I never really liked the second Phoebe, she always seemed a bit dopey and slow compared to the original one who was quite bright and sharp.
I missed the episode where Gary met his son. What happened?
Michael is in his fifties when in one episode, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", we see him in the present day. He unwittingly visited Gary's Blitz and Pieces shop and appears to be poverty stricken (saying that his father was never around when he was a kid but being interrupted before he can reveal whether Phoebe is alive or dead). Eventually, Gary remedies the situation by setting up a trust-fund for Michael in the 1940s.
I have always loved Goodnight Sweetheart. I have all the episodes on DVD and have re-watched the series through quite a few times.
My only complaint is some of the character decisions went too far in the later series, like Yvonne's connection to New Labour and becoming a high flying businesswoman seemingly overnight. I know the series was fantasy-like anyway, what with the time travel, but this particular aspect always felt forced and unreal to me.
Michael is in his fifties when in one episode, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", we see him in the present day. He unwittingly visited Gary's Blitz and Pieces shop and appears to be poverty stricken (saying that his father was never around when he was a kid but being interrupted before he can reveal whether Phoebe is alive or dead). Eventually, Gary remedies the situation by setting up a trust-fund for Michael in the 1940s.
If I remember rightly, Michael was played by Ian Lavender (Pike from Dad's Army) in that episode.
Yes - but he also had the great advantage (and reward) of an unparalleled knowledge of the future which he could use to make life pretty cushy for himself. For instance he could buy up Microsoft right at the beginning.
He tried to get rich by knowing the future before. There was an episode where he tried to use old newspaper reports to put bets on horses-and one where he tried to get rich by investing in a company that later boomed. Both times the schemes were derailed by fate. Yet Gary set up a trust-fund for his down-and-out son, and changed his future. He also gave advance information that made the attack on Pearl Harbour less totally damaging and left the US provoked enough to turn the balance of the war, without decimating their forces. Also, he saved Prime Minister Atlee, at the series' end. It was as if the laws of time were intrinsically moral, and only let Gary change the future when he did so for altruistic motives, not selfish ones!
As the last few months I'd watched this for the first time, I decided to watch it again for a bit on GOLD, probably just the first series again, because of the actress changes for Phoebe and Yvonne, I got so used to the new ones from series 4 onwards I sort of forgot what the original ones were like, plus the changes in Ron, he looked completely different!!
anyway, thought there wasn't much difference in the two Yvonnes at all, if you watched just the first episode and the last, you'd probably not know its different actresses! The two Phoebe's on the other hand, it really was different, but I can't work out which was better! didn't really like the Eric character though, guess I'll watch series 2 as well when Phoebe changed to help decide which was better!!
anyway, thought there wasn't much difference in the two Yvonnes at all, if you watched just the first episode and the last, you'd probably not know its different actresses! The two Phoebe's on the other hand, it really was different, but I can't work out which was better! didn't really like the Eric character though, guess I'll watch series 2 as well when Phoebe changed to help decide which was better!!
Well, there we go, I thought the Phoebes looked far more alike than the Yvonnes, who were not remotely alike IMO.
If I remember rightly, Michael was played by Ian Lavender (Pike from Dad's Army) in that episode.
That's right.
I recall reading many moons ago that, in order to create contrast between the modern scenes and those set in the past, the 40s scenes were filmed with a sepia filter. The first series is being shown right now, and this is quite noticeable. The 'past' scenes are a little more faded and washed out.
Does anyone know when this stopped? I recently rewatched the later series (with the new wives) and can't recall there being much (if any) difference in the colouration of the 40s.
You know, I thought that too, but on a recent rewatch I noticed that Elizabeth Carling did actually have a very narrow waist when seen from the side. She was just taller than the petite Dervla Kirwan, and the bulky 1940s clothes did not suit her frame the way they suited Dervla.
You know, I thought that too, but on a recent rewatch I noticed that Elizabeth Carling did actually have a very narrow waist when seen from the side. She was just taller than the petite Dervla Kirwan, and the bulky 1940s clothes did not suit her frame the way they suited Dervla.
Well facially second Phoebe was a lot chubbier-but then she had just given birth, in the show. Her eyes looked different, darker, than her predecessors, and her nose looked different, too.
Well facially second Phoebe was a lot chubbier-but then she had just given birth, in the show. Her eyes looked different, darker, than her predecessors, and her nose looked different, too.
Yes, Phoebe 2 had a bigger face and was more jowly. But then, they were completely different people. Carling also had a deeper voice than Dervla's famous sultry tones, and overall the character became (I think) a bit goofier.
watched the first eight episodes again then, its very good watching again now I know what happened in the end, turned out Gary told Yvonne a few times that he could go back to 1940's
didn't like the change in Phoebe though, thought the actress just didn't suit that type of character, I liked her much more in the first series tbh!
