Review CATWEAZLE: THE TELLING BONE - Episode 07

[Doctor Omega]

Your thoughts on this episode....

Catweazle discovers the magic of the telephone, or "telling bone". He is befriended by the vicar of a nearby village who tries to find out where he's come from and who his family is and where he lives. Talk of Norman invaders, time travel, demons , convinces the vicar Catweazle is dangerous especially when he pulls a toad out of his pocket, his pet Touchwood.

On to the next episode....

THE POWER OF ADAMCOS

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/catweazle-the-power-of-adamcos-episode-08.4618/


Back to the previous episode....

THE MAGIC FACE

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/catweazle-the-magic-face-episode-06.4745/

 

[Doctor Omega]

Another fun episode.

Nice to see Mister Barraclough, prison warder, pop up, but I am not sure how this fits into PORRIDGE continuity!

Clearly, as has been pointed out in some quarters, magic is, indeed, real in the universe of CATWEAZLE.

It is, obviously, for far more learned, discerning and verbose critics than I to work out and explain whether that was a sound storytelling angle or not - or indeed, a fatal flaw.

I would contend, however, that the real magic is in the scripting, the chemistry between the cast, and the warm, summery, scenery that is wrapped around the on-screen proceedings.

For me, the highlight of this particular episode is Catweazle interpreting a phone conversation between the vicar and Carrot's dad as the Vicar talking to him - much to the vicar's exasperation.

Sam's mother, also, immediately reminded me of Joan Simm's mother from CARRY ON CAMPING. A dominating battleaxe. I think that they may have missed a trick though by not having any scenes of her meeting Catweazle. That could have added to the fun.

There is good comic chemistry between Bayldon and Davies now, as evidenced by the "opening the window" miming - and Catweazle's triumphantly holding his prize, the "telling bone" aloft, when Carrot just wanted him to get out of sight was also good fun.

I am continuing to enjoy this series, whether it be stricken by a fatal flaw or not.

So fatal, that the series will be loved, watched and discussed long after we are all dead.

* And I was also worried that CATWEAZLE was going to tread on Touchwood as he was getting out of the car!

This episode continues the high water mark of the previous one, so it retains....

Grade A-

I have high hopes that we will get an A+ out of this show from me!

 

[michaellevenson]

Another fun episode.

Nice to see Mister Barraclough, prison warder, pop up, but I am not sure how this fits into PORRIDGE continuity!

Clearly, as has been pointed out in some quarters, magic is, indeed, real in the universe of CATWEAZLE.

It is, obviously, for far more learned, discerning and verbose critics than I to work out and explain whether that was a sound storytelling angle or not - or indeed, a fatal flaw.

I would contend, however, that the real magic is in the scripting, the chemistry between the cast, and the warm, summery, scenery that is wrapped around the on-screen proceedings.

For me, the highlight of this particular episode is Catweazle interpreting a phone conversation between the vicar and Carrot's dad as the Vicar talking to him - much to the vicar's exasperation.

Sam's mother, also, immediately reminded me of Joan Simm's mother from CARRY ON CAMPING. A dominating battleaxe. I think that they may have missed a trick though by not having any scenes of her meeting Catweazle. That could have added to the fun.

There is good comic chemistry between Bayldon and Davies now, as evidenced by the "opening the window" miming - and Catweazle's triumphantly holding his prize, the "telling bone" aloft, when Carrot just wanted him to get out of sight was also good fun.

I am continuing to enjoy this series, whether it be stricken by a fatal flaw or not.

So fatal, that the series will be loved, watched and discussed long after we are all dead.

* And I was also worried that CATWEAZLE was going to tread on Touchwood as he was getting out of the car!

This episode continues the high water mark of the previous one, so it retains....

Grade A-

I have high hopes that we will get an A+ out of this show from me!

The " Verbose Critic's " fatal flaw theory is predicated on the assumption that magic is real and Carpenter didn't follow that through. Anyone knowing of Classic Who can come up with an alternative. As Pertwee's Doctor points out in The Daemons, the magic gobbledygook and incantations are indeed useful to drum up psychokinetic energy,as Catweazle does, then he inadvertently falls through a weakness in space-time. Convoluted perhaps, but not as unbelievable as magic. So the fatal flaw argument collapses. Plus of course a kids show needn't be examined in such detail. It succeeded in enthralling a generation of viewers.

