(no subject)

[phosfate]

Watched the first Randall and Hopkirk episode, "My Late Lamented Friend and Partner." Much as I remembered it, except of course in color. Mike Pratt, you were fucking brilliant.

Everybody smokes. Everybody. Marty's last act on this earth is to light up a fucking cigarette. Jeff's one-room flat must reek of Galoises, and he probably uses that enormous hookah for tobacco rather than weed. I know most of you aren't old enough to remember, but there was a time when most adults (it seemed like) smoked, everywhere and all the time. At home. At work. Restaurants were all-smoking. It was unusual for someone to ask before lighting up. Little kids made ashtrays in crafts class. I was the only person in a family of seven that didn't indulge.

But Ann, you ask, didn't everything and everyone smell bad? All the time?

And I say, Yes, little friend. It fucking reeked. I hope you never experience the horror of suddenly coming face to face with a full ashtray, or being in a grocery store when somebody whips out a pipe. 'Cause, gross!

Anyway. Jeff Randall's apartment cracks my shit up. He's all into Indian mysticism, with dancin' Shiva posters, little elephant statues, saffron yellow jammies (bottoms only 'cause he's manly), and sitar records. The walls and fabrics are red. It looks like something Hildy would do on Trading Spaces. It's also a reminder that Sergeant Pepper was all of two years old when this show was made, and the Beatles were still a going concern, and real men wore paisley. They did. Shut up.

Marty's suit is an alarming biscuit color, but I can't tell if it's the DVD's fault or my TV skews orange.

And Ronald Lacey as the Hippie.

Comments

[hawkmoth.livejournal.com]

Word on the smoking. Lucky Strikes was my Dad's brand. And I didn't make him an ashtray (though I know my sister-in-law did for her mom, though later I think it was used as a ringholder), I freaking bought him one. This cute little glass penguin, which still sits somewhere in Mom's house.

I've seen stills of R&H. Maybe I've even seen part of an episode. But yes, real men did wear paisley. And Nehru jackets.

*Shudder*

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Jeff may wear a Nehru jacket at some point - I'm sure some guest stars will. Marty has Beatle boots.

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

Oh you're making me soooooo desperate for this series. I lived with the smoking for years and years -- in the days when there was no 'smoking section' in the restaurants or the cinemas or the trains or the theatres. People just lit up and smoked away. I never indulged either despite my mom being a 2 pack a day (first Kents, I think, then Virginia Slims) woman from the age of 16 on. She finally quit (due to health issues) 2 years ago. Only took her 50 years. I do not miss the stench at all.

[snacky]

Man, I made ashtrays in arts and crafts A LOT. My dad was a two-pack + a day smoker (Kents at first, but some reason he went to Marlboro Lights eventually). He didn't stop until the day he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

I remember him being incredibly pissed when he couldn't smoke anymore on airplanes. *g*

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

The one nice thing was that constructing a fully functioning ashtray was within the reach of any five-year-old with decent motor skills. I made at least one thing (plaster thing w/cat's paw print in it) that wasn't meant to be an ashtray, but was used as one anyway.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

From what little I've read about Mike, I'm wondering if that decor was mostly him rather than the set people... :)

...I need to make myself an R&H icon. I can't believe I don't have one...