Yes, Phoebe 2 had a bigger face and was more jowly. But then, they were completely different people. Carling also had a deeper voice than Dervla's famous sultry tones, and overall the character became (I think) a bit goofier.
Yes, she seemed to me to be quite stupid and ordinary whereas Dervla was brighter and prettier and you could see why Gary fell for her.
I watched this all the way through on GOLD as well and agree with many of the posters:
- Gary was a much nastier and selfish character than I remembered. His treatment of both his partners and friends is pretty bad.
- The tone of the show did shift after the 2nd series away from a comedy drama towards more of an outright farce.
- The change in actresses affected the show considerably IMO. Yvonne became more sexy and less of a bitch whilst Phoebe went in the opposite direction!
Basically, when I watch the show the first time round I kind of understood Gary as he seemed to be miserable and insignificant in the present but could become this important, valued person in the past. His bigamy didn't seem that bad as I remembered Yvonne not being that interested in him. However watching it back I got much of an impression that Yvonne cared about Gary and that his life in the present was actually ok.
Also - I could never imagine Gary being a Satellite dish fitter
I watched this all the way through on GOLD as well and agree with many of the posters:
- Gary was a much nastier and selfish character than I remembered. His treatment of both his partners and friends is pretty bad.
- The tone of the show did shift after the 2nd series away from a comedy drama towards more of an outright farce.
- The change in actresses affected the show considerably IMO. Yvonne became more sexy and less of a bitch whilst Phoebe went in the opposite direction!
Basically, when I watch the show the first time round I kind of understood Gary as he seemed to be miserable and insignificant in the present but could become this important, valued person in the past. His bigamy didn't seem that bad as I remembered Yvonne not being that interested in him. However watching it back I got much of an impression that Yvonne cared about Gary and that his life in the present was actually ok.
Also - I could never imagine Gary being a Satellite dish fitter
I get the impression that Gary ending up stuck in the 1940s was a punishment for him and his misdemeanours. He seemed a bit fed up and depressed in the last episode and I sensed that he wasn't entirely happy at how things had panned out.
Goodnight Sweetheart was one of those shows where I don't know if I liked it or not. Programme itself was good, with an interesting premise, and the storylines were interesting. However, I found the Gary Sparrow character to be an self centred bore, who thought that everybody's life should be centred around him, even to the detriment of their own lives (poor Ron's life seemed to be insignificant to Gary, so long as Ron did what Gary wanted). Am actually glad he ended up decently unhappy in the end!
I get the impression that Gary ending up stuck in the 1940s was a punishment for him and his misdemeanours. He seemed a bit fed up and depressed in the last episode and I sensed that he wasn't entirely happy at how things had panned out.
I think Gary was just unhappy that he couldn't have the best of both worlds - being stuck just in the 40's didn't appeal to him.
Why didn't Ron try to find out if the old Gary was still alive?
With Birds of a feather returning on ITV hopefully they could bring Goodnight Sweetheart back as well & have them on a Monday night replacing Vicious & The Job Lot
Goodnight Sweetheart was one of those shows where I don't know if I liked it or not. Programme itself was good, with an interesting premise, and the storylines were interesting. However, I found the Gary Sparrow character to be an self centred bore, who thought that everybody's life should be centred around him, even to the detriment of their own lives (poor Ron's life seemed to be insignificant to Gary, so long as Ron did what Gary wanted). Am actually glad he ended up decently unhappy in the end!
I felt sorry for Yvonne in the end though. It was clear she missed Gary badly - more than you'd have thought.
Quick question about this show - in the episode 'The Leaving of Liverpool', Gary and Phoebe visit her grandmother in Liverpool. Gary then goes back to the 90s and finds he's changed things in the past (and thus altered the future), so goes back to 40s Liverpool (all during the night of their visit) to ensure that Ron's granfather becomes a hero, thereby restoring the 90s to how he had known it.
The question is, how the hell was Gary getting back and forward from Liverpool to London (and the time portal) in the middle of the night in the 40s? That episode seemed like the writers had forgotten that Gary could only time travel via Duckett's passage. He's simply pop out of Phoebe's gran's front door in Liverpool and the next scene would have him in 90s London!
Quick question about this show - in the episode 'The Leaving of Liverpool', Gary and Phoebe visit her grandmother in Liverpool. Gary then goes back to the 90s and finds he's changed things in the past (and thus altered the future), so goes back to 40s Liverpool (all during the night of their visit) to ensure that Ron's granfather becomes a hero, thereby restoring the 90s to how he had known it.
The question is, how the hell was Gary getting back and forward from Liverpool to London (and the time portal) in the middle of the night in the 40s? That episode seemed like the writers had forgotten that Gary could only time travel via Duckett's passage. He's simply pop out of Phoebe's gran's front door in Liverpool and the next scene would have him in 90s London!
