Here Come The Double Deckers [DVD] [1971]

Created by Glyn Jones in 1970 and loosely based on the 1930s film serial Our Gang (AKA The Little Rascals) The Double Deckers, or Here Come The Double Deckers to give its full title, is a kids comedy and music show that will have stayed in the minds of any one of a certain age who watched it when it was originally shown in January 1971 and then repeated every summer on BBC TV until at least 1978.

Originally 26 episodes of the show had been commissioned to be followed by further series, but production stopped after just 17 episodes and no further shows were made. The reason for the this has never been fully explained because the show was an immediate hit on both sides of the Atlantic (it was partly funded by an American production company). The show is about a gang of seven children whose HQ is a customised red London Routemaster bus in a scrap yard in London's East End. Each week they get involved in a different adventure be it making a film, raising money for guide dogs for the blind, doing a spot of painting and decorating, going camping or visiting a country mansion and finding lost treasure. Along for the ride was their adult pal Albert (Melvyn Hayes) who more often than not ended up as the butt of their jokes.

Everyone will have their favourite episode. Mine is 'The Pop Singer' where they become pop moguls and help guest star Anthony May become his alter ego The Cool Cavalier. But all the shows are highly memorable and once you start watching you won't want to stop. The young cast including Peter Firth, Gillian Bailey and Brinsley Forde are all excellent and also appearing are a stellar line up of guest stars including Clive Dunn, Pat Combs, Roy Kinnear, Jack Haig, David Lodge, Frank Thornton George Woodbridge, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden, Liz Fraser, Julian Orchard, Jane Seymour, Michael Sharvell-Martin, Graham Stark and Sam Kydd.

The bonus features are not plentiful but are very welcome being an interview of memories of making the show by two of its stars, Brinsley Forde (who played Spring) and Michael Audreson (Brains). The soundtrack album has already been released on CD and so now with this DVD you have no excuse but to "get on board for fun and laughter".

Here Come The Double Deckers [DVD] [1971]

I have waited ages for this to be released on dvd, and was not dissapointed when it arrived. It was like revisiting my childhood.I have already watched 4x20 minute programs and thought how much I've missed this well made and very funny series. You can imagine yourself getting up to similar pranks when you were younger!
I particularly like the episode when Doughnut is invisible!
Brrriiiilllliiiaaannntttt!!!!!!!

Oh my - what a trip down 'Memory Lane' this was! Hadn't seen this since it aired originally way, way back in 1971 - almost forty years ago. Remembered it all vividly though; including the theme song, the kids names, and all of the action! Made in the American style (but still very British) this was an action-packed show for kids that was originally shown on a Saturday morning long before 'official' children's TV began - along with other shows like 'The Banana Splits' if I remember correctly.

Where so many TV series take time to get off the ground; this classic kicked-off immediately with the very first episode which is one of the best and funniest when 'Tiger' falls into an invention (the 'thingy' Craft) made by 'Brains' and literally 'takes off'! This is a real tonic and will have you in stitches! Unable to control the strange 'Hoover' vehicle (as she calls it); Tiger seems to be chasing the other kids all over town - priceless stuff! May not sound very original today, but these talented kids - the slapstick, and the way things were back then makes it all work somehow.

'The Case Of The Missing Doughnut' episode - and the very second, is brilliant too! Simply a masterpiece of comic slapstick! 'Doughnut' makes himself invisible via one of 'Brains'' inventions and has some fun at the expense of shopkeepers in both a Toy Shop and a Bakers. Some hilarious scenes ensue in the Toy Shop in particular, featuring comedy greats: Julian Orchard and Jack Haig as the 'taunted' shop keepers! You'll be in stitches as Jack Haig shouts at some toy guns 'don't shoot, don't shoot'! as both fight to get into a toy cupboard for safety from the seemingly attacking toys! And Get a load of those board games on the shelf above; Monopoly, Cluedo, Spy-Ring and the 'Computer Car' - they're all there and we owned them all, and what golden memories too! Only one complaint; these eps. weren't long enough, but then again; that was one of the most successful tricks of the trade years ago; it all left you wanting more...

'Get A Movie On' was hilarious too - Melvyn Hayes's custard pie slapstick constantly in the mush is merciless! All so innocent, and not one of the kids was one of those that you couldn't stand like nowadays. Is it me, or our generation? But none of these kids suffered from that awful teenage 'attitude' we see so often today. We were obviously very fortunate and grew up in a golden era. We all had our favourite characters too - mine was 'Billie' played by Gillian Bailey. For some reason I remembered her best of all.

I loved much of the slapstick in this which you don't see today; cars, vehicles and even people just 'speeded up' - totally hilarious! The scene with the Fork Lift Truck in 'Starstruck' is a classic example! Also, the Benny Hill type chasing that occurs in the 'Happy Haunting' episode with the late great Pat Coombes is also another fine example of this. They all begin running away from something individually - only to end up running behind one another in a long line - marvellous! Another where slapstick features highly is 'Summer Camp' starring a handsome Hugh Paddick. 'Invaders From Space' and 'Robbie The Robot' are two more of the funniest and 'Scooper Strikes Out' is extremely artistic which stars a very young Jane Seymour and is reminiscent of the tale 'Alice In Wonderland' with its very own unique 'slant' to the story! In 'The Popstar' which features 'Anthony May' - at one point, you could be forgiven for thinking you'd tuned into an episode of 'Top Of The Pops'!

The quality of most episodes in general is pretty good, though a couple are slightly 'duller' in quality - both in picture and sound. Some of the dubbing is slightly out of synch too for some reason on a couple, and there's one episode where the character 'Billie' is saying a line - and her lips don't even move at all!

In reference to any 'Extras' - there's only one; namely Brinsley Ford (Spring) and Michael Audreson (Brains') reminiscing about their work on the show. Though nice to see them, it's clear that no expense went into this - or heart come to that, and from this angle, it's very disappointing... Considering how popular the show was and still is; I think it's criminal they've been so mean - in view of the fact I would have thought that most, if not all of the cast would have wished to take part - particularly since many have done little else in TV since. (with perhaps the exception of Peter Firth who played 'Scooper')

'See You Next Weeeee....k' - oh those golden memories...