‘MR. BRITTAS CHANGES TRAINS’

Please feel free to comment on my review.

We’re onto arguably what is one of my favourite episodes in ‘The Brittas Empire’ series. In the episode, Gordon is very eager to be chosen as candidate for a European Committee on the Leisure Industry at a dinner. However, Gordon finds it difficult to persuade Helen to join him for this dinner.

Helen later reveals to Laura that he always drives waiters furious at restaurants and they throw food at him. She comes up with an excuse to psychosomatically block her muscles in her jaw. Gordon tries all he can to get his wife back to normal and accompany him for the special dinner he is keen about.

Meanwhile, members of the leisure centre staff are programmed to make wacky responses to certain signals during the day. This is from attending a stage hypnotist performance the previous night. Gordon is shocked by Colin declaring his lust, saying “I love you!” once the word ‘need’ is said.

Colin even takes off his trousers in front of Mr. Brittas. This is when the word ‘clear’ is said. I know it’s not established in the episode, but listening to it carefully, I’m sure it’s the word ‘clear’ that triggers Colin to take off his trousers. Brittas fires Colin on the spot. Colin is unaware of what he’s done.

It’s not just Colin of course. There’s also Carole who croaks after she finishes a sentence which is funny. She also strokes men’s bottoms which we don’t see in the episode. 😀 Linda also talks in doggie language which is funny when she barks. 😀 One staff member named Patrick goes to the loo.

This is when he hears a bell ring, which is funny. Julie even tries to kiss Gavin but she wasn’t hypnotised as she just wanted to see what Gavin was like as a kisser. 😀 This is all done by the work of Guy Siner as Philip Silverman. Guy Siner is well-known for playing Lt. Hubert Gruber in ‘Allo, ‘Allo’.

Guy Siner has also been in the ‘Doctor Who’ story ‘Genesis of the Daleks’. Philip Silverman removes the hypnotic suggestions in Brittas’ staff members and soon Brittas asks him to cure his wife Helen. It doesn’t work out as Gordon ends up going into a trance instead of Helen which was really funny. 🙂

This allows an opportunity for Laura to persuade the therapist to temporarily remove Gordon’s need to change the world. Gordon soon plays with trains with Carole’s kids in reception and Laura agrees to go with Gordon and act as his wife instead of Helen. This soon allows him to get the job he wants.

‘Mr. Brittas Changes Trains’ rating – 10/10