I assume that was just a bit of a plot hole that they ignored for the sake of the story. I think that train journeys took pretty much the same amount of time as today but I doubt they would have ran during the night.
Comments
Michael is in his fifties when in one episode, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", we see him in the present day. He unwittingly visited Gary's Blitz and Pieces shop and appears to be poverty stricken (saying that his father was never around when he was a kid but being interrupted before he can reveal whether Phoebe is alive or dead). Eventually, Gary remedies the situation by setting up a trust-fund for Michael in the 1940s.
My only complaint is some of the character decisions went too far in the later series, like Yvonne's connection to New Labour and becoming a high flying businesswoman seemingly overnight. I know the series was fantasy-like anyway, what with the time travel, but this particular aspect always felt forced and unreal to me.
If I remember rightly, Michael was played by Ian Lavender (Pike from Dad's Army) in that episode.
He tried to get rich by knowing the future before. There was an episode where he tried to use old newspaper reports to put bets on horses-and one where he tried to get rich by investing in a company that later boomed. Both times the schemes were derailed by fate. Yet Gary set up a trust-fund for his down-and-out son, and changed his future. He also gave advance information that made the attack on Pearl Harbour less totally damaging and left the US provoked enough to turn the balance of the war, without decimating their forces. Also, he saved Prime Minister Atlee, at the series' end. It was as if the laws of time were intrinsically moral, and only let Gary change the future when he did so for altruistic motives, not selfish ones!
anyway, thought there wasn't much difference in the two Yvonnes at all, if you watched just the first episode and the last, you'd probably not know its different actresses! The two Phoebe's on the other hand, it really was different, but I can't work out which was better! didn't really like the Eric character though, guess I'll watch series 2 as well when Phoebe changed to help decide which was better!!
Well, there we go, I thought the Phoebes looked far more alike than the Yvonnes, who were not remotely alike IMO.
That's right.
I recall reading many moons ago that, in order to create contrast between the modern scenes and those set in the past, the 40s scenes were filmed with a sepia filter. The first series is being shown right now, and this is quite noticeable. The 'past' scenes are a little more faded and washed out.
Does anyone know when this stopped? I recently rewatched the later series (with the new wives) and can't recall there being much (if any) difference in the colouration of the 40s.
I agree with you.
First Phoebe was much thinner.
You know, I thought that too, but on a recent rewatch I noticed that Elizabeth Carling did actually have a very narrow waist when seen from the side. She was just taller than the petite Dervla Kirwan, and the bulky 1940s clothes did not suit her frame the way they suited Dervla.
Well facially second Phoebe was a lot chubbier-but then she had just given birth, in the show. Her eyes looked different, darker, than her predecessors, and her nose looked different, too.
Yes, Phoebe 2 had a bigger face and was more jowly. But then, they were completely different people.
didn't like the change in Phoebe though, thought the actress just didn't suit that type of character, I liked her much more in the first series tbh!
Yes, she seemed to me to be quite stupid and ordinary whereas Dervla was brighter and prettier and you could see why Gary fell for her.
- Gary was a much nastier and selfish character than I remembered. His treatment of both his partners and friends is pretty bad.
- The tone of the show did shift after the 2nd series away from a comedy drama towards more of an outright farce.
- The change in actresses affected the show considerably IMO. Yvonne became more sexy and less of a bitch whilst Phoebe went in the opposite direction!
Basically, when I watch the show the first time round I kind of understood Gary as he seemed to be miserable and insignificant in the present but could become this important, valued person in the past. His bigamy didn't seem that bad as I remembered Yvonne not being that interested in him. However watching it back I got much of an impression that Yvonne cared about Gary and that his life in the present was actually ok.
Also - I could never imagine Gary being a Satellite dish fitter
I get the impression that Gary ending up stuck in the 1940s was a punishment for him and his misdemeanours. He seemed a bit fed up and depressed in the last episode and I sensed that he wasn't entirely happy at how things had panned out.
Why didn't Ron try to find out if the old Gary was still alive?
He might have, afterwards. You might think Yvonne would have, too - even if only to 'give 'im such a slap'!
I felt sorry for Yvonne in the end though. It was clear she missed Gary badly - more than you'd have thought.
I liked her in The Last Detective as well:)
The question is, how the hell was Gary getting back and forward from Liverpool to London (and the time portal) in the middle of the night in the 40s? That episode seemed like the writers had forgotten that Gary could only time travel via Duckett's passage. He's simply pop out of Phoebe's gran's front door in Liverpool and the next scene would have him in 90s London!
I assume that was just a bit of a plot hole that they ignored for the sake of the story. I think that train journeys took pretty much the same amount of time as today but I doubt they would have ran during the night.