The Beiderbecke Connection (1988) User Reviews

The continued adventures of two teachers in a world gone mad - Thatchers Britain - only a little spoiler

[moiness · 9/10 · 18 June 2006]

Jill and Trevor are still living together in unmarried bliss and have the happy addition to their family of "First Born". They are still under the surveillance of the defrocked Bank Manager from over the road - who sends video footage of their activities to the now Detective Inspector Hobson PhD. Jill's return from maternity leave to San Quentin High, as an unwed mother, upsets Mr Wheeler's morality further.

Big Al and Little Norm return to ask the dynamic duo to help them hide a political refugee by the name of Ivan. How can Jill refuse? As he turns out to love jazz, Trevor supports the project. In return, Big Al helps out the cash strapped San Quentin by supplying school equipment - which falls off the back of the lorry of the jolly gravedigger from the previous season.

However, Ivan is not all that he seems, and when Mr Swinburn turns up, things start to get - well, complicated. Just a simple tale of ordinary folk in a world that seems to be turning even madder.

The pieces are so of their time - the joys of living in the UK during the last days of the conservative government, or so we thought. Plater reflects perfectly the times for ordinary folk in a funny and engaging script that keeps you gripped to the last of the (sadly only) four episodes. I have watched them all again recently after having watched these originally as a school pupil/university student. Even funnier with the joy of hindsight. James Bolem and Barbarah Flynn (who my dad fancies the cardigans off of) are brilliant again and the reasons for them being in love are made even more clear - fab stuff.

Whimsical, gentle comedy

[noplace_likehome · 8/10 · 26 February 2009]

I think Keno27 saw a different series rather than "The Beiderbecke Connection"!

*** Spoilers ahead ***

No communists to be seen, the film features Jill (English teacher; once a candidate for the Conservation Party in the local elections) and Trevor (jazz loving, easy going woodwork teacher who can really "hear the music").

Meeting up with old friends Big Al and Little Norm, little wheels in an enormous underground economy, they offer a safe haven for Ivan, a supposed refugee but in fact a man who has relieved banks of £3M with the aid of nothing but a computer.

Jill & Trev's school colleague Mr. Carter, whose life peaked in excitement some years ago, becomes more disillusioned with his lot by the day as their stories of attempts to smuggle Ivan across the Yorkshire and Lancashire borders unfold.

Stitching all this together are a trio of inept policemen, an almost-reformed school tearaway now trying for a career as child-minder, a chance meeting with Jill's ex-husband Peter, and of course the music of Bix Beiderbecke and others, as skillfully arranged by Frank Ricotti (who gets a short cameo).

It's a very whimsical, Yorkshire comedy by a great Yorkshire writer. The cast just shines with quality - and the interplay between all the characters is a triumph both of writing, and of direction.

The tragedy, though, is that this trilogy was made by a once great British television company in the days when television drama was made to be enjoyed. It would never, ever get made in the UK today.

A delightful conclusion to the 'Beiderbeck Trilogy'

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 7 August 2015]

Returning to Yorkshire for the third and final 'Beiderbeck' series teachers Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne are still living together but now there is a new member of their family; a son usually referred to as 'First Born'. Things have apparently been quiet since their last adventure but that is about to change when Big Al asks them to look after refugee Ivan for a day… two at most. Ivan appears to speak little English but Trevor likes him as he thinks 'Bix (Beiderbeck) is cool'. Inevitably he stays longer than expected; twice they try to smuggle him over the border, first to Lincolnshire then to Lancashire, but each time he returns soon afterwards. Meanwhile a neighbour has been sending videos of them to the local police and somebody is making anonymous donations of books and equipment to the school; something the headmaster finds most suspicious.

Anybody who enjoyed 'The Beiderbeck Affair' and 'The Beiderbeck Tapes' is sure to enjoy this concluding series. After an absence during 'Tapes' characters Big Al, Little Norm and Det. Insp. Hobson make a welcome return along with detectives DC Ben and DC Joe who have a much larger role than they did before. Some fun new characters are added; most notably Ivan and Gill's ex-husband Peter. The story is as whimsical as the others with the gentle wit that writer Alan Plater is clearly so adept at. The cast do a great job; most notably James Bolam and the delightful Barbara Flynn who play Mr Chapman and Mrs Swinburne; they have a great chemistry. The central story is enjoyably but it is the little details that make this so much fun; the kids stealing copies of 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' for their English class, DCs Ben and Joe finding new ways to amuse themselves and avoid doing too much work and the gravedigger who keeps delivering 'donated' supplies to the school to name just three. Overall I found this series to be a real delight; I just wish it had been a little longer.

Jazz, not politics!

[philaypee · 10/10 · 4 April 2009]

Hi.

Keno27 obviously did see The Beiderbecke Connection - but, equally obviously, didn't understand it (having seen some of his other reviews I'm sure that this is the explanation). All three of Alan Plater's Beiderbecke series are very British, actually very English - and maybe very Yorkshire (or at least North-East English).

Most US humour is very different from UK humour. Brits often think there is a lack of subtlety in US humour and Americans often think the same of UK humour. But the truth is that they're just different.

Most of Plater's work is definitely not transatlantic, it is accurately aimed at British society and uses (and often spoofs) British humour and ideals. By the same token a lot of US humor and ideology is equally non-transatlantic. I personally remember most of my peers being totally confused by the likes of George Jessel - and as for a Brit reading Jon Dos Passos......!

The Beiderbecke Connection continues the adventures of Jill and Trevor through parenthood, housing a refugee, police surveillance, equipment shortages at school, a leaky roof and several other oddities.

Jill calls First-born Karl after Karl Marx - who wasn't a Soviet-style communist but an intellectual. Trevor calls him Edward after Duke Ellington - who wasn't a US-style capitalist but a musician. Big Al. calls people Brother - but in the UK trade-unionists call each other Brother (and on the railway it was Bruvver, as in Joe Brown and the Bruvvers {a skiffle band}).

None of this is preaching communism, it is poking fun at people who take these things seriously. Neither communism nor capitalism are as important as life, that is the message. Freedom (and children) are vastly more important than politics.

As all this is in a very British style it will probably be misunderstood by those of another culture - as Keno misunderstood it.

Take care, Phil.

"Time wounds all heels."

Bix! Cool.

[lisbethinsydney · 10/10 · 26 March 2021]

Refugee Ivan's monosyllabic description sums this delightful series up perfectly. I love the adventures of Trevor, Jill, the first born and their pals. Legendary in their own quiet way, thanks to their creator, Alan Plater. This was when politics was always left of centre if you were a thinking person, something Americans can't seem to grasp.

Plater's apparent extremist political views come through disastrously in this weak sequel.

[Keno27 · 3/10 · 9 August 2005]

This last installment is not up to the original in several ways. It is not as funny, rather short on laughs, and the authors apparent political leanings are in your face evident! I assume because of the success of the first mini-series, The Beiderbecke Affair, Plater was emboldened to throw in his apparent extremist political beliefs into this one.

Jill calls her baby Carl after lovable Carl Marx. That's real normal if you're a communist! In the first series Big Al was hinted at being a communist calling everyone "brother" and I believe he even makes some out-and-out comments. Jane was suppose to be liberal and be a conservationist.

In this one she is an out-and-out communist and then makes several oxymoronic statements about being for "peace" and "democracy." Jill also dislikes the mere mention of morals, no wonder she's a communist! I'm sorry, but this was really a disappointment! Plater used this series to push his socio-political beliefs in the guise of a comedy mini-series.