The Goodies (TV Series) Animals Are People Too (1982) User Reviews

Animals Are People Too

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 7 March 2023]

The final episode of The Goodies. ITV decided not to continue with another series.

It starts off with Graeme, a pet shop owner selling a Barbara Woodhouse dog training kit. A topical reference as Barbara Woodhouse was a big name back in the early 1980s. Even though in recent years, training dogs the Woodhouse way has come into criticism.

With a shortage of animals due to people eating them. Graeme has an idea of using stray humans acting as animals. Bill becomes a pet dog. Soon the idea gains royal patronage. People become horses to pull the royal carriages.

There is a subtext about eating animals and promoting vegetarianism. With Bill Oddie's love of nature, even a message of people looking after their pets. A dog is not just for Christmas.

It is one of the better ITV episodes but again it is not that inspired. At least there is some vintage zaniness.

That's All Folks!

[ShadeGrenade · 9/10 · 4 March 2007]

Pet shop owner Graeme sells Tim a 'Barbara Woodhouse' dog training kit, which turns him into a facsimile of the eccentric lady herself. But when Tim calls out "Walkies!" in the park, his dog ignores him. However, passers-by respond to the command.

Tim and Graeme begin a new business - to sell people who act just like animals. One of these is Bill, dressed as a cocker spaniel. As a result of the success of their business venture, real pets are no longer in demand, so Graeme sets up a new kind of restaurant - 'The Rumbling Tum' - whose menu consists of dogs and cats.

But the 'animals' come to resent being treated badly, and turn on Graeme. Bill becomes a canine 'Spartacus'...

The final episode of the disappointing London Weekend series is a cracking return to form for the lads from Cricklewood, even if the basic idea seems similar to one they did two years earlier at the B.B.C. - the superb 'Animals'. There's an oddly touching moment as Bill, in his dog guise, reminds his master ( Tim ) that he loved him once. The climax in which the 'animals' chase Graeme is reminiscent of the finale of H.G. Wells' 'The Island Of Dr.Moreau'.

Funniest moment - in the restaurant, Graeme offers Tim a Twiglet. As Tim takes a bite, Graeme tells him it is in fact a stick insect!

For the Goodies, this was indeed the end of the road. Disappointing ratings ensured they did not get another season ( perhaps a later time slot would have helped ). 'Animals' appears to suggest that they had overcome the teething troubles caused by the change-over, and were ready to roll again. I do not accept the oft-repeated charge that their humour became outdated. 'The Two Ronnies' ran until 1987, 'The Morecambe & Wise Show' until 1984 ( only ending because of Eric's death ) and Alf Garnett was successfully resurrected in 1985.

There were plenty of juicy comic targets for the lads to aim at in the '80's - Ronald Reagan, Heavy Metal, the New Romantics, 'Dallas', 'The A-Team', and films such as 'Rambo' ( one can easily visualise a 'Goodies' version of 'Rambo' - it would probably have been called 'Timbo' ). But they were not given the chance to lampoon the decade. That job went to a new show called 'Spitting Image'...

In 1984, L.W.T. repeated 'The Goodies' on Sunday afternoons, and the B.B.C. rather graciously included 'Kitten Kong' as part of a retrospective in 1986.

More recently, 'Beanstalk' was part of a 2004 Boxing Day comedy retrospective on 'Five', the lads reunited for 'The Return Of The Goodies' one-off on B.B.C.-2 a year later, followed soon afterwards by a timely reshowing of 'Winter Olympics'. That appears to be it, folks.