Friends of St. James (11 Oct. 1987)

Director:

Geoffrey Sax

Writers:

Laurence Marks, Maurice Gran,

Stars:

Rik Mayall, Rowena Cooper, Michael Troughton

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Rik Mayall	...	Alan B'Stard
Rowena Cooper	...	Norman Bormann (as R.R. Cooper)
Michael Troughton	...	Piers Fletcher-Dervish
Trevor Laird	...	Lance Okum-Martin
William Simons	...	Catchpole
Angus MacInnes	...	Captain Hirsch
Steffanie Pitt	...	Cyndy
Neville Phillips	...	Headmaster
John Fitzgerald Jay	...	Co-Pilot (as John Jay)
Chris Tummings	...	Police Sergeant
John Carlin	...	House of Commons Speaker

Storyline

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 1987 (UK)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

User Reviews

The biter bit!

Alan is guest of honour at prize-giving day at his old public school ( and thoroughly bored by the occasion ) when he bumps into Lance Okum-Martin ( Trevor Laird ), his old fag, currently 'President for life' - in other words a dictator - of the Caribbean island of St.James. He wants Alan to use his Parliamentary influence to secure a hefty loan to bail the country out of economic difficulties, but Alan is not keen. Lance gives him what appears to be a cigarette - it is in fact a marijuana joint. Alan is hooked.

He tells the Commons the St.James' banks have 25% interest rates. The drooling M.P.'s become keen to invest money there, and accompany Alan and Piers on a chartered flight to the island...

An average episode. The school and Commons scenes are great, but we spend a bit too much time on the plane for my liking. Angus MacInnes plays 'Captain Hirsch', a loud American who terrifies passengers by reminding them of the fates of Jim Reeves and Buddy Holly. In a nice twist, it turns out Lance has taken Alan for a ride. To stop them landing at St.James, he and Piers fake a hijacking, with them playing terrorists. Steffanie Pitt a.k.a. stewardess 'Cyndy', is the daughter of the recently deceased film star Ingrid Pitt. Alan's endorsement of Lance in Parliament - he supported Britain during the Falklands War - sounds uncannily like Thatcher's for the late, unlamented General Augusto Pinochet. William Simons is 'Catchpole', a Labour M.P. with a voice so boring he could give 'Father Stone' from 'Father Ted' a run for his money.

Funniest moment - on the plane, Piers sits down. The back of the chair collapses, landing in Catchpole's lap. "Argggh! You've crushed my nuts!", he whimpers. Piers says: "Didn't know you had any!".

Second funniest moment - Alan, high as a kite, delivering his speech at the school.