The Goodies attend an auction at Sothebys. Patriotic Tim is horrified to see a gang of rich Americans eyeing up a priceless Valesquez. Determined that the painting should stay on British soil, he joins in the bidding, which eventually escalates to ludicrous proportions.
Having successfully bought the painting, the Goodies attempt to sell it to The Minister For The Arts. He accepts it reluctantly for the nation after first promising Tim not to increase gallery entrance fees and to pay the Goodies if the Government gets an unexpected windfall. Posing as cleaners, the Goodies steal the National Gallery's art treasures in the hope the insurance money will enable the Government to pay for the painting...
One of the weaker Season 2 episodes, there is still a fair amount of fun to be had here, particularly when Tim bids astronomical sums of money ( which he does not have ) for a priceless work of art. The Americans wear out-sized stetsons, and clichéd cowboy music accompanies them wherever they go. As a prediction of the twenty-first century vogue for 'dumbing down' the arts, this works pretty well.
Julian Orchard plays the latest in a long line of pompous 'Ministers' to feature in Season 2. The long-faced actor ( who died in 1979 ) appeared in 'Carry On Doctor' amongst other things, and was also famous for being able to using a saw as a musical instrument.
Tommy Godfrey, a regular in Vince Powell sitcoms such as 'Love Thy Neighbour', appears as 'The Auctioneer'.
Funniest moment - the National Gallery turned into a fairground, full of such startling attractions as 'Pin The Ear On Van Gogh' and 'Knock The Arms Off Venus ( De Milo ). The sequence has animation which would not have looked out of place in 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'.
Having successfully bought the painting, the Goodies attempt to sell it to The Minister For The Arts. He accepts it reluctantly for the nation after first promising Tim not to increase gallery entrance fees and to pay the Goodies if the Government gets an unexpected windfall. Posing as cleaners, the Goodies steal the National Gallery's art treasures in the hope the insurance money will enable the Government to pay for the painting...
One of the weaker Season 2 episodes, there is still a fair amount of fun to be had here, particularly when Tim bids astronomical sums of money ( which he does not have ) for a priceless work of art. The Americans wear out-sized stetsons, and clichéd cowboy music accompanies them wherever they go. As a prediction of the twenty-first century vogue for 'dumbing down' the arts, this works pretty well.
Julian Orchard plays the latest in a long line of pompous 'Ministers' to feature in Season 2. The long-faced actor ( who died in 1979 ) appeared in 'Carry On Doctor' amongst other things, and was also famous for being able to using a saw as a musical instrument.
Tommy Godfrey, a regular in Vince Powell sitcoms such as 'Love Thy Neighbour', appears as 'The Auctioneer'.
Funniest moment - the National Gallery turned into a fairground, full of such startling attractions as 'Pin The Ear On Van Gogh' and 'Knock The Arms Off Venus ( De Milo ). The sequence has animation which would not have looked out of place in 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'.
