Cruise of the Gods

[sir_guinglain]

Cruise of the Gods has been sitting unwatched on tape for nine years since its broadcast. BBC Four repeated it last week, and I'm watching the recording of that broadcast now. It's all frighteningly well-observed, and attuned to the neuroses and prejudices of old fans of older lowish-budget TV shows like myself. It builds from this a story about ageing and experience, delusion and self-knowledge with carefully-deployed pathos, and is a warning to those of us who cling to illusions of status to recognise what we have when we have it. Sentimental? Yes. Enjoyable? That too. The cast - Brydon, Coogan, Corden, Walliams - lend this an air of a latterday Carry On with reflection rather than innuendo - though the same could be said of much of Carry On Teacher, second in that series, shown on Film 4 earlier today.