Tutti Frutti

Well, the wait is finally over, Amazon have sold out and the DVD is now in my hands via the High St store. It is just as brilliant as a I remembered it, so no rose tinted glasses. Fantastic performances, Glesga gallus humour and real locations (including one round the corner from where I grew up and across the road from the swimming baths I learned to swim in.)

I remember being gobsmacked when I heard Emma Thompson's real accent after the series as she did a very accurate West End Glasgow accent which I thought was authentic at the time the series was broadcast.

SO glad they sorted out all the copyright issues and the DVD can take it's place in the ranks of great ones.

I'm not going to spoil the story. For anybody new to it just go with it, for the ones who have seen it before enjoy!

John Byrne wrote a Scottish version of a Greek tragedy, structured very much like a play. The main characters are a group of ageing local rockstars who epitomise the US rock and roll explosion of the 1960s that ingrained itself working class British lives.

One of the central figures is Vincent Diver, a destructive, hedonistic rocker exploiting the lifestyle for the pleasures it brings. He has a tragic arc that goes from one disaster to the next. He is written and portrayed in a number of scenes that are pretty dark, but with a humorous edge due to Byrne's witty dialogue and Maurice Roëves committed performance.

Danny McGlone is the new band member, returning from a failed art career in America for his brother's funeral. He meets up with former college acquaintance Suzi Kettles and the two have a compelling romantic arc. Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson embody the characters and have epic screen chemistry.

Another strong double act is Richard Wilson and Katy Murphy, who are consistently funny as Eddie and Miss Toner, with great banter in numerous situations.

Other band members and supporting characters contribute well, such as Bomba, Fud and the two ladies in Vincent's life. Another noteworthy role for me is the play's chorus which comes in the form of roadie Dennis.

There are plenty of interesting themes on show such as the toxic masculinity of the Scottish hard case stereotype present in several characters. This goes hand in hand with the progressive attitude towards gender roles, as the treatment and objectification of "dolls" and "burds" is generally lampooned and contrasted well by some quite strong female characters.

The impact of American culture is shown by characters who identify far more with US pop music, movie stars and bohemian New York lifestyle than the drab everyday existence of working class Glasgow.

My favourite episode is the 4th "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O", which flows beautifully towards a dark, but hilarious conclusion. Closely followed by the 5th "Love Hurts", that has some of the show's toughest moments.

It is not perfect, as I think there is a pretty slow build up in the first three episodes to the main events. Byrne was obviously given the freedom to write it his own way, so we have lots of long scenes of dialogue with characters he clearly loves. These are all well written scenes, but some feel slightly overlong if you are not fascinated by the characters and entertained by everything they say. All scenes involving McGlone and Kettles are top drawer though for me.

The production values have aged, but if you consider what was norm for the BBC in 1987, they cinematography and editing is pretty strong. I love the art direction for most scenes, particularly how certain environments are designed to reflect the characters.

For me it is 8.5/10, but I round upwards.

(I have also reviewed each episode individually on this site)

Tutti Fruti was one of the best BBC series of the 1980s. John Byrne's script was smart, witty and full of lively banter. It cleverly captures the delusions of an aging Scottish rock band who return for one last tour. Although the band don't seem to have much of a following they still believe they should have made the big time. There are similarities to Spinal Tap, but the characters in Tutti Friti seem more real.

Byrne creates an amazing cast of characters and the acting is excellent. Emma Thompson was never better or sexier as Suzy Kettles. Katy Murphy was a revelation playing Miss Toner. Richard Wilson, Robbie Coltrane and Maurice Roeves were all superb. I would love to see this again.

I am astonished that this is not yet out on DVD. It was simply wonderful comedy and featured actors and actresses who went on to become famous individually after this show.

Basically the BBC description of this show sums it up: "This was a corking comedy-drama featuring dazzling Decalogue and all-round knock-out performances. Robbie Coltrane was particularly outstanding as the rotund but sexy Danny, and Emma Thompson was appealing as the sharp, strong and independent Suzi. Their romance was played out against a background of funny, dramatic and touching scenes depicting a band, well past its best-by date, suddenly finding a new lease of life. Adding to the heady brew was Richard Wilson as the Majestics' hilariously dour manager Eddie (almost a prototype Victor Meldrew), and Katy Murphy as his lippy secretary Janis Toner. A joy." What I don't understand about the (new?) IMDb system is why the most known and regular cast members don't appear on the main page cast list for "Tutti Frutti" - only later under individual episodes.

Looking back this had a dream cast - Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Richard Wilson. And they were perfect in it. Even the supporting cast, particularly Maurice Roeves and Katy Murphy were fantastic. It was bright and funny, well written, well acted and the music was pretty good.

So of course it's been repeated (once?) and not available on DVD.

I remember loving this when it was first shown... and missing the last episode. And then it was repeated a couple of years later... and I missed the last episode. That it's not out on DVD yet is nothing short of criminal. Please... I'd like to see for myself just how it ends.