 

[Doctor Omega]

The Daemons

Mildly off-topic (although not really), but I just found this......


Doctor Who: The Daemons - Something Tells Me...

A tongue-in-cheek mix of one of my favourite stories and one of my favourite songs (from the same year).

 

[Doctor Omega]

Anyone knowing of Classic Who can come up with an alternative.

I used to love that juxtaposition of supernatural fear in DOCTOR WHO and then the Doctor coming along with a scientific explanation that levelled it and showed that such fears were mistaken.

Perhaps we are missing a crossover here. The Doctor - or the Master, or Meddling Monk, travelled back to Catweazle's time and left behind that bizarre dagger that Catweazle treasures. It possesses time-travel technology and can exert mind control. Heck, perhaps Catweazle is a time-lord who has used a chameleon arch to make himself human, but still retained the technology that he now thinks of as magic.

Maybe such theories are wrong. Or naively dumb.

None of it matters.

The point is that shows such as Catweazle and Doctor Who could stir up the childish imagination to the point where such hypothesising was possible.

They engaged the imagination and entertained.

And I think that's what makes them timeless, to the point where they will outlast critics - and fans - of even today, verbose or otherwise - and be remembered by future generations as the timeless classics that they surely are.

 

[Doctor Omega]

I still cannot, for the life of me, fit this into PORRIDGE continuity.

A huge black mark against the otherwise excellent CATWEAZLE series.....

How the hell did a country vicar end up as a prison warder, or vice versa?

 

[michaellevenson]

I still cannot, for the life of me, fit this into PORRIDGE continuity.

A hug black mark against the otherwise excellent CATWEAZLE series.....

How the hell did a country vicar end up as a prison warder, or vice versa?

And why did the prison authorities employ someone who calls his cats Spencer Tracey and Shirley Temple ?
If you think that's a puzzle, wait until Marty Hopkirk turns up, alive three years after R+H!

 

[Doctor Omega]

wait until Marty Hopkirk turns up, alive three years after R+H

Now that is baffling!

 

[michaellevenson]

Carpenter throughout the series leaves it open as to whether Catweazle has real power or not. Carrot of course doesn't believe a word of it, but Carpenter doesn't allow him to disprove magic. So even if magic is real here , it's a new interpretation given to the show, proving the premise has interesting depths. But it certainly isn't a flaw in the writing, fatal or otherwise.

 

[Doctor Omega]

And this is, presumably, all that is left of Series 3?

How Catweazle ended up as a completely crap wrestler makes me glad they lost this particular run of the show.

 

[michaellevenson]

One of my favourite episodes of series 1. We meet Mrs Woodyard and realise why Sam spends so much time at the farm. George Bennett on the phone to the vicar was amusing, " I think they're both potty". But of course Catweazle's first encounter with the telling bone was the highlight, as the vicar talks to Bennett and Catweazle thinks there's an invisible daemon.
Brian Wilde aka Mr Barraclough was good. I've never been a fan of Last of the summer Wine, but the series in which he appeared as Foggy were very watchable.
10/10

 

[Doctor Omega]

the vicar talks to Bennett and Catweazle thinks there's an invisible daemon.

Yes, I liked that bit too.

 

[Mad-Pac]

So the fatal flaw argument collapses.

You're wrong. There's no such thing as a "fatal flaw" when you are speculating about a show you just began to watch. That's the very nature of speculating.

Plus of course a kids show needn't be examined in such detail.

Not by kids for sure, but anyone with a brain can examine art in its subtleties. It is erroneous to dismiss something because it's a kids' show because it leads to the fallacy that its dramatic structure will necessarily be plain and devoid of signifiers. But of course, many things made for kids are just not that well made, so I agree it would be a waste of time to look into them.

It succeeded in enthralling a generation of viewers.

Or, in our case, a show that has remained unheard of for generations.

Actually I no longer hold the theory that it is all magic. I've figure it out already. This is all happening in Catweazle's mind, a poor man's delusion. Catweazle is an old historian and history professor, but old age got the best of him, so he built this world of fantasy and, for him that's all real. His grandson, Carrot, was instructed by the doctors to humor him and pretend the old man's stories are true, and the entire family goes along with it, in the hopes that the old man, in his final days, will have some comfort in his ultimate fantasy.

