Review of 2 Point 4 Children

Introduction

A genuinely hilarious sitcom from the pen of Andrew Marshall, Two Point Four Children was possibly the last of the old-school style of BBC situation comedy before the advent of the genre-benders like League of Gentlemen. Not that the show didn`t have its own subversive style. It was the story of plumber Ben (the late Gary Olsen), his wife Bill (Belinda Lang) and their kids Jenny (Claire Woodgate) and David (John Pickard). Although an ordinary family, they were never stereotypes and never handled the usual sitcom situations stereotypically.

Prior to 2.4, Andrew Marshall had written for Russ Abbott, Kenny Everett, and had with David Renwick written Whoops Apocalypse, so anything he wrote would never be as predictable and cosy as Terry and June. The storylines for 2.4 Children could take you on a rollercoaster - from moments of sheer surrealist insanity (usually on the Christmas shows) to moments of heartbreak. The exceptionally strong cast was rounded out by Julia Hills` maneater friend of Bill`s Rona and guest appearances from character actors including the wonderful Liz Smith and Roger Lloyd-Pack.

This disc brings you the first six episodes comprising season one of the show from 1991. The series ran up to 1999 and 56 episodes, but was curtailed by the tragic, premature death of Gary Olsen from cancer. The show stands as his finest work and one of the funniest sitcoms of recent years.

Video

Presented as originally transmitted on BBC1 in 4:3. The tapes the disc was mastered from are in tip-top condition and look as good as anything currently being transmitted. The series is licensed from BBC Worldwide by Eureka Video, who have done an excellent job of mastering and authoring the material to DVD.

Audio

The sound is in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo.

Features

All the episodes are fully subtitled. Access is via animated menus that offer a play-all option, episode selection (and chapter selection within that). There is also a photo gallery and a short tribute to Gary Olsen with a commentary over a rolling loop of photos and brief clips.

Conclusion

One of the best sitcoms of recent years, presented in a pleasant, workmanlike package. Six episodes of the adventures of Bill and Ben Porter and their happily dysfunctional family. Belinda Lang stands out as the spunky mother of two-point-four (Ben the hubby is the point four of a child). Excellent show. I`m looking forward to subsequent seasons.