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charameiI finally bit the bullet and ordered the boxset of the original 1969 Randall and Hopkirk (deceased). I've seen bits of it repeated on ITV4, but you know how it is with repeats - I've seen two episodes lots of times and the rest none at all. Conversely, the 2000/01 series was my first venture into the world of geeky cult TV: it came out when I was 13 and has had its claws firmly into my subconscious ever since. I couldn't possibly watch one without comparing it to t'other.
Spoilers, by the way, for both episodes. And not just of the 'Marty DIES!' variety.
Well, let's get the obvious one out of the way first: Jeannie in the 2000 series is an intelligent, kickboxing, asswhupping, incredible woman who wins most of the fight scenes single-handed and is by far the most competent person in the office. Jean in the 1969 series... is a secretary who occasionally gets to work on a case when Jeff's feeling kindly disposed to her. Points to the year 2000.
As for the rest... I made notes as I went along, so I'll start off by copying a few of those out and then discuss properly afterwards.
...yeah, it always takes me a while to switch in to 70's TV. Nobody talks like that.
2000 Marty: 'Oh, come on, Jeff! All we ever do is divorce cases!'
In the 2000 series, it goes like this: they're investigating an art agent, Kenneth Crispin, on behalf of his wife, who suspects - correctly - that he's having an affair. The wife of one of Crispin's clients, Annette Stylus, is threatening to expose her husband as a fraud. Crispin gets her husband Gordon to contract with Randall & Hopkirk under the pretence of making sure Annette doesn't kill herself, then bumps off both Annette and Marty, making it look like Annette went crazy and committed murder-suicide.
In the 1969 series, it goes like this: Fay Sorrenson hires Randall and Hopkirk to get proof of her husband John's affair. On learning that she plans to divorce him, John has Fay killed. It's meant to look like she has a heart attack in the bath. On finding out that Marty's one of her P.I.s, John arranges for Marty to be killed in a faked hit-and-run. Then Jeff finds a witness, traces the whole caboodle back to John, and tricks John into arranging for Jeff's death so Jeff can get the evidence he needs.
The 2000 one is definitely more intricately put together, and I find it easier to follow - with the caveat that I've seen it a good fifteen times more than its predecessor.
Jeff delivers this line in both versions, although in the 2000 pilot he prefaces it with 'Marty, this is typical of you!' It's a good line in both versions, but I think Mike Pratt delivers it better - Bob Mortimer's a bit stilted in the graveside scene.
As for the second half of that comment, well.
I love how calmly Marty takes the whole thing in both versions. "Oh, hi, Jeff. I'm a ghost now. Can you solve my murder please?" Neither incarnation of the character strikes me as the type to have believed in ghosts before becoming one, which makes it all the odder.
You know who else's white suit isn't white?
My embed link doesn't want to work.
ETA: And another one:
More of a creamy-beigey colour.
The 2000 series turned this episode's bad poetry into a running joke, with Wyvern delivering almost every piece of advice he ever gave Marty in the form of badly-rhymed couplets. Since I don't think there's anybody in the world who could outdo Tom Baker's delivery of lines such as 'Sit with me and rest a whale', the 2000 series wins.
That poem in full. Original delivery first, then Wyvern-style:
Afore the sun shall rise anew
Each ghost unto his grave must go/goo.
Cursed be the ghost who dares to stay
And face the awful light of day -
Ye shall not to your grave return
Until a hundred years be gone (1969) / Until your Chosen One be gurn (2000).
The change in the last line is interesting. It ties Marty and Jeff together much more tightly - and means that when Marty saves Jeff's life, especially in episodes like Blast from the Past when Jeff is clinically dead for a couple of minutes, he's making a real sacrifice in order to do so.
That said, I like the hundred years thing too, although I don't think they ever explored it properly in the series. Imagine being that ghost after your Chosen One had gurn, er, gone. There'd be nobody left who could see or hear you. Lonely to the point of maddening.