That explains his erratic behavior, the fact he walks on all fours, hisses at things and thinks mannequins are people. It's a cautionary tale about a senior's mental health and his personal battle with insanity. Very touching and deep when you think of it. Clearly, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared drew inspiration from this show.

 

[Doctor Omega]

You're wrong. There's no such thing as a "fatal flaw" when you are speculating about a show you just began to watch. That's the very nature of speculating.


Not by kids for sure, but anyone with a brain can examine art in its subtleties. It is erroneous to dismiss something because it's a kids' show because it leads to the fallacy that its dramatic structure will necessarily be plain and devoid of signifiers. But of course, many things made for kids are just not that well made, so I agree it would be a waste of time to look into them.


Or, in our case, a show that has remained unheard of for generations.

Actually I no longer hold the theory that it is all magic. I've figure it out already. This is all happening in Catweazle's mind, a poor man's delusion. Catweazle is an old historian and history professor, but old age got the best of him, so he built this world of fantasy and, for him that's all real. His grandson, Carrot, was instructed by the doctors to humor him and pretend the old man's stories are true, and the entire family goes along with it, in the hopes that the old man, in his final days, will have some comfort in his ultimate fantasy.

That explains his erratic behavior, the fact he walks on all fours, hisses at things and thinks mannequins are people. It's a cautionary tale about a senior's mental health and his personal battle with insanity. Very touching and deep when you think of it. Clearly, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared drew inspiration from this show.

1. That history professor theory is an actually insanely brilliant interpretation, imo.

2. Are you planning to review this week's episode, Mad-Pac?

 

[Mad-Pac]

1. That history professor theory is an actually insanely brilliant interpretation, imo.

2. Are you planning to review this week's episode, Mad-Pac?

Thanks. Yes, it's quite possible.

When I think of Catweazle as a person I can't help but associate his image with that of this guy:

 

[Doctor Omega]

this guy:

New film version of that story out soon-ish.

Hopefully....

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/don-quixote-2018.2694/

 

[Brimfin]

Even with Catweazle temporarily gone, he still has a bad influence on Carrot. Dad and Sam have to do some heavy lifting work all alone because Carrot is off at the Castle mourning the disappearance of his friend. But, to his credit, Edward returns home and actually helps Sam fix that new clunker he just bought, which of course is a real lemon. Promised a ride later by a grateful Sam, he goes to the house and answers the phone. It’s the Vicar of a nearby town asking to speak to Mr. Bennet. Oh, if only those young ears on Carrot which can hear more than adults could just listen a little more closely he might hear the sound of his friend Catweazle calling out his own name.

Because it seems Cat didn’t go back in time, just sideways, finding himself clinging to the steeple of a nearby church. The vicar, thinking him an attempted suicide and not wanting to call the police, manages to coax him down. In the spirit of having a conversation where two men both misunderstand each other, CW hears “book” and “brother” and understands something very different than the vicar is referring to. The vicar does manage to get Catweazle to mention where he lives and then calls Mr. Bennet to come get his friend. CW hears “telephone” as “telling bone” and keeps trying to answer the vicar’s questions which are actually posed to Carrot and later his Dad. When Carrot hears “Castle Saburac” from his Dad, he realizes the vicar has his friend. When Dad goes to change clothes, he rushes out and asks Sam for that ride he promised, which he delivers.

They head to the town the vicar is at, but first Sam stops to tell his Mom where he is going. She then insists on going along for the ride. Don’t know why Sam had to tell her since it’s his car, but then maybe he still lives in her house. Anyway, the three of them arrive with Mom asleep so Sam heads to the pub while Carrot scouts around and sees Cat is in the vicar’s office. He wakes up Sam’s mom and tells her he went to the vicar. Thinking he’s planning to get married, she runs over to the vicar and rings the bell giving Carrot the chance to sneak over and try to get CW out the window. Cat has a little trouble understanding Edward’s sign language and tries to spin around and flap like a bird instead. But he manages to get the window open and escape without breaking it. The vicar meanwhile had an amusing conversation with Sam’s mom, thinking she was CW’s friend until she claimed to be his mother. Mr. Bennet then arrives while Sam gets his Mom and Carrot sneaks Catweazle into the back seat again. He must be beginning to think lots of people travel under a back seat. And luckily nobody notices the smell.

