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Thoughts on "The Upper Hand"

Luner13Luner13 Posts: 2,968
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in UK TV Shows #1
I decided to buy the seven series on DVD and have already almost finished series 1.

Its a great show not the funniest show I've ever seen but all the cast are really good sans the boy who plays Tom he is terrible and his being a child is no excuse for being that crappy.

The only other thing that annoys me is the freeze frame in the centre of each episode where the ad break would have been but what can you do.

So far a good show surprised this lasted almost 100 episodes though.

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    GulftasticGulftastic Posts: 127,436
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    #2
    Not the worst show, nor the best. The sort of crushingly average sitcom ITV used to churn out.

    As you say, the cast did a good job with limited material.
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    Luner13Luner13 Posts: 2,968
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    #3
    Gulftastic wrote: »
    Not the worst show, nor the best. The sort of crushingly average sitcom ITV used to churn out.

    As you say, the cast did a good job with limited material.

    Its definetly not as good as Birds of a Feather which ran in the same time period but on BBC 1.

    Can't imagine The Upper Hand returning successfully like that one did.
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    owen10owen10 Posts: 128,060
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    #4
    I loved the show at the time especially the Will they wont they between Charlie and Caroline and also the great lines that Carolines mother Laura used to say and the kids were good but the son was a bit annoying
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    koantemplationkoantemplation Posts: 101,293
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    #5
    Luner13 wrote: »

    The only other thing that annoys me is the freeze frame in the centre of each episode where the ad break would have been but what can you do.
    .

    They had to do that with quite a lot of older ITV shows.

    I have the Shelley DVD and they keep the adbreak bumper in that, although because it has music they don't freeze it.
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    darkislanddarkisland Posts: 3,178
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    #6
    The clichéd, painting by numbers, syrupy sweet theme music was woeful.
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    LordBobbinLordBobbin Posts: 359
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    #7
    Once upon a time, child actors were *all* woeful. Stilted wooden delivery and 'visible acting' were par for the course in the 80s and early 90s. Luckily, they're now mostly required to be rather more natural, and to speak the lines with something approaching passion.
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    spursboy68spursboy68 Posts: 4,282
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    #8
    Whatever happened to the actress who played Joanna? Ha ha.
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    James FrederickJames Frederick Posts: 53,184
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    #9
    spursboy68 wrote: »
    Whatever happened to the actress who played Joanna? Ha ha.

    Played Del and Rodneys Mum in Rock And Chips.

    I always saw Del's Mum more of a Diana Dors type.


    Upper Hand was one of the very few remakes as good as the original (Who's The Boss)
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    spursboy68spursboy68 Posts: 4,282
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    #10
    James Frederick wrote: »
    Played Del and Rodneys Mum in Rock And Chips.

    I always saw Del's Mum more of a Diana Dors type.


    Upper Hand was one of the very few remakes as good as the original (Who's The Boss)
    Loved The Upper Hand. Only saw bits of Who's The Boss, so can't compare. Still undecided over Kellie Bright in EastEnders btw. Still hard to believe it's her 25 years on.
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    skp20040skp20040 Posts: 66,874
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    #11
    I enjoyed it, it was what it was an easy watching comedy no huge belly laughs but it was ok. I am surprised ITV 3 never show the full reruns , they only go so far , up to the end of Series 4 and then end it then when they rerun it they go back to the beginning again , it cant be a rights issue as ITV own the rights, they do the same with Second Thoughts.
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    ohglobbitsohglobbits Posts: 4,482
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    #12
    Worth it for Honor Blackman. What a stunning actress.
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    zx50zx50 Posts: 91,272
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    #13
    I used to quite like it back then.
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    darkislanddarkisland Posts: 3,178
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    #14
    ohglobbits wrote: »
    Worth it for Honor Blackman. What a stunning actress.

    One classy woman !
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    JT2060JT2060 Posts: 5,370
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    #15
    spursboy68 wrote: »
    Loved The Upper Hand. Only saw bits of Who's The Boss, so can't compare. Still undecided over Kellie Bright in EastEnders btw. Still hard to believe it's her 25 years on.

    Well, think of the awful acting of the kids in The Upper Hand, you have Tony Danza - the man is painfully inept.
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    dazza89dazza89 Posts: 13,909
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    #16
    It was a good little show but the best thing about it for me was the theme tune.
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    AneechikAneechik Posts: 20,208
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    #17
    It wasn't that funny, but it was a pleasant enough watch with good chemistry between the adult actors.
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    SupersarahpSupersarahp Posts: 4,118
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    #18
    Loved it when I was younger
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    porkensteinporkenstein Posts: 320
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    #19
    It wasn't bad although i prefered who's the boss....
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    NMdum1NMdum1 Posts: 1,528
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    #20
    I know what you mean, I saw it last about a year ago on one of the Sky channels.

    I did like it at the time and I still like it now. I now believe that it was probably an (except for the boy Tom) a pretty well-cast dramedy shoe-horned into a sitcom format. It was kinder and softer than the original, less about going for the gag in that very American way and possibly had the potential to be far more character and storyline-driven than its US counterpart and its own distinct thing, rather than following the original closely - which is another plus. I also liked the fact that it felt really quite British rather than an US show forced into a British setting. Honor Blackman absolutely was the best thing about it by a mile!

    It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't bad by any means and it still invokes a smile and is a pleasant way to spend half an hour now, and that isn't to be a bad thing....
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    cavallicavalli Posts: 18,738
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    #21
    LordBobbin wrote: »
    Once upon a time, child actors were *all* woeful. Stilted wooden delivery and 'visible acting' were par for the course in the 80s and early 90s. Luckily, they're now mostly required to be rather more natural, and to speak the lines with something approaching passion.

    It's funny watching Kellie Bright 'act' in Eastenders, she doesn't appear to have evolved at all - still pure Sylvia Young.
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