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Goodnight Sweetheart: The Complete Series Two
01/11/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
DVD. Revelation PAR61254. Price: £19.99 (UK). 10 episodes plus extras. 230 minutes) stars: Nicholas Lyndhurst, Dervla Kirwan, Michelle Holmes, Victor McGuire and Christopher Ettridge and assorted others. Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gan and their writing clan. check out website: www.revfilms.com
Continuing the adventures of Britain's only human time traveller, Gary Sparrow, even if is only back to the London Blitz of World War Two. Time travel creates its only problems, especially if you have a wife, Yvonne, in the 1995 present and fallen for a bar-maid, Phoebe, in the 1940s and want to keep both of them happy. Gary Sparrow tries to fight the temptation of going back but circumstances and being missed don't help. Getting drunk in the past and being caught intoxicated trying to drive away his company van also loses him his television repair job. The past helps out somewhat because he can bring relatively cheap things to the present which are worth far more in the present. Phoebe is now also in charge of the pub as her father was killed in one air-raid and is better able to be more assertive. Gary also finds himself with the potential to become a stage performer in the past even if he resists singing George Formby songs. Aren't you glad bananas don't have bones?
The temptation to stay in the past does overwhelm but a permanent move also discovers the limitations of the period and roof fire duty leaves him somewhat shell-shocked. Fortunately, his wife barely notices him gone, especially as pal, Ron the printer, provides him with the alibis to cover his time trips. Things tend to go rather smoothly until Duckett's Passage, his nexus access point is blocked off by builders and to attend Phoebe's birthday party, has to get over some really tough obstacles.
I've barely touched on the storylines in these 10 episodes of 'Goodnight Sweetheart' Season Two on DVD. Now, a decade old, it still holds up extremely well as a comedy-drama. Although neither creators Marks and Gran are what you call 'SF fans', they do know enough to maintain an integrity that is shared with the other writers they brought on board to cover the heavier episode load for this season. The way they cover questions you'd like to see being addressed makes it even more of a joy to watch.
There are only two audio commentaries this time from two different writing teams but neatly fills you in with why some of the decisions were made and what they thought of the cast which they have admiration for their timing. Added to this is a half hour interview with Christopher Ettridge who played Reg Deadman. To contrast the soft-spoken Ettridge with the part is quite fascinating as well as finding out a lot more about his career and where he's been since the show ended (Royal Shakespeare Company being one of them).
Marks and Gran both consider this series as a drama-comedy because they can balance the two parts together. If you do have an interest in time travel stories and comedy then you should be buying this to add to your collection.
GF Willmetts
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