Brighter Thursdays now in prospect

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32903, 29 April 1972, Page 5

Brighter Thursdays now in prospect

The start of three new programmes promised much for Thursday evening’s viewing, and if in two cases the new series fell somewhat short of expectations, Thursday is likely to remain one of the better nights for sitting by the set.

in her role of the bored and flighty wife of another officer.

| The piece lost pace with ! admittedly interesting lessons on the running of a vast tanker, lessons which more properly belonged to a documentary. Rather more action is expected of “The Troubleshooters,” be it in the Alaskan wilds or the jungle of the board room. It was satisfactory, however, that the diffident, ever so decent Willie has been promoted to assistant general manager. He deserved it. And no doubt we can look forward to Alex Stewart’s nose being out of joint.

-'The Troubleshooters” has been a particularly popular programme, and very probably this new series will maintain the general standard | of the earlier ones, but the: first story lacked the punch expected of it. Stead was back at his desk after his illness, and very soon was on an enormous tanker sailing to the Caribbean. The camera and the dialogue were crisp and sure, but some of the characters and situations lacked the usual sharp definition. Some of the side issues in the plot were almost irrelevant, as Stead found himself in the middle of one of those ocean dramas devoted to a study of people who live at sea. Ray McAnally was adequate as the captain, ’nit Claire Nielsen (of “The Prior Committment”) was wasted

“Gallery” this time fulfilled its proper function. Its three items were all timely, relevant, and well handled. Particularly impressive was Dr Martin Findlay, Labour M.P. on the outcome of the Crewe murder trial. A new crime series, “The D.A.” looked likely to be one of the best of its kind, but collapsed very badly as its time ran out. It opened with a startling murder scene, and Robert Conrad as Paul Ryan, a young district attorney, strengthened the impression of a thoughtful piece of television entertainment with his cool and quiet style. The whole thing was based

on the admissibility to the trial of a taped confession from the murderer: everyone was thoroughly convinced it could not possibly be used as evidence until the state had proved a crime had been committed; and without the tape, the defence was in an impregnable position. So it was, until the judge, when the tape was presented as evidence, simply uttered the American legal equivalent of she’ll be right mate, and that was that. It was a sad anticlimax.

The role of Ryan’s boss in this series is played by Harry Morgan, who recalled the early days of our television viewing. He was, years ago, in “Pete and Gladys” or “Gladys and Pete”; this time, he had to do little more than smoke cigars and sound sardonic.

Frankie Howerd and “Up Pompeii” will not appeal to all viewers, but it really was quite amusing, with its outrageous innuendoes and asides which were anything but innuendoes. Howerd, with his confidential style and direct approach to his television audience, rather in an old music hall style, got away with a great deal of com and a few bright lines very satisfactorily.—PANDOßA.