Porterhouse Blue (1987/Acorn Media/British Mini-Series)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C- Episodes: B
Porterhouse
is a school with many traditions and a long history of excellence, supposedly,
but something is wrong there and has been for years. A new headmaster (Ian Richardson) takes over
to continue its half-a-millennium path and to clean up what turns out to be
much more corruption than he could have ever imagined in the drama/comedy
mini-series Porterhouse Blue from 1987.
This
includes a direct conflict with Skullion (a hilarious David Jason) who has
given most of his life to the school and when push comes to shove, comes up
with retaliatory plans that are unforgettable to say the least. At first, all begins amusingly and I was
expecting the comedy to be light. After
some darker turns in the story, I wondered where things might go. Then, this picks up and is a laugh riot if
you get it. Malcolm Bradbury’s
adaptation of the Tom Sharpe novel takes its time to develop the story for all
the right reasons. Director Robert
Knights could have made certain minor trims to really pump up the impact, but
as it stands, Porterhouse Blue is a
late gem from the last golden age of British TV you’ll really enjoy if you give
it a chance.
The 1.33
X 1 image is a little softer than usual because the storage of the materials
seeming finished on analog PAL video is second generation. If any of this was filmed, it was in 16mm and
who knows where that footage is. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 sound is stereo-boosted mono is a bit better, but both show their
age either way. Extras include cast
filmographies and Sharpe biographical information, all text.
By the
way, the title refers to the school giving people a heart attack. With that, you know doom is ahead for many of
the characters. Why has this kind of
smart British TV become increasingly rarer?
Who knows, but Charles Gray and John Sessions also star.
- Nicholas Sheffo
