Two’s Company – Complete Series (Season) Two
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Episodes: C+
Acorn Media is back with the second season of the caddy
British vs. American comedy Two’s Company (1976), featuring eight more
episodes of the series with Elaine Stritch as novelist Dorothy and Donald
Sinden as her fussy butler Robert.
Though never as edgy as it could be, the actors are not bad, even when
the teleplays by Bill MacIlwraith are limited and go for obvious laughs. The episodes this time around are as
follows, sometimes even self-explanatory:
1)
Robert’s Record Player keeps
driving everyone crazy.
2)
The Reluctant Traveller with
Robert’s fear of flying.
3)
The Honeymoon (with Ed Bishop of the
series U.F.O. reviewed on this site)
4)
The Burglary asks should victims be playing
thieves.
5)
The Rubbish has this odd couple taking on
city hall.
6)
The Guests
7)
The Cleaning Ladies
8)
A Loving Christmas – Or is
it?
Each show is under a half-hour and all fit on one DVD and
when you get used to the set-up, it can be amusing on its own terms, but it has
not aged as well as similar shows form the time, though I personally am more
impartial to the British action series of the time. I always liked Stritch and Sinden is very good at matching her
wit and talent. This is some good, lite
comedy for viewers looking for a humorous TV break. It’s just the differences between the British and Americans are
not what they used to be.
The 1.33 X 1 full frame image is from the original PAL
sources, not looking like they are more than a generation down. The overly simple hand drawn animation of
the credits is even interesting. The
shows tapes have survived well and are in good condition, so that goes well with
the Dolby Digital 2.0 sound, which has been boosted to a simple stereo form the
original TV monophonic sound. The only
extra is biography text on the two actors in this case. Two’s Company is worth a look,
especially if you have never seen it before.
- Nicholas Sheffo
