Greensleeves

That's the second time in the series, where it is also a question of a double, but in a lighter way. And, again, it concerns Brett Sinclair - Roger Moore - who, I also played a double in THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF. It is quite good effective, in the perfect mood of the series. And the double scheme can be used in many ways. This one is different from the previous episode : SOMEONE LIKE ME. David Greene the director has not made any episode before for this series. He directed in 1967 a horror mystery movie adapted from HP Lovecraft: SHUTTERED ROOM. And precisely because of this early horror film from David Greene, I thought this episode would be a haunted mansion scheme. Only a bit mystery eerie elements are used actually. Good entertaining episode.

Even in 1971, doing up a house of the size & type of Greensleeves from 'virtually a ruin' would cost many thousands, even millions. All for a scam? Even for a lucrative scam it is simply preposterous.

It does make for a highly entertaining romp however, as Sinclair masquerades as his own lookalike, in order to find out what the heck is going on. The scene where he arrives and the people who want a Sinclair lookalike are critiquing his likeness to the 'real' Brett ('The profile is a bit off' says the woman) is of course very amusing to the audience as we know what's what.

Curtis' turn as a butler is typically hilarious though he's surprisingly good at carrying a tray of tea cups! It takes only moments though for young Ms Congoto to spot the deception.

Another reviewer wonders why Sinclair hadn't been to the family seat recently, but I think the obvious answer is that this is not the family seat but just one of many properties and Sinclair just hasn't given it any thought lately. It does seem a bit hard on poor Moorehead though, if he's been having to live in a 'virtual ruin' all these years!

It doesn't really make a lot of sense when you drill down but it's one of the better entries in the series.

Top-notch entry in the single season big budget early 70s buddy detective comic/action series, one that optimally displays its light touch to mystery and adventure.

The story includes a big myserious mansion with secret passageways and tunnels, a feisty pretty girl (played by DEPARTMENT S's lovely/leggy Rosemary Nicols), and a strange mystery when Roger Moore's wealthy Brit Brett discovers somebody's living in one of his bloodline's old castles and he doesn't know who. Moore has to impersonate himself, with a bushy mustache, it's amusing. Meanwhile Tony Curtis hams it up as usual; some people dig his flamboyant performance, some don't in THE PERSUADERS! Count me among the meh.

But the episode is clever and fun, contains a couple good twists, and, to my personal taste, co-stars most appealing of all the pretty birds who show up on the series in Ms. Nicols. If you can track this 1971-72 series down, be sure to watch "Greensleeves."

In this episode, we have: secret passages galore in an old English country mansion; Rosemary Nicols, one of the stars of "Department S" as guest star, and the general high spirits between the two leads which was such a positive hallmark of this series.

The emphasis is on comedy in this outing, and watching takes one back to the mild, all-turns-out-well entertainments at which 1960's and early 1970's TV excelled. Roger and Tony having fun is the whole point of the episode, as it was of the series. The viewer gets to have some pretty good fun along with them, too.

Is this the man who haunted himself? Brett Sinclair thinks that someone is impersonating him. It turns out to be Brett Sinclair himself under the guise of a down and out actor.

Danny Wilde ends up as a butler at the Sinclair family estate of Greensleeves. Some buccaneers are using the house which they have restored. Along with the Brett lookalike to lure the leader of an African leader to obtain the mining rights to precious minerals.

The new ruler Dr Kibu is known to Brett and he warns Kibu of some kind of dastardly plan. Only Kibu finds that his daughter is in danger.

Despite the silly plot which includes Danny playing an Hungarian butler. This is a lot of fun. It does highlight how big corporations think they can just loot a nation's resources.

You do wonder why Brett has been absent from his family estate for so long.