Love this piece, but did not love Cracker! My mum was a huge fan. It was a very different sort of character, the sort the Brits do best I think - the US Fitz crossover bit sounds a bit of a mess to me and I'd never heard of it. Lovely little fun fact of Mrs Coltrane upstairs too.
My own fun fact: My niece studied Criminal Psychology, got a Masters too...could be a niece thing... I'll ask her if she's heard of Cracker :-)
Thanks for your kind comments as ever, Emma! I remember being a fan at the time, but television has moved on since Cracker. Your niece may never have heard of the show, but I bet it influenced her life more than she realises. Congratulations on her masters!
I love this show. I never heard of it until more recently, as a typical American whose awareness of what is going on in other countries is thin at best. I struggle even to understand what is going on in my own country.
My lack of awareness of the stench of phone boxes apparently contributed to my enjoyment.
And I find that I am curious about your run-in with the law. I’ve always envied people who find joy in a joy ride; for me, it’s a peck of fun to sit in one place while others ride the gas pedal and commit baffling crimes.
Hello Karl! It’s always good to hear from you. My apologies for the late reply. I’ve been off on a spree of baffling crimes and whatnot, and so I haven’t had a lot of Substacking opportunities. More about that, doubtless, in an upcoming newsletter. I’ve always felt that one ought to get out there & live one’s life to the full, blah-blah, but like most tropes that’s easier said than accomplished & I rarely live up to my own expectations. I mustn’t exaggerate the youthful escapade: it was just a low-speed chase down a one-way road where the police couldn’t follow. They seemed to think it was a pretty good jape too & just said put it back when you’ve finished. I must admit I finished rewatching Cracker with mixed emotions, which I hope came across in the article. It is pretty good, but the bleakness dies sometimes carry over into silliness on occasion. If ever you’re in the UK, give me a shout & I’ll be happy to guide you round some if our most pungent phone boxes.
I hope one day to take you up on your telephone box offer!
And yes, the steady committing of baffling crimes requires a lot of focus. You can’t assume that people will automatically be baffled; it takes planning and discipline to consistently baffle.
Robbie Coltrane (RIP) was a comedic, funny genius. I couldn’t watch Cracker though. Most of it seemed to happen in phone booths which evoked the smells of bakelite and urine from my youth in the ‘60s. Also, as you stated, not realistic. It was popular though and one did wonder at the preconceptions it fostered in psychology under and postgrads. It also helped the tabloid headline writers considerably. Great article, thank you.
Thank you for your kind words, John. Always much appreciated. I always liked Cracker when it was first shown but have to admit it seemed a trifle silly when I watched it again this year. I like the comment about phone booths - you’re not far wrong!
Love this piece, but did not love Cracker! My mum was a huge fan. It was a very different sort of character, the sort the Brits do best I think - the US Fitz crossover bit sounds a bit of a mess to me and I'd never heard of it. Lovely little fun fact of Mrs Coltrane upstairs too.
My own fun fact: My niece studied Criminal Psychology, got a Masters too...could be a niece thing... I'll ask her if she's heard of Cracker :-)
Thanks for your kind comments as ever, Emma! I remember being a fan at the time, but television has moved on since Cracker. Your niece may never have heard of the show, but I bet it influenced her life more than she realises. Congratulations on her masters!
I love this show. I never heard of it until more recently, as a typical American whose awareness of what is going on in other countries is thin at best. I struggle even to understand what is going on in my own country.
My lack of awareness of the stench of phone boxes apparently contributed to my enjoyment.
And I find that I am curious about your run-in with the law. I’ve always envied people who find joy in a joy ride; for me, it’s a peck of fun to sit in one place while others ride the gas pedal and commit baffling crimes.
Hello Karl! It’s always good to hear from you. My apologies for the late reply. I’ve been off on a spree of baffling crimes and whatnot, and so I haven’t had a lot of Substacking opportunities. More about that, doubtless, in an upcoming newsletter. I’ve always felt that one ought to get out there & live one’s life to the full, blah-blah, but like most tropes that’s easier said than accomplished & I rarely live up to my own expectations. I mustn’t exaggerate the youthful escapade: it was just a low-speed chase down a one-way road where the police couldn’t follow. They seemed to think it was a pretty good jape too & just said put it back when you’ve finished. I must admit I finished rewatching Cracker with mixed emotions, which I hope came across in the article. It is pretty good, but the bleakness dies sometimes carry over into silliness on occasion. If ever you’re in the UK, give me a shout & I’ll be happy to guide you round some if our most pungent phone boxes.
I hope one day to take you up on your telephone box offer!
And yes, the steady committing of baffling crimes requires a lot of focus. You can’t assume that people will automatically be baffled; it takes planning and discipline to consistently baffle.
Robbie Coltrane (RIP) was a comedic, funny genius. I couldn’t watch Cracker though. Most of it seemed to happen in phone booths which evoked the smells of bakelite and urine from my youth in the ‘60s. Also, as you stated, not realistic. It was popular though and one did wonder at the preconceptions it fostered in psychology under and postgrads. It also helped the tabloid headline writers considerably. Great article, thank you.
Thank you for your kind words, John. Always much appreciated. I always liked Cracker when it was first shown but have to admit it seemed a trifle silly when I watched it again this year. I like the comment about phone booths - you’re not far wrong!