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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 341720" data-attributes="member: 23">It seems there were no episodes of The Upper Hand at all during 1994. Where all previous series have had a gap of a few months (between two and six). It's a little over a year between the end of Series Five and the beginning of Series Six.The series returns with a minor-but-noticeable rebrand. As always there's a new set of images for the opening titles. This time, however, they're accompanied by a re-recorded, slightly jazzier version of Debbie Wiseman's theme. Both opening and closing credits are noticeably shorter, but the music now overlaps more into the episode giving it a little more of a flow. Making the biggest visual difference is a different font for the credits. The Upper Hand title logo is retained, but everything else looks fresh and different. They don't necessarily look better, but neither do they look awful. They're just noticeably different.Within the episodes themselves, the only real significant visual change is William Puttock's growth spurt (the voice has deepened as well). Kellie Bright looks the same to me, but Jo is now written as a young adult, being at uni and bringing home a fiancé in the fifth episode. As I'm in the middle of a two-parter, they've just eloped to Gretna Green. There are further soapy credentials with the potential in-laws: fiancé Dan Thatcher is played by former Brookie actor Robert Beck (he was Peter Harrison) who is married to Corrie's Jane Danson and has also appeared in Corrie himself as well as Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. Dan's parents are played by two then-recently "retired" Eldorado actors: Roger Walker (Bunny) and Patricia Brake (Gwen). How ironic considering there was at least one Eldorado joke a series or so earlier. Patricia is best-known to me from her comedy work with Ronnie Barker, especially as his daughter in Porridge and Going Straight, but also in the likes of The Two Ronnies. It's great to see her, but sad to see that IMDb only lists one further TUH appearance at the end of this series.It's fair to say that the bloom is off the rose with Charlie. Increasingly I've struggled with him as the series has gone along and it's fair to say that he's now the series' weak link for me. The writing around him is increasingly goofy, but it's not endearing or charming. Charlie seems to swing between outraged alpha male and forced clunky one-liners, and neither is a good look on him. Gone is the doting father and eager-to-please, slightly progressive housekeeper. Charlie is now filled with permanent insecurity and it's getting tedious. Once again, I suspect it's because the scripts were originally written for an actor with a specific appeal (Danza) which McGann doesn't have, and he consequently ends up seeming at best irritating and at worst unlikeable.The family has been slightly expanded with an appearance from Laura's mother. Judy Campbell was great in the role as the woman out to ruin Caroline's relationship by persuading them to take on a prenup (Granny's solicitor was none other than 'Allo 'Allo's Herr Flick, which should have been a red flag). It also brought out new facets in Laura's character since she became timid and eager to please around her controlling and dismissive mother... until she could bite her tongue no longer.Laura's late husband made an appearance in the following episode where she had gallbladder surgery and saw him in her room while sedated. It was a lovely, theatrical little one-to-one, followed by a sweet scene between Laura and Caroline. Unfortunately, it's also an example of Charlie being an irritant, with him crashing repeatedly and unnecessarily into the hospital room with a daft plastic stethescope and - as the scene between the two women played out - a comedy set of glasses with springy-out eyes (if you have to try this hard, you're just not funny). Laura's doctor was the dishy vicar from Keeping Up Appearances. It's a bit of a shame she was too unwell to sexually harass him.</blockquote>

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