Oliver's Travels

If you want to see what skilled acting is all about, watch these two masters - Alan Bates and Sinead Cusack - turn what could otherwise be a dull and British story in something highly enjoyable almost solely on the strength of their personalities and acting skills. (A equally skilled director helps as well.) Imagine two young American actors in these roles, and you will see what I mean.

This series - which appeared in the US as a PBS Mystery presentation - which in other hands could have been a mess, is one of the most enjoyable things I've seen on television in a long time. I hope it will be shown again.

When I first saw this on "Mystery" I was unsure I would like the show due to the fact that I had seen Alan Bates in only one other movie and really disliked his character. However, the miniseries proved to be quite lovely (it is really the only way to describe it). I am a fan of B-movies, horror and comedy and YET came away from this with a smile and a sigh of contentment. The interaction of the actors is seamless and highly professional. The movie is full of beautiful scenery and sweet nostalgia. I got my long-awaited copy of this in December but was disappointed to note that Diana Rigg's comments were absent from the DVD. I have other "Mystery" videos such as Ice House and Heat of the Sun (ok, that doesn't fit in with my purported preferred genres) both of which have the added information about the authors and the events related to the movie. Still, I heartily recommend this movie as a Saturday afternoon movie that leaves you with a smile and a brighter look on life. I also loved Mrs. Slokum (sp?) as the inn keeper.

This is a quirky romantic piece with lots of surprises. The leads are very engaging, intelligent and real. They are not overly glamorous but yet very attractive people you would not mind spending time with. This mini series is very reminiscent of the classic Hollywood screwball comedies of the thirties and forties . Preston's Sturges' Sullivan's Travels comes to mind. This is one of the best shows to ever appear on PBS and it's difficult to understand why it is not out on Video or DVD. I am very thankful that I made a copy of this program when it was originally aired on PBS.

I have to agree that "Oliver's Travels" was one of the most enjoyable and cleaver mysteries I have seen on my PBS channel, I only regret two things. One that here in American we saw a cut down version of the series with several scenes deleted for time. And Second NO ONE HAS THOUGHT TO PUT THIS WONDERFUL SERIES OUT IN FULL ON VIDEO TAPE, EITHER HERE OR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. I have a taped copy of the series and I have to admit my family has played it so often, that it is starting to wear out. For those who enjoyed this series, there is at least an Audio tape of the Alan Bates reading the story. Which also includes the often referred to but never told joke of "The Horse that like to sit on eggs" that Bates speaks about in the series. The tape "Oliver's Travels" is produced by Hodder Headline Audio Books, London ISBN # 1-85998-045-7

Alan Bates and Sinead Cusack are fortuitously thrown together in search of a renowned crossword compiler gone missing after apparently some connection with murders and a sinister, shady corporation lurking in the background. Their search takes them on an odyssey through the north of England, Scotland and finally to the Orkney Islands.

This is a romantic comedy/caper rather than a hard-edged thriller, propped up by a wonderful rapport between Bates and Cusack rather than nail-biting scenes and complicated plotting. In fact the details surrounding the sinister corporation I thought were vague and unconvincing but hardly important to the enjoyment of the adventure. Consequently, the entertainment value derives more from the romantic entanglement and witty dialogue between Bates and Cusack unfolding against the beautiful stark landscapes of Britain. 8/10