"The Goodies" Cunning Stunts (1975)

Director:

Jim Franklin

Writers:

Tim Brooke-Taylor (creator)
Tim Brooke-Taylor (writer)
(more)

TV Series:

"The Goodies" (1970)

Original Air Date:

14 April 1975 (Season 5, Episode 10)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Slapstick | Surrealism | British | Sitcom | Trio

Cast

Tim Brooke-Taylor	...	Tim Brooke-Taylor
Graeme Garden	...	Graeme Garden
Karin MacCarthy
Roland MacLeod	...	Mr. Makepeace
Bill Oddie	...	Bill Oddie
Tessa Wyatt	...	Mildred Makepeace

Directed by
Jim Franklin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tim Brooke-Taylor		creator
Tim Brooke-Taylor		writer
Graeme Garden		creator
Graeme Garden		writer
Bill Oddie		creator
Bill Oddie		writer

Produced by
Jim Franklin	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Gibbs
Bill Oddie

Film Editing by
Ron Pope

Production Design by
Colin Green
John Stout

Costume Design by
Rupert Jarvis
Andrew Rose

Makeup Department
Rhian Meakin	....	makeup artist
Jean Steward	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
John Howell	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Peter Day	....	visual effects
Len Hutton	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Horne	....	lighting
John Tiley	....	film camera

Other crew
Peter Lovell	....	production assistant

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tim Brooke-Taylor		creator
Graeme Garden		creator
Bill Oddie		creator

Quotes:

[Tim gestures toward a rather fine desk clock as he speaks]
Tim: William... Old pal... As a token of our appreciation for all you've done in the past, we would like you to accept... from us... this magnificent...
[Tim sets the clock aside to reveal a:]
Tim: Piece of cheese. Yes we all know how fond you are of beth Blue Stilton, heh, but this is mousetrap. However, as you can see, we've had it engraved. "To William Edgar Oddle...” Oddle? Oh well, never mind, close enough. "William Edgar Oddle, Good Riddance."

"I don't know what you mean, Miss!"

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The Goodies launch their own newspaper - The Clarion & Globe - with middling results. Bill's heart is just not in it. As ace reporter, he is hopelessly incompetent, missing major scoops such as a bank robbery, a fire and Prime Minister Harold Wilson streaking.

Tim discovers that Bill is in love with the stunning Mildred Makepeace, daughter of a fabulously wealthy ( and notoriously miserable ) property tycoon.

Mr.Makepeace has issued a public challenge - anyone who can make him laugh can have the hand of his daughter in marriage. Bill tries, and fails, so Tim and Graeme sack him. Who do they replace him with? None other than the object of his desire - Mildred herself...

Sometimes known as 'Fleet Street Goodies', this episode is less concerned with bashing the press, and more with Bill's infatuation with Mildred ( though its conveniently forgotten at the end ). 'Mildred' is played by the stunning Tessa Wyatt, later to co-star opposite Richard O'Sullivan in 'Robin's Nest'. She gets some good scenes, notably her crude attempt to chat up Tim, which embarrasses him. 'Mr.Makepeace' is Roland McLeod, who by now had guested in so many episodes as to be almost a regular. Karin McCarthy, who plays 'Katie Pimple', a thinly-disguised Katie Boyle, was appearing at that time in I.T.V.'s 'The Squirrels', written by Eric Chappell.

Several scenes - notably the 'Eurovision Raving Loony Contest' - were used in a B.B.C. Horizon documentary about special effects entitled 'How On Earth Did They Do That?'.

Funniest moment - Bill trying to commit suicide by laying in front of a moving buzz-saw. Tim and Graeme throw the controls into reverse, but then the buzz-saw gets loose and chases them!