Cosby “specials” go from strength to strength

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32425, 12 October 1970, Page 4

Cosby “specials” go from strength to strength

The first Bill 'Cosby Special whetted CHTV3 viewers’ appetites for more. The second Special, screened on Friday evening, would have disappointed few. Most would have enjoyed it, and many would have voted it even funnier than the first.

Noah’s conversation with the Lord was a memorable piece of script-writing, beautifully played. But far better, truer Cosby, and much funnier were the reminiscences of Cosby's boyhood. The family came alive, though we did not learn much about Mum, except that she would faint for anything. Deep-voiced Pa viewers came to know very well, chiefly in the boys* bedroom scene, and personally we shall not ever see Bill Cosby on the screen without recalling Pa’s perpetual question, “What’s wrong with that boy?” In the three-part bedroom scene Bill Cosby’s miming and fantastically good control of his voice dileanated the three characters admirably. There was Pa, his patience becoming strained more and more, Bill playing his long-suffering young self, and his tantalising younger brother, Russell. There hardly seems room for a third Bill Cosby Special to make great improvement on the first two; if it could be guaranteed to be as good, most viewers would settle for that m ♦ m

The documentary on Fiji screened on Friday evening gave CHTV3 viewers a timely rundown on the now newlyindependent nation’s racial and economic background. The production team rounded up what seemed to be a reasonably representative crosssection of the Fijian community. There had to be a few sneers at the colonial mas-

ters, but on the whole the switch from an independance in fact to an independence in law seems to have been accomplished with remarkably little bitterness on political grounds. How long political amity will last will depend on a fundamental that was well exposed in the documentary, namely, the inferior position in the matter of land-holding of the numerically superior Indian section of the nation.

There was little disguising in the documentary bitterness that is being felt on economic grounds, a bitterness specially directed at Australia and the Colonial Sugar Refinery. The whole economic future of Fiji is clouded by the intention of the C.S.R. to give up its business in Fiji because of an apparent belief that the business would not be viable under a new award between growers and processors made by the British jurist, Lord Denning. There was a good deal of brave talk in the documentary, but one did get the impression that much of it was whistling to keep the courage up. As Fiji is freed from the maternal apronstrings—reluctantly in some Fijian quarters the Viewer could gather —the nation will still require substantial help from Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The documentary was a reminder to New Zealanders of a duty and obligations to a neighbouring people. Once again, lan Johnstone showed himself to be New Zealand’s best commentator by far in this type of woijk. * • *

Having been made as recently as 1965, Friday evening’s feature film was a relatively up-to-date offering on the television screen. It was billed as drama, but it was pretty light drama; three fragile love affairs that came right after a few tears, some gazings into the distance, and several stiff upperlips, were hardly the stuff of

which drama is made. But because of its setting, the film had a fascination and interest.

A story about American expatriates mixed up with high life in Madrid assumed as its chief interest sight-seeing tours of the Spanish capital and some areas of Spain. In parts, the film might almost have been scenes from "Civilisation.” Viewing splendid squares, gracious interior and exterior architecture, magnificent paintings—especially the El Greco at Toledo—one listened for the explanatorycommentaries of Lord Clark. The producers clearly thought that while they were in Spain they might as well introduce most of the country’s traditional features. There was a bull-fight, at which the American girl was traditionally required to-faint and really fine entertainment in the flamenco dancing; the children’s flamencos in the traditional fishing village was specially attractive. The only traditional feature that seemed to be missed was the rain—and this, presumably, because none of the scenes was set on the plain.— PANDORA.'

On and off There are many major programme changes this week. Those programmes which end are: Monday: World of a Child. Tuesday: The Further Adventures of the Musketeers. Wednesday; Lost in Space, Hark at Barker. Thursday: In View of the Circumstances. Saturday: Freewheelers. New programmes include: Monday: Green Acres, The Dark Number. Tuesday: Softly, Softly. Friday: Julia, Mod Squad, Mannix.