Robbie Coltrane, of Cracker fame, and Oscar winner Emma Thompson household names. John Byrne MBE wrote the sharp-witted script. With such a pedigree, it is not surprising that it was voted number 82 in the British Film Institute’s top 100 Television programmes of all time. When ageing 60s band The Majestics, the 'Kings of Rock and Roll’, re-group to play a Silver Jubilee tour, things don’t go quite according to plan. Even though their lead singer Jazza McGlone dies in a freak car crash, band manager Eddie Clockery is still determined to re-create the band's halcyon days. The remaining band members recruit Jazza’s apathetic younger brother Danny to take his place. But as they perform in some of Scotland’s less respectable clubs, their personal disagreements and private tragedies seem as if they will force the band to disintegrate, preventing them from recapturing their glory days.moreless
 Richard Wilson (III) |
Eddie Clockerty |
 Robbie Coltrane |
Danny McGlone/Big Jazza |
 Ron Donachie |
Dennis Sproul |
 Stuart McGugan |
Bomba MacAteer |
Jake D'Arcy |
Fud O'Donnell |
 Emma Thompson |
Suzy Kettles |
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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