"Desmond's" -- Classic or dud?

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http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/desmonds/desmonsIMAGE/desmonds.jpg

Yeah, that Desmond's. How about a timely reassessment?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 November 2003 07:09 (twenty-one years ago)

For the uninitiated,

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 November 2003 07:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Time for a DVD release with all the requisite doodads, thingummys, and whatsits, I say.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 November 2003 07:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I miss Porkpie, too! :(

A gazillion answers by morning.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 November 2003 07:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic, more please.

― alext (alext), Friday, 7 November 2003 07:58 (twenty-one years ago)

bump

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 November 2003 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Definitely a classic. Infinitely superior to The Crouches. Classic theme tune as well.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 7 November 2003 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic. Just one more of Peckham's triffic contributions to world culture.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 7 November 2003 16:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Barbershop before barbershop.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 7 November 2003 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

The forgotten man of classic British sitcom?

Think 4 gave it a run-out again at three in the morning a couple of years ago. Which is pretty shoddy treatment, considering how popular it used to be. I think more or less everyone at primary school used to watch it...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 7 November 2003 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I am really surprised that there isn't more love for Desmond's.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 November 2003 23:32 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad is mates with Ram John Holder, AKA Porkpie, and he used to come round to my house in the pre-Desmonds days. Although he might well be dead by now - quite frankly I have no idea.

I loved it at the time, but I have a feeling it would probably make me CRINGE now - there was something about the yoof cultcha rap bits that was embarassing even for 13 year old Matt DC. But something tells me the Perennial African Student bits would be hilarious even now.

The theme tune was awesome, though. "Don't scratch my soca... till the party's over!"

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 8 November 2003 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

But on balance, classic if only because of the siege episode.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 8 November 2003 00:41 (twenty-one years ago)

he's currently filimg "down to earth" for the bbc acc.to his cv on his agent's web-page

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 8 November 2003 00:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Desmond's was of course vastly superior to The Crouches, which is of course k-rub but nowhere NEAR as bad as that thing after Eastenders where Jasper Carrott is the Tory activist coming to terms with having a liberal Indian wife and a stepson with cerebal palsy who appears to be solely there for political correctness and, somewhat counterproductively, a string of 'hilarious' voice-module gags.

This is, I feel, the nadir of television. And that includes Keith Chegwin on safari in the buff.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 8 November 2003 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Perennial African student guy (Christopher... something) was Cultural Ambassador for Ghana in real life, before his death in 2000.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh God Matt, yes. "Jasper Carrott likes cripples". What an idea for a sitcom. It's like Malcolm In The Middle gone hideously hideously wrong.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Good lord, appearing in Desmond's appears to be second only to appearing in Dad's Army as a disastrous long-term career move... everyone in it now appears to be dead, and it's only a few years on.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Taking sides: death vs Star Trek Enterprise.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

How did Perennial African Student guy die? He was quite young, wasn't he?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

who's in charge of british tv exports?? i'd rather watch this than MI-5 please whoever you are

― jones (actual), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

The actor's name was Gyearbuor Asante, but he was credited as Christopher Asante in the show. Born 4th November 1941, died 2nd August 2000, in Accra, Ghana. Can't find any details on how he died. This appears to be a charity set up in his honour, though: http://www.taylor-photo.co.uk/tafo/index.shtml

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

jones, I have a sneaking suspicion you would love it.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

yes i probably would! oh well no harm in seeing what good old mr bean has got himself into for the 400th time this week instead ho ho – commonwealth my ass

― jones (actual), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:28 (twenty-one years ago)

the white 'geezer' barber always seemed an odd addition

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 8 November 2003 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

le bomp

― le bomp, Sunday, 18 January 2004 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

bomp

― bomp, Sunday, 18 January 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Clasic show, I don't see the white geezer barber as incongruous. As important as the cosby show but actually funny and it rang true. I loved the episodes where Desmond's ska trumpet playing past comes to light.

― Ed (dali), Sunday, 18 January 2004 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw Ram John Holder in a pub in Highgate once. As far as I can remember he was dressed almost exactly like Porkpie. It is my only brush with fame.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 19 January 2004 01:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I caught an episode of this a year ot two back, showing at some ridiculous early morning Channel 4 hour. Really a charming show... and funny definitely. The ep. I saw had something about his musical past, which just worked so well. And some OTT preacher figure was in it; a clear guest star turn, though I'm not sure who the actor was...

