Laughing At Ourselves Is Splendid Exercise

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32383, 24 August 1970, Page 3

Laughing At Ourselves Is Splendid Exercise

New Zealanders have produced some documentaries of very high quality in the last few years, a few worthwhile plays, but there has not been much evidence that the N.Z.B.C. production teams have had a flair [for comedy.

That, it seems is the general belief among viewers. It was therefore all the more pleasant to discover on Friday night that very good comedy has been produced in this country; “In View Of The Circumstances” had some delightful moments. This half-hour programme was a collection of some of the best material from a series of six programmes screened last year, and it served as an introduction for a new series, to start soon. When “In View Of The Circumstances” was on New Zealand screens last year, this viewer was overseas: so Friday night’s performance was a delightful surprise.

The format is one which seems to lean heavily on the "Frost Reports” and the Moore-Cook '-‘Not Only But Also.” Friday’s programme did not compare with the best of these fine shows, but there is certainly no reason to feel that New Zealand is unequal to the tasks of laughing at itself. Little hint, here, of the self-conscious and gauche, except among the studio audience, which was pitiful. Experience must have proved what many viewers resolutely refuse to believe—that studio audiences are necessary. 3ut if we have to have them, they should sound as if they mean business. There were a few faults, naturally. The “Consumer News”-type investigation of spoons was a little protracted. But there were some happy little tilts at this and that, notably television advertising and commercialism in sport. Perhaps this collection of the best of “LV.O.T.C.” has made the task of the programmes to follow more difficult. On the other hand, it may be that the new series, benefiting by last year’s experience, will make it very hard indeed to keep, in a year’s time, the best down to 30 minutes. At all events, it was a happy half-hour and many viewers will be looking forward keenly to the new series, which starts from CHTV3 on September 10. There was not much of particular note about the rest of the programmes on Friday and Saturday evenings. The four-part documentary, “The Violent Universe,” began, and while many will disagree with this view, it did not seem to us to be suitable for a Friday night programme. Those with some knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics were probably delighted by it, but for the layman it lacked the telling parallels with more everyday and comprehensible things,

land he probably found it anything but easy to follow. ! Saturday evening began iwith “Catchword” and again this attractive programme could not escape little irritating errors in management. And again, there was reason to feel that the cryptic clue was too loose. “In the dark” was one of them, and the answer sought was “grope.” But surely in the dark is, more properly, “groping”; “grope” would have been better fitted to “to be in the dark.” “Catchword” has its final outing next Saturday. It is a thousand pities it ran into so many troubles, but in spite of them it was entertaining, and popular. A second helping of “Bracken’s World” was rather more edible than the first, although it was garnished liberally with corn. A week earlier, an hour of tawdry stuff has served to introduce a large number of characters; this time two of the young Hollywood beauties had the show almost to themselves as they played out their drama of jealousy and noble spirits. Again there was a fleeting scene with a screen notable. This time it was Edward G. Robinson. Are we supposed to stand up and cheer every time some star of this or an earlier age is dragged into the story for a few seconds? It was a dreadful tale, at any rate. But Rachel, not a very admirable young woman the first week, and utterly horrible this time, saw the light at the end. This may be the making of her. Any programme scheduled for mid-evening on a Saturday deserves special attention, for it is obviously regarded by the programmers as being of particular appeal. The new English comedy “Father, Dear Father,” even if viewed in this critical light, was a success. It was a little patchy, perhaps, but this story of a writer of thrillers who has two teenage and spectacularly emancipated daughters, was fun. Occasionally risque, occasionally coarse, but never going too

i far, it succeeded because I Patrick Cargill had some good 1 lines to toss off in his urbane (style. There will be hopes that that gorgeous, enormous, drowsy St Bernard, H. G. Wells, is not left out of the script too often. “Father, Dear Father” should add to 'Saturday viewing enjoyment —PANDORA.