I imagine partly because cheap special effects were almost nonexistent in 1969, the old series does wonderful things with panning and angle shots when it comes to hiding or revealing Marty's presence. It's not uncommon for them to cut into a close-up, then cut back out to the previous shot and have Kenneth Cope suddenly there. There's also a lot of POV work: in two-hander scenes, when shooting from Jeff's POV Marty is visible, and when shooting from the other person's he's not. The 2000 series does it occasionally, but the 1969 crew turned it into an art form.
Marty tries to walk through a door, fails, and Jeff tells him he 'has to believe he can do it'. It took until the second series episode Marshall and Snellgrove to get the equivalent situation in the new series, but I have to say, 'Well, I dunno, feel the Force or something' is a far less cheesy line. On the other hand, Mike Pratt looks a bit tongue-in-cheek when he extols on the power of Belief, so maybe Jeff's taking the piss.
After running through a wall twice just to prove he can, Marty in 1969 gives up on it and just winks out of existence and back in where he needs to be. In 2000 the show had an effects budget, so he walks through walls instead.
I like the 2000 ghost effects, but I don't miss them all that much. At least bubble wrap's not involved.
A line that never made it into the 2000 series.
One of those tiny character things that makes me smile. In 1969-land, Jeff's the outgoing, fairly irresponsible one - and Marty's the worrier. Of course being dead wouldn't affect his views on road safety, or the habits of a lifetime.
And then there's a punch-up, a brief lull, and another punch-up which also involves a car chase. That's how you can tell it's the climax, you see.
So, how do they compare?
Plot: The 2000 series had much stronger plotting the whole way through; the plot of Drop Dead (2000) is way more complex than the plot of My Late Lamented Friend and Partner (1969). To my mind the pacing is better in the new series, too, though I realise that's partly due to an overall shift in the nature of TV direction. (That said, I rarely find myself glaring at Doctor Who from the same era and muttering about bad pacing.)
Characters: None of them are remotely comparable to their counterparts because none of their personalities align. 2000 Jeannie wins hands-down over her counterpart; 1969 Jeff tends to irritate me a bit, but not enough to be a problem. I like both Martys. 2000 has Wyvern, 1969 doesn't...
Cinematography: The 2000 series is beautifully shot, directed and lit. However, the 1969 series uses some really clever camera tricks in place of special effects for Marty. It's a tie.
Effects: The 2000 series has them.
Spoilers, by the way, for both episodes. And not just of the 'Marty DIES!' variety.
Well, let's get the obvious one out of the way first: Jeannie in the 2000 series is an intelligent, kickboxing, asswhupping, incredible woman who wins most of the fight scenes single-handed and is by far the most competent person in the office. Jean in the 1969 series... is a secretary who occasionally gets to work on a case when Jeff's feeling kindly disposed to her. Points to the year 2000.
As for the rest... I made notes as I went along, so I'll start off by copying a few of those out and then discuss properly afterwards.
In true 1970s style, all dialogue is delivered in a monotonous Received Pronunciation. Zzzz.
...yeah, it always takes me a while to switch in to 70's TV. Nobody talks like that.
Divorce case!
2000 Marty: 'Oh, come on, Jeff! All we ever do is divorce cases!'
In the 2000 series, it goes like this: they're investigating an art agent, Kenneth Crispin, on behalf of his wife, who suspects - correctly - that he's having an affair. The wife of one of Crispin's clients, Annette Stylus, is threatening to expose her husband as a fraud. Crispin gets her husband Gordon to contract with Randall & Hopkirk under the pretence of making sure Annette doesn't kill herself, then bumps off both Annette and Marty, making it look like Annette went crazy and committed murder-suicide.
