Sat 11 Jan 2020
TV Episode Review: THE INVISIBLES “Pilot” (2008).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[5] Comments
THE INVISIBLES “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1). 01 May 2008. BBC, 60 min. Anthony Head, Warren Clarke, Dean Lennox Kelly, Jenny Agutter, Mina Anwar, Paul Barber, Emily Head, Darren Tighe. Creator/screenplay: William Ivory. Director: William Sinclair.
The Invisibles was a short-lived British comedy-mystery series that consisted of six episodes and was never renewed. The episodes do not seem to have titles, so I’m calling this first one the pilot.
And as the pilot it does a first rate job of establishing the characters and setting extremely well. Maurice Riley (Anthony Head) and Syd Woolsey (Warren Clarke) are two of three members of a gang of burglars, who retired when the third of them died. They were called “The Invisibles” by the press due to the fact that in all of the years they were in working together, they were never caught.
Now some 15 years later, bored to death of easy living, the two remaining members find themselves in need to go back to work. Syd’s son is in a jam, moneywise, and against Maurice’s wife’s strict orders, back to their black-clothed clandestine activities they go.
Things do not go well at first. Their skills are rusty, and security devices have been updated greatly during their years of retirement. But along the way their path leads them to the third member’s son (or he finds them), and at the end of the first episode they are ready to tackle the world in full gear again.
Even in this first episode the two main characters have great chemistry together. It is as if they really were two mates who have known each other for a long time. The humor in that is raised by both their camaraderie and their struggles to get themselves in shape to work again is largely quiet and unforced, but none the less effective for all that.
The complete series is available both on DVD and streaming on Acorn TV.
January 11th, 2020 at 6:33 pm
Guess what, I really disliked this series and episode. But then I am no fan of NEW TRICKS either. Anthony Head plays the leader who understands he needs to grow up or lose his wife and freedom. He claims he loves her but is more devoted to William Clarke who plays a spoiled idiot partner in crime who needs to find a better relationship with his son than doormat.
The comedy comes from inept attempts in crime and life situations from these old men who cling to the past when they were the best in crime.
This was the first episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqClOo5f9DY
January 11th, 2020 at 6:35 pm
Correction – William Clarke should be Warren Clarke. But I am an old man past my prime like these guys.
January 11th, 2020 at 7:33 pm
I’m not sure, but I may be older than you. And yes, I’m a big fan of NEW TRICKS, as I think I mentioned a while back. I think it safe to say that if you like one, you will like the other. And vice versa.
I’ve added an embed for the video link you included. I found it myself, but decided against using it as the picture quality is only fair at best, with some scenes too dark to make out. But for anyone wanting to see a little bit of what the show is like, it will do.
January 11th, 2020 at 7:40 pm
Have never seen this.
A good episode of NEW TRICKS is:
It Smells of Books (2010).
This takes place in a library ( a favorite place for me).
January 12th, 2020 at 2:11 pm
I remember Warren Clarke principally from his time on DALZIEL AND PASCOE, where he could be very unfunny indeed. IMDb here:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147760/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_21