As most reviewers here concur, this Goodies Christmas special is a bit of a mishmash where the comic ideas come thick and fast, and the narrative (like the British population in the story) bounces out of control, leaving us with isolated memories of iconic moments, most notably Michael Barratt (the genuine presenter of the news programme Nationwide, who frequently appeared as himself in The Goodies) interviewing Sooty and Sweep, the spoofs of 1975's pop stars, and of course the giant Dougal. The flip side is that many sequences don't really work, including the Buckingham Palace garden party, the election (borrowed from Monty Python), the Robin Hood sequence and the celebrities (including Eddie Waring, Patrick Moore and Sue Lawley) who have forgotten how to do their own voices.
The ideas have taken over, and the Goodies' internal dynamic disintegrates as a result. Much of the comedy in the Goodies derives from the conflict between them as much as anything, Bill the deranged rebel, Tim the deluded patriot and Graeme the demented scientist. Here they work as a group moving through the social, cultural and political scene, and hardly ever differ or disagree. The lack of studio scenes in their office, where some of their best and most childish arguments were to be had, also contributes to this alien dynamic.
However, what is fascinating is the way that the plot chimes in with the dire politics of the time, when the country appeared to be falling apart. We had just had two indecisive general elections and a referendum on whether we should remain in the European Community (sound familiar?), while the economy tanked amid strikes galore in nationalised industries (note the reference to the Goodies being nationalised). Britain was known at the time as the sick man of Europe. The election theme, and the theme of a saviour to rescue us from this mess, recurred in many programmes, books and articles of the time. Democracy itself was being questioned, and many on the political right wanted a strongman dictator, while many on the political left would have preferred us to join the orbit of the Soviet Union. If you watch The Goodies Rule - OK? with that historical background in mind, it casts an interesting light. And if you watch it with today's political background of populism and despair in mind, parts of it are absolutely fascinating.
As one reviewer noted, the politicians featured would have dated it immediately. There are plenty of sequences of an impersonator of Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who resigned three months later, and also a couple of shots of Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe, who resigned at the same time after featuring in a sex-and-attempted-murder scandal (memorably dramatized as A Very English Scandal, with Hugh Grant playing Thorpe). Early footage of Margaret Thatcher gives no hint of the future to come.
For the virtue-signallers, there are also the inevitable problems associated with 1970s British TV failing to meet the retrospective standards of today's political correctness. The Goodies black up, as they often did to comic effect, this time spoofing Diana Ross and the Supremes. Some may feel uncomfortable by the references to convicted sex offender Gary Glitter, when Bill Oddie memorably dons his trademark hairy chest, and Jimmy Savile.