"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Monday, December 16, 2013

Dramarama: Series 7, Episode 7 – “Rosie the Great” (1989)

 
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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