In the 1969 series, it goes like this: Fay Sorrenson hires Randall and Hopkirk to get proof of her husband John's affair. On learning that she plans to divorce him, John has Fay killed. It's meant to look like she has a heart attack in the bath. On finding out that Marty's one of her P.I.s, John arranges for Marty to be killed in a faked hit-and-run. Then Jeff finds a witness, traces the whole caboodle back to John, and tricks John into arranging for Jeff's death so Jeff can get the evidence he needs.
The 2000 one is definitely more intricately put together, and I find it easier to follow - with the caveat that I've seen it a good fifteen times more than its predecessor.
"Why can't you stay dead like anyone else?" This sums up a good 70% of my fandoms...
Jeff delivers this line in both versions, although in the 2000 pilot he prefaces it with 'Marty, this is typical of you!' It's a good line in both versions, but I think Mike Pratt delivers it better - Bob Mortimer's a bit stilted in the graveside scene.
As for the second half of that comment, well.
- Voldemort won't stay dead, and neither did Harry.
- It's a running theme in Doctor Who and Torchwood.
- Superman and his villains...
- Sherlock Holmes...
- Buffy...
Marty's smoking! Smoking KILLS.Ahh, the seventies.
Now Jeff's smoking. So far, the mortality rate for smokers on this show is 100%... are you sure you want to be doing that, Jeff?
"Jeff, be sensible!" says the ghost down the phoneline.
I love how calmly Marty takes the whole thing in both versions. "Oh, hi, Jeff. I'm a ghost now. Can you solve my murder please?" Neither incarnation of the character strikes me as the type to have believed in ghosts before becoming one, which makes it all the odder.
Marty's white suit is not white. Sigh.
You know who else's white suit isn't white?
My embed link doesn't want to work.
ETA: And another one:
More of a creamy-beigey colour.
Afore the sun shall rise anew, each ghost unto his grave must... go? Aw.
The 2000 series turned this episode's bad poetry into a running joke, with Wyvern delivering almost every piece of advice he ever gave Marty in the form of badly-rhymed couplets. Since I don't think there's anybody in the world who could outdo Tom Baker's delivery of lines such as 'Sit with me and rest a whale', the 2000 series wins.
That poem in full. Original delivery first, then Wyvern-style:
Afore the sun shall rise anew
Each ghost unto his grave must go/goo.
Cursed be the ghost who dares to stay
And face the awful light of day -
Ye shall not to your grave return
Until a hundred years be gone (1969) / Until your Chosen One be gurn (2000).
The change in the last line is interesting. It ties Marty and Jeff together much more tightly - and means that when Marty saves Jeff's life, especially in episodes like Blast from the Past when Jeff is clinically dead for a couple of minutes, he's making a real sacrifice in order to do so.
That said, I like the hundred years thing too, although I don't think they ever explored it properly in the series. Imagine being that ghost after your Chosen One had gurn, er, gone. There'd be nobody left who could see or hear you. Lonely to the point of maddening.
O HAI JEFF I'Z SPYIN ON U WIV MA WIFE whyz u starin at me?
I imagine partly because cheap special effects were almost nonexistent in 1969, the old series does wonderful things with panning and angle shots when it comes to hiding or revealing Marty's presence. It's not uncommon for them to cut into a close-up, then cut back out to the previous shot and have Kenneth Cope suddenly there. There's also a lot of POV work: in two-hander scenes, when shooting from Jeff's POV Marty is visible, and when shooting from the other person's he's not. The 2000 series does it occasionally, but the 1969 crew turned it into an art form.
I believe infairiesTime Lordsghosts!
Marty tries to walk through a door, fails, and Jeff tells him he 'has to believe he can do it'. It took until the second series episode Marshall and Snellgrove to get the equivalent situation in the new series, but I have to say, 'Well, I dunno, feel the Force or something' is a far less cheesy line. On the other hand, Mike Pratt looks a bit tongue-in-cheek when he extols on the power of Belief, so maybe Jeff's taking the piss.
"Can't run through walls; the effect's too expensive. I'll just translocate."
