One of the better Season 4 episodes, but still well below the standards of earlier shows.
Alan has bought at auction 'Lady Ghislaine', the yacht belonging to the corrupt businessman Robert Maxwell ( who drowned in 1991 ). Aboard is Maxwell himself. Having faked his death to escape his collapsing empire, he plans to hide out on an island in Hawaii with the money he stole from Mirror Group pensioners. Alan is offered a tidy share if he takes him there. En route the yacht gets caught in a war between opposing factions - one led by Brigadier Miljanic ( the late tough guy actor Don Henderson ) and General Giray ( John 'Boycie' Challis ). To broker a peace settlement, Alan agrees to the Brigadier's request that he sleep with Sarah...
'The man who saved The Daily Mirror' was how that paper described its late boss the day after his body was found. The reaction to his passing was initially one of respect ( the B.B.C.'s 'What The Papers Say' ran its closing credits over a picture of Cap'n Bob in mournful silence ). Even Anne 'The Weakest Link' Robinson - then a Mirror columnist - wrote a moving eulogy that ended with: "He enriched many lives. Mine was one of them.". She and other people were left with egg on their faces when, a short time later, the extent of his thefts became known. A feeding frenzy then erupted in the media. Never before in human history has one man's death been the cause of so much hilarity. There was even a 'Maxwell Is Dead' joke book published. Having been unable to savage Maxwell in print when he was alive - he was notoriously litigation-conscious - his enemies took the opportunity to do so when he was in no position to fight back. It will be interesting to see whether a similar frenzy occurs when Rupert Murdoch pops his clogs.
Clips of Maxwell are spliced into the scenes where he chats with Alan, but when hiding in a crate an actor - Leslie Williamson - is used.
Funniest moment - Brigadier Miljanic turning out to fancy Piers instead of Sarah!
On an unrelated note - R.I.P. Miriam Karlin, 'Paddy' of 'The Rag Trade'.
Alan has bought at auction 'Lady Ghislaine', the yacht belonging to the corrupt businessman Robert Maxwell ( who drowned in 1991 ). Aboard is Maxwell himself. Having faked his death to escape his collapsing empire, he plans to hide out on an island in Hawaii with the money he stole from Mirror Group pensioners. Alan is offered a tidy share if he takes him there. En route the yacht gets caught in a war between opposing factions - one led by Brigadier Miljanic ( the late tough guy actor Don Henderson ) and General Giray ( John 'Boycie' Challis ). To broker a peace settlement, Alan agrees to the Brigadier's request that he sleep with Sarah...
'The man who saved The Daily Mirror' was how that paper described its late boss the day after his body was found. The reaction to his passing was initially one of respect ( the B.B.C.'s 'What The Papers Say' ran its closing credits over a picture of Cap'n Bob in mournful silence ). Even Anne 'The Weakest Link' Robinson - then a Mirror columnist - wrote a moving eulogy that ended with: "He enriched many lives. Mine was one of them.". She and other people were left with egg on their faces when, a short time later, the extent of his thefts became known. A feeding frenzy then erupted in the media. Never before in human history has one man's death been the cause of so much hilarity. There was even a 'Maxwell Is Dead' joke book published. Having been unable to savage Maxwell in print when he was alive - he was notoriously litigation-conscious - his enemies took the opportunity to do so when he was in no position to fight back. It will be interesting to see whether a similar frenzy occurs when Rupert Murdoch pops his clogs.
Clips of Maxwell are spliced into the scenes where he chats with Alan, but when hiding in a crate an actor - Leslie Williamson - is used.
Funniest moment - Brigadier Miljanic turning out to fancy Piers instead of Sarah!
On an unrelated note - R.I.P. Miriam Karlin, 'Paddy' of 'The Rag Trade'.