Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Radio: Narrative Comedy: Old Harry's Game, Series 5 Episode 2, Radio 4 Tuesday 6-6.30 pm
I realise that this review is one episode behind but thanks to the miracle of the BBC's listen again feature I only heard this yesterday afternoon. Radio programmes are available for one week after broadcast so that was my last chance to hear it.
For those of you who don't know Old Harry's Game it's Hell. Or at least set there. The main character is, you guessed it, Satan. In the first four series the action focuses on Satan's debate with the Professor an idealistic human damned for atheism who still believes in essential goodness of humanity. Satan (aided by Scumspawn, and earlier Gary) sets out to prove humanities depravity to the professor, either by experiments back on the earth or by the moral example of Thomas - the most depraved man of all time.
In this new series the Professor is gone having been allowed into Heaven. The remaining characters miss him whether they admit it or not and so does the plot. This is now driven by the overcrowding of hell - brought on by humanities increased evil and Thomas' cheeking of God - and Satan's efforts to resolve the problem by tempting humanity to good instead of evil.
In episode 2 he tries to achieve this by impersonating various religous leaders and encouraging some of the more intractably dogmatics followers to play nice. You won't be surprised to learn that this doesn't work. Scumspawn ties to help as always and meets with his usual lack of success.
I love Old Harrys' Game but for me the best part was the interplay between Satan (played by writer Andy Hamilton) , the Professor, Thomas and Scumspawn. Even though the Professor was entirely a straight man the jokes miss him. Don't get me wrong - this is still good, great even just not quite as great as it was. Listen and laugh.
POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE CONTENTS: Religous fundamentalists should avoid this one. Believers who can take a joke (such as me) should be fine.
YOU’LL LIKE THIS IF YOU LIKE: Drop the Dead Donkey.
RATING: ***** (The old series would get ****** - yes they are that good).
For those of you who don't know Old Harry's Game it's Hell. Or at least set there. The main character is, you guessed it, Satan. In the first four series the action focuses on Satan's debate with the Professor an idealistic human damned for atheism who still believes in essential goodness of humanity. Satan (aided by Scumspawn, and earlier Gary) sets out to prove humanities depravity to the professor, either by experiments back on the earth or by the moral example of Thomas - the most depraved man of all time.
In this new series the Professor is gone having been allowed into Heaven. The remaining characters miss him whether they admit it or not and so does the plot. This is now driven by the overcrowding of hell - brought on by humanities increased evil and Thomas' cheeking of God - and Satan's efforts to resolve the problem by tempting humanity to good instead of evil.
In episode 2 he tries to achieve this by impersonating various religous leaders and encouraging some of the more intractably dogmatics followers to play nice. You won't be surprised to learn that this doesn't work. Scumspawn ties to help as always and meets with his usual lack of success.
I love Old Harrys' Game but for me the best part was the interplay between Satan (played by writer Andy Hamilton) , the Professor, Thomas and Scumspawn. Even though the Professor was entirely a straight man the jokes miss him. Don't get me wrong - this is still good, great even just not quite as great as it was. Listen and laugh.
POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE CONTENTS: Religous fundamentalists should avoid this one. Believers who can take a joke (such as me) should be fine.
YOU’LL LIKE THIS IF YOU LIKE: Drop the Dead Donkey.
RATING: ***** (The old series would get ****** - yes they are that good).