― Tom May (Tom May), Monday, 19 January 2004 01:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Every black barbers I've known in London has been a front for drug dealing. That's why they were open until at least midnight. People don't tend to check in for a trim at 11.30pm. Desmond's, like so many popular series, harks back to more innocent times when people when to the barbers for a haircut and a game of dominoes. Or even something for the weekend.

― Canada Briggs (Canada Briggs), Monday, 19 January 2004 11:32 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

Repeats of this on Trouble are well worth watching. Shirley got a little too involved with her French teacher, so Desmond had a lickle rum and talked about building his house and then the young black dude said something about Lloyd Hunnegan.

― Dom Passantino, Sunday, 23 September 2007 22:51 (eighteen years ago)

did anyone remember the desmond's spin off show about porkpie winning the lottery?

― r1o natsume, Monday, 24 September 2007 12:36 (eighteen years ago)

^^^ oh yeah!!!

i just had a look on youtube for some clips but instead got drawn to this pre-des thing from 1982 set in willesden starring JANET KAYE and KID CREOLE!?!?!?!?! what on earthhhhh

― r|t|c, Tuesday, 25 September 2007 01:27 (eighteen years ago)

I remember the Kid Creole episode. I hope NO PROBLEM is all over the forthcoming 25th anniversary celebrations on Channel 4. And I hope they repeat all the basketball and Kelloggs City Centre Cycling too.

― PJ Miller, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 17:12 (eighteen years ago)

Broadcast on UK Channel 4 1982. (That's before the channel was dumb down and taken over by supremacists).

― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 26 September 2007 17:23 (eighteen years ago)

I saw Ram John Holder in a pub in Highgate once. As far as I can remember he was dressed almost exactly like Porkpie. It is my only brush with fame.

OTM! I always used to see him around London with the hat on.

― Chuck_Tatum, Thursday, 27 September 2007 15:44 (eighteen years ago)

I used to love this show. I'd be scared to see it now in case I didn't like it.

― Tom D., Thursday, 27 September 2007 15:45 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

Bomp!

20 years old now. It feels like this kind of show couldn't exist in the UK today which feels like a depressing lurch backwards two decades on.

Is that fair? Would the concept of of a sitcom centred around a non-white/immigrant family actually seem dated now in terms of how it may support stereotypes? What if it was more sophisticated or a drama with some humour involved?

― Hard House SugBanton (blueski), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 18:03 (sixteen years ago)

loved the African dude Simon.

But this was shit. I think I only used to watch it because it was up against the Brittas Empire.

― languid samuel l. jackson (jim), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 18:54 (sixteen years ago)

It wasn't shit, it was great.

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:18 (sixteen years ago)

It got worse I think. Main problem was that, apart from Norman Beaton and Carmen Monroe, the actors were not great.

― Brandy Frotte and Reel De La St-Jean (Ned Trifle II), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:23 (sixteen years ago)

Ram John Holder is on Myspace, his album sounds pretty good.

― James Mitchell, Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:25 (sixteen years ago)

Actually I'm not quite right. The rest of the family were the weakest link. The people hanging out in the shop were good.

― Brandy Frotte and Reel De La St-Jean (Ned Trifle II), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:26 (sixteen years ago)

i can't believe i called matthew simon upthread. The shame.

― languid samuel l. jackson (jim), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:28 (sixteen years ago)

I did not know that Gyearbuor Asante was dead. RIP minister guy from Local Hero.

― Brandy Frotte and Reel De La St-Jean (Ned Trifle II), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:29 (sixteen years ago)

To answer bluski's question - what about The Kumars?

― Brandy Frotte and Reel De La St-Jean (Ned Trifle II), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:30 (sixteen years ago)

Or Meet the Magoons?

― Brandy Frotte and Reel De La St-Jean (Ned Trifle II), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:34 (sixteen years ago)

yeah Kumars is just one example tho, and they were pretty well established Beeb names. lol at wikip details of how the show was sold to other countries to be redone. Latino family in the never-aired US version, Greeks for Australia, even Parsee family in Mumbai for the Indian market. This suggests that cultural identity (and maybe some playful reliance on stereotyping) of the format was instrumental but I don't know if that's really the case.

not familiar with Magoons

― Hard House SugBanton (blueski), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 19:53 (sixteen years ago)

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