After running through a wall twice just to prove he can, Marty in 1969 gives up on it and just winks out of existence and back in where he needs to be. In 2000 the show had an effects budget, so he walks through walls instead.
I like the 2000 ghost effects, but I don't miss them all that much. At least bubble wrap's not involved.
"Hallo, Jeff. He's standing behind the door with a bottle."
A line that never made it into the 2000 series.
Marty looked before crossing the road and Jeff didn't!
One of those tiny character things that makes me smile. In 1969-land, Jeff's the outgoing, fairly irresponsible one - and Marty's the worrier. Of course being dead wouldn't affect his views on road safety, or the habits of a lifetime.
And then there's a punch-up, a brief lull, and another punch-up which also involves a car chase. That's how you can tell it's the climax, you see.
So, how do they compare?
Plot: The 2000 series had much stronger plotting the whole way through; the plot of Drop Dead (2000) is way more complex than the plot of My Late Lamented Friend and Partner (1969). To my mind the pacing is better in the new series, too, though I realise that's partly due to an overall shift in the nature of TV direction. (That said, I rarely find myself glaring at Doctor Who from the same era and muttering about bad pacing.)
Characters: None of them are remotely comparable to their counterparts because none of their personalities align. 2000 Jeannie wins hands-down over her counterpart; 1969 Jeff tends to irritate me a bit, but not enough to be a problem. I like both Martys. 2000 has Wyvern, 1969 doesn't...
Cinematography: The 2000 series is beautifully shot, directed and lit. However, the 1969 series uses some really clever camera tricks in place of special effects for Marty. It's a tie.
Effects: The 2000 series has them.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-23 08:58 am (UTC)To me, the biggest area where the 1969 version beats the 2000 version hands-down is in the relationship between Jeff and Marty. In the 1969 version, I absolutely believe that they're best friends -- best friends who bicker, but who know and trust each other a great deal. In the 2000 version, I just didn't get that same sense of closeness (strangely enough, as I know the actors are very close friends in real life). I also didn't like the ineptitude of Jeff -- and especially Marty -- in the 2000 version. In 1969, Randall and Hopkirk as a business didn't do well, but Jeff and Marty were reasonably good detectives. In 2000, they're more often played as bumbling idiots. I also just didn't like 2000 Marty very much. He irritates me, and I want to slap him most of the time, and I really can't see why Jeannie would want to marry him. In contrast, 1969 Marty is one of my all-time favorite television characters.
Anyway, I'll be interested to read your reactions as you make your way through the 1969 episodes. (I've seen every episode of both versions, although I remember the 1969 version better as I've watched those more often.)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-24 06:04 pm (UTC)I can't really speak to their relationship, since I haven't seen enough of the 1969 series to make a comparison. Mind you, their ineptitude - I'd have to do a full rewatch to be sure, but my gut feeling is that they're not as inept as the scripts themselves make out. In particular, 2000 Jeff consistently has very good instincts regarding things being Not Right. They tend to fall foul either of circumstances outside their control, or Marty being a dick.
...and yeah, 2000 Marty is a dick. He's irritated me more and more as I've matured. I can believe that he's got a good heart somewhere underneath it all, though.
I did watch the second episode while I was at it, although I didn't have too much to say. I got cross with the amount of plotholes and contrived coincidences in it, especially at the end with the lamp, but I liked the basic idea.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 05:29 am (UTC)I got cross with the amount of plotholes and contrived coincidences in it
Yeah, the 1969 version has very uneven plots. Some of the episodes descend into incredible cheesiness and/or predictability, too. I think it doesn't bother me because I didn't notice as a child, and I re-watch for the characters, but be warned that if you thought "A Disturbing Case" had plotholes, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 07:33 pm (UTC)On the whole, I prefer the 2001 season to the 2000 season. The episodes are more in line with the arc theme, and the attention to continuity starts to show through as well. They've both got a couple of duds, but then, that's true of almost every TV series.
...I'm doomed :P