And No Slackin' (Chucklevision)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Chucklevision
Date:	01/06/04 (542 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The Brothers clearly enjoy what they do, Humour is aimed at children, and it works, Memorable characters and events

Disadvantages: Has been going for too long, Not too original any more

Perhaps the most effective and long-running BBC sitcom for the younger generation, ?Chucklevision? has been on Children?s BBC in its various incarnations for 17 years. I grew up with the programme, viewing the antics of the ineffective odd job men and eventually having the privilege of seeing them live in 1995. That?s right, look impressed.


PREMISE


Paul and Barry Chuckle are brothers; one is slightly taller and somewhat domineering, the other is a submissive wrinkly fool. Both are moustachioed. In each episode, Paul and Barry are given a job to do, whether it be decorating, washing windows, taking care of a house or a multitude of other tasks, and they always manage to botch the task up, usually ending with the brothers on the run from the angry character known as ?Mr. No Slacking? due to his catch-phrase.

Paul is slightly more wise than Barry and often allows his wrinkled brother to carry out the more difficult or risky tasks, but they are very close and have no hatred for each other. Their principle form of transport is a pedal cart with a striped sunroof, and throughout the years they live together in a number of low budget habitats including a caravan and a mill.

The show was aimed at the ?8 to 12? age group, which seems a little too precise considering I loved the show when I was about six, but this shows that the level of humour, plot development and character dialogue is above what would be considered ?childish.?


CAST


The Chuckle Brothers are played by real-life brothers and comedy duo Paul and Barry Elliot, and the show has a fairly extensive writing staff, including but not only extending to the stars themselves. The recurring character of No Slacking (as he is credited off-screen), is played b
y Jimmy Patton, who is apparently another of Paul and Barry?s brothers.

The Brothers have mysteriously avoided showing any major signs of ageing throughout the show?s 17 year run, and the only change of note is that in the most recent series which aired from January to March 2004, Barry had shaved off his moustache. If that?s not a valid reason to check the listings on the CBBC channel, I don?t know what is.


CHANGES


When the series was first commissioned in 1987 it was of a much different format than that which it became. The brothers acted as presenters, addressing the young viewers, fronting regular magical acts and attempting to explain about topics as diverse as sport and Halloween.

With the third series in 1989, the format became that of episodic television, with the Brothers bungling every task they attempt. This was obviously a much more successful style of show and served to capture the attentions of children nationwide, leading to the series continuing on and off for the next thirteen years.

In 2002, the format was changed again somewhat in a further attempt to keep the show interesting. The series was now filmed in a very clear, almost cinematic style and plots would continue serialised over a number of weeks. I only saw a couple of these episodes (accidentally of course) and the show has lost a little of its charm with the grandiose format, but I still noticed plenty of the old jokes:

PAUL: Can I take your coat Mr. Carrington-Smithe?
SMITH: It?s pronounced ?Smith.?
PAUL: Sorry, Mister Smith-Smithe.

As I have said, the humour is not aimed specifically at the adult generation, and the comical incidental music and sped-up chases, not to menti
on the amount of paint splats, clearly show the generation this is aimed at. The Brothers also presented a gameshow for children in 1996, titled ?To Me To You,? but this was far less influential and only ran for one series.


VERDICT


Chucklevision is a children?s show, but a very good children?s show despite what some aggravated parents may think. The format has become old by now, but those it is aimed at will not remember the early series and so theoretically the show could go on forever, although reality dictates that the Chuckle Brothers will expire at some point.

I loved Chucklevision when I was young, it was one of the highlights of my televised days, aside from Knightmare obviously. I saw the Brothers live at Scarborough when my family were on holiday in that particular seaside town, but my only memories of that event are a risqué routine involving a cucumber placed through a barrel in front of Barry?s genital area and the brothers running through the crowd with cream pies. My brother got covered, I did not.

A scarily extensive episode guide can be found at TVtome.com, including such aspects of the show as a list of everyone who has ever appeared as a guest star and continuity errors. Honestly.


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APPENDIX

Chucklevision catch-phrases for you and a friend to try (preferably effecting Rotherham accents):

Together: ?Ello-o?

^ Greeting

- ?To me.?
- ?To you.?
- ?To me then.?
- ?To you then.?

^ When lifting heavy loads between places

- ?Silly me!?
- ?Silly you.?

^ Light-hearted realisation that you have made an error

- ?Oh dear.?
- ?Oh dear oh dear.?

^ 
7;hen something has gone seriously wrong (again)

?And no slackin?.?

^ When foolishly trusting a pair of middle-aged idiots with moustaches, forgetting that they have let you down many times in the past.

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