I don't know if anyone else has seen this, it was on BBC Choice last night. It features Tim Healey as Ralph, an ageing baldy-heed dreaming of when he used to work for a living and raising his scornful family in the Byker Wall. It's very much a subversive programme with plenty of crudity and fantasy sequences. They had a great take-off of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon when Ralph went to confront the fishmonger who has designs on his daughter.

His two lads are dead losses and nobody was very understanding when he was arrested and cautioned for an improper act with a boiler suit. He was actually snorting this boiler suit to remind him of the smell of working men's clothing. His eldest lad consoled him, "Divven't worry Ralp, you'll not go under." Ralph looks up for some sympathy. "Shite floats."

Well, it made me laugh anyway.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Answers

I didn't see that but talking of cable TV. How can it be that when an old royal dies all three shopping channels stop boadcasting?
Who knows I might have been interested in some fake diamonds or a laver lamp?

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

Softie - I auditioned for it! It goes without saying I didn't get a part. Keen to see it but I keep missing it...

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

You'll like it dan: almost League of Gentlemen during the more surreal bits and quite fearless insofar as breaking taboos goes. There was a terrific spiritual being sung by a group of navvies along the lines of, "Okay so I'm old and skinny but at least I'm working."

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002

The latest episode had 2 of them getting on the Metro with squidgies and offering to clean people's laptops and mobile phone displays whilst claiming to be Rumanaian asylum seekers.

Ralph got a job parking trolleys at the supermarket (until he was laid off in favour of some kids who could do circus skills as well) so he took his missus to the shops to buy them new outfits. They went to a shop full of dodgy designer clothes and he declared, "Nothing's too second best for you Pet!"

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002