Lucky Jim Wasn’t an Unpleasant Ride
by Gareth McLean | The Guardian | April 11, 2003
Lucky Jim (ITV1) was Christmas cosy. The “happily ever after” of Jim Dixon’s triumph over adversity, snobbery and pretension, his getting of the girl and landing of the dream job, was cockle-warming. The jazzy soundtrack and lovely period detail – fig rolls, Lyons Corner Houses, headscarves, Bakelite telephones, Arthur Askey – were most soothing, verging on the Heartbeat. And the casting was a veritable selection box of treats and truffles.
Stephen Tompkinson blundered, Robert Hardy blustered, Helen McCrory whinnied, Denis Lawson sauntered and Keeley Hawes looked luminous (and very tall). There was even the requisite appearance by an ITV favourite in a surprising role: Hermione Norris in rollers, brandishing a cigarette and a smokin’ attitude as the saucy Carol Goldsmith.
Not only does this please us viewers (“Oh, it’s that nice blonde one off of Cold Feet”), it may also have soothed advertisers worried by the thought of a Kingsley Amis adaptation in prime time on Friday (“Hermione’s s very popular in our key demographic”). Throw in a nasty goatee-wearing artist and Penelope Wilton in a fur collar, remove almost all of the source material’s anger and spirit, and you have not just a Christmassy drama, but almost a panto. In April.
It’s not quite as bad as it sounds, though. This Lucky Jim wasn’t about engaging with its characters on an emotional level, connecting with their feelings or empathising with their situation. It was a comedy of errors, of manners, of situation. It was about wondering whether Jim would get the girl, whether Professor Welch would get his comeuppance, whether our hero would win his race against time and get to the train station. And it was about knowing that all of that was assured, and it was the journey we were supposed to be enjoying.
All in all, Lucky Jim wasn’t an unpleasant ride, even if it was far from what you may have expected. Where, you may have been wondering, was the documentary-style, handheld-camera work? Where was the nudity and anachronistic swearing? Well, you need a diversion every now and then, and Lucky Jim certainly was that. Besides, it had that nice blonde one off of Cold Feet in it.
Read the rest of the original article at The Guardian