Dramarama was a British children’s series in
the 80s. It was an anthology program,
and each episode told its own story with its own cast. I understand that many episodes had something
of a sci-fi bent, but “Rosie the Great” is just an oddball little tale with a
fair amount of whimsy.
In this
story, the inhabitants of Longsea, a small island off the coast of Britain,
discover that they’re technically an independent nation. They, and Parliament, had been operating
under the impression that they were subject to British rule. The news sends the sleepy little community
into a flurry, as the head of their village council declares himself president
and begins holding diplomatic sessions with ambassadors from various countries.
The
British Ambassador is our own PC, who seems to be playing a cross between Danny
from Local Hero and Robin from Stay Lucky. Like Danny, The British Ambassador is a
potent mix of friendly and awkward, and like Robin, he seems well-meaning but
wildly out of his depth. He’s been sent
from the U.K. to ensure that their plans to build an airbase on Longsea can still
go ahead, and he’s anxious to succeed in the hopes of earning himself a “rise.”
He’s an
amusing, weird character in an amusing, weird story. The British Ambassador is one of three
representatives to Longsea, and from the moment of his inauspicious arrival –
while the other ambassadors travel by air and are greeted by flag-waving
crowds, he shows up unlauded in a fishing boat – he’s definitely the most
entertaining of the bunch.
Interesting: the USSR Ambassador is a fur-hatted comrade
with a thick-as-borscht accent, and the U.S. Ambassador is a bossy Texan who
insists on being received in style.
Meanwhile, the British Ambassador is a cheerful, gawky man who’s a
little slow on the uptake. Is this meant
to be a stereotype too? Is this how the
British think of themselves – awkward, harmless, and a bit dim? Or is the British Ambassador just the only
one with any non-archetypal characterization?
Accent Watch
I can’t
quite tell. I feel like he might be trying for RP, but it could be that I’m
just assuming that the British Ambassador would be English; how Anglo-centric
of me. At any rate, there are some major
Scottish ‘R’s and vowels. We’ll give him
the benefit of the doubt and just call it Scottish.
Recommend?
In
General
– Maybe, if you want something light and a little silly. If it makes a difference, Longsea seems a
little like the British version of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.
PC-wise – Possibly, again if
you’re in the mood for something fun.
He’s pretty endearing in his clumsy, long-limbed way.
Warnings
Other
than the eye-rolling American and Soviet stereotypes, nothing of note.
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