The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin - A New Adaptation
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late August 2008, Jay Hunt, the new controller of BBC1, announced at the
Edinburgh Television Festival, that among the shows she would like to see
revived was The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. She said: “We are actively
looking at whether it could have a role again on the BBC. It is very zeitgeisty.”
This comment has split opinions about the revival, with some describing
it as nothing more than a cash-in on the recent John Darwin incident (click
here for details of this story). She added that Perrin’s sense of powerlessness
had become relevant at a time when families are battling with an economic
downturn.
Whatever people's thoughts on the show's revival, the fact is, that an adaptation is just that - an adaptation. Just because the first commission was successful, with a supreme ensemble cast, it doesn't mean it should not be reinterpreted for a new generation. And it should not be viewed in comparison to the original. The original series is rarely repeated anywhere, even in the UK, so to bring the story to a new audience can only be a good thing. If we were to suffice with only one adaptation of a novel, the BBC Costume Department would be out of a job - we'd have to make do with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier's Pride and Prejudice from 1930, instead of all the wonderful adaptations there have been over the years! Plans of the new adaptation of Reginald Perrin seem to be at an advanced stage, with the books' author David Nobbs and celebrated TV comedy author Simon Nye already lined up to create the scripts, and actor Martin Clunes set to step into Reggie's shoes. Clunes shot to fame in Nye's 1990s sitcom Men Behaving Badly and currently plays the eponymous role in ITV's successful drama Doc Martin. |
Readers of the Perrin novels
will recall the many differences
between them and the TV series, especially the omission of darker elements
such as Jimmy's incestuous relationship with his niece, and Reggie's suspicion
of being the local sex attacker. These elements may be reinstated, and
it would be interesting to see this adaptation 'darker' and in a post-watershed
slot. The comedy of the original series could not be replicated without
the original cast, and so a new angle would be welcomed.
What is certain is that the new adaptation will have many changes from the 1970s TV series. At a recent book signing, Martin Clunes confirmed he will be playing Reggie, and that he was "a big fan" of the original series, but that the new version will be "entirely different". This page of Reggie Online will have all the details of the new series as they emerge. Press regarding the new series:
Martin
Clunes: A Day In The Life
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