The critic F.R. Leavis was once asked if he had read a book he was complaining about. He replied: "To read it would be to condone it."I have much the same attitude towards the current remake of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, so I have not watched it. But that does not stop me concurring with the observations made about it by Manchester Confidential:
Part of the problem for Clunes is out of his control. lt is a bit like getting a new stepfather; however likeable he is, he just isn't your dad. Reggie Perrin owes its life to its predecessor but will be haunted by it while there are those of us around to remember Rossiter's barely suppressed mania.
It's early days but this Reggie is a shadow of his former self. Clunes is a solid comic actor with genuine talent but he is not Reginald Iolanthe Perrin. RIP Leonard Rossiter.
1 comment:
If it wasn't for the original, it would currently be the funniest thing on telly. I've tried hard to like it, and I like the fact that they have at least paid some homage to the original here and there (eg the name of Reggie's boss is Chris Jackson) but you're right of course - it will never escape Rossiter's shadow.
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