Mum's Monday: Goodnight Sweetheart

Warning spoilers

My favourite episode –When Two Worlds Collide.

First a bit of background story:

Gary Sparrow (Nicholas Lyndhurst) was an ordinary husband, married to Yvonne (Michelle Holmes and then in later seasons Emma Amos) living in the 1980/90s, working as a TV repair man. Until one day he walks down an alley way called Ducketts passage, and finds himself in a pub called The Royal Oak. So far, so ordinary, but Gary has stumbled upon a time porthole and has time-travelled back to the war years of the 1940s.

Fast forward to nearing the end of the war a lot has changed, Gary lost his job as a TV repair man due to being caught, having had a few drinks, about to drive his van. The episode that shows Gary’s down fall also has a great line in it, where Gary says that he hasn’t had a drink for 40 years, having time-travelled back to the present after drinking in The Royal Oak back in the 40s.

Ducketts passage is no more and there is a row of shops, where Gary sells his World War 2 memorabilia, that he has picked up whilst time-travelling and the time porthole is now in the Gary’s shop back court yard, a perfect set up. Mint condition war items is not the only thing Gary has picked up. He is now married to Phoebe (Dervla Kirwan and in later seasons Elizabeth Carling) the land lady of The Royal Oak and has a son Michael.

The scripts to keep Gary running his 2 lives are well done. When Gary goes back to the war years he pretends to be an agent, which isn’t far from the truth and the scripts can then easily explain, how Gary knows so much off what is going on.

Now to my favourite episode, a bomb has gone off in Ducketts passage, and Gary worries he won’t be able to get back to the present day. Luckily whilst walking over the rubble he is able to find the time porthole, but he isn’t the only one who stumbles upon it. Phoebe also appears in the modern day Gary’s shop. This is executed so realistically, we see Gary running around packing away things that don’t belong in war time Britain, he explains that Phoebe has found his secret headquarters and saying that it is not a good idea has a whole new level off meaning. Phoebe’s reaction to modern day music is amusing to see and “What is a Toilet Duck?” some things slipped through the net.

Gary, then calls on his trusted friend Ron (Victor McGuire), he is supposed to be out on a date, so this makes for a great cover story he tells Yvonne that Phoebe has a thing for the war and is Ron’s date, Gary has kindly lent him the shop for the night. Ron, it seems does get used by Gary and he does rely on Ron and in some cases, takes advantage, but Ron hasn’t done too badly out of the friendship. When Ron finds himself homeless, Gary lets him have his war time, west end, Mayfair apartment, he bought for him, Phoebe and Michael, to escape the bombing in the east end, which he finds he still owns in modern day and when Yvonne sells her business she gives Ron a cheque.

Gary has put his stereo on and an air raid siren is going off in the shop, so Phoebe thinks there is the usual bombs going off in London. Gary reassures her that she is safe and yes the safest air raid yet. It is perfect how it all comes together. just as we think Gary can keep his two worlds apart, Yvonne walks into the shop and meets Phoebe. The script starts strong and solid but by the end of the meeting with a few uh and what it fizzles out. However, it is Gary’s reaction that makes the scene, his eyes are wide open and he can’t believe he has just got away with, the biggest secret of his life.

The ending is unexpected and opens up a whole new