The vicar suffers no grievous harm, except that Catweazle stole his telephone receiver. Yes, vicar, as they say no good deed goes unpunished. Later Edward helps Sam repair his car yet again as Catweazle is able to sneak back home again. There was some amusing dialogue and the pace was good. I’ll deduct a little for CW stealing the phone from the vicar, but when I saw the title “telling bone” and saw the episode involved a vicar, I was afraid CW was going to steal some sacred relic. So the loss of the phone isn’t nearly as bad. I’ll give this one 5 heavy sacks of something that Carrot isn’t around to help move at the beginning of the show.

 

[Doctor Omega]

P.S. Not like you to let someone have the last word, Mad-Pac.....

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/a-sages-discussion.4607/page-2

 

[Doctor Omega]

Even with Catweazle temporarily gone, he still has a bad influence on Carrot. Dad and Sam have to do some heavy lifting work all alone because Carrot is off at the Castle mourning the disappearance of his friend. But, to his credit, Edward returns home and actually helps Sam fix that new clunker he just bought, which of course is a real lemon. Promised a ride later by a grateful Sam, he goes to the house and answers the phone. It’s the Vicar of a nearby town asking to speak to Mr. Bennet. Oh, if only those young ears on Carrot which can hear more than adults could just listen a little more closely he might hear the sound of his friend Catweazle calling out his own name.

Because it seems Cat didn’t go back in time, just sideways, finding himself clinging to the steeple of a nearby church. The vicar, thinking him an attempted suicide and not wanting to call the police, manages to coax him down. In the spirit of having a conversation where two men both misunderstand each other, CW hears “book” and “brother” and understands something very different than the vicar is referring to. The vicar does manage to get Catweazle to mention where he lives and then calls Mr. Bennet to come get his friend. CW hears “telephone” as “telling bone” and keeps trying to answer the vicar’s questions which are actually posed to Carrot and later his Dad. When Carrot hears “Castle Saburac” from his Dad, he realizes the vicar has his friend. When Dad goes to change clothes, he rushes out and asks Sam for that ride he promised, which he delivers.

They head to the town the vicar is at, but first Sam stops to tell his Mom where he is going. She then insists on going along for the ride. Don’t know why Sam had to tell her since it’s his car, but then maybe he still lives in her house. Anyway, the three of them arrive with Mom asleep so Sam heads to the pub while Carrot scouts around and sees Cat is in the vicar’s office. He wakes up Sam’s mom and tells her he went to the vicar. Thinking he’s planning to get married, she runs over to the vicar and rings the bell giving Carrot the chance to sneak over and try to get CW out the window. Cat has a little trouble understanding Edward’s sign language and tries to spin around and flap like a bird instead. But he manages to get the window open and escape without breaking it. The vicar meanwhile had an amusing conversation with Sam’s mom, thinking she was CW’s friend until she claimed to be his mother. Mr. Bennet then arrives while Sam gets his Mom and Carrot sneaks Catweazle into the back seat again. He must be beginning to think lots of people travel under a back seat. And luckily nobody notices the smell.

The vicar suffers no grievous harm, except that Catweazle stole his telephone receiver. Yes, vicar, as they say no good deed goes unpunished. Later Edward helps Sam repair his car yet again as Catweazle is able to sneak back home again. There was some amusing dialogue and the pace was good. I’ll deduct a little for CW stealing the phone from the vicar, but when I saw the title “telling bone” and saw the episode involved a vicar, I was afraid CW was going to steal some sacred relic. So the loss of the phone isn’t nearly as bad. I’ll give this one 5 heavy sacks of something that Carrot isn’t around to help move at the beginning of the show.

I think the interplay - and bits of comedy business - between the regulars, is starting to gel nicely now, as they become comfortable with their characters. The window miming and all that Catweazle telephone business played very nicely, I thought.

 

[Cloister56]

So no time travel yet but Catweazle can teleport himself, without any control on his destination, but it is another possible avenue for future adventures.

Carrot does seem a little lost without his new friend. I do wonder what it might be like if Catweazle ever gets back home. Other than Sam we never see any other friends of Carrot. Also are these episodes always placed at weekends or are we in the summer holidays? How will Catweazle manage when Carrot has to go to school?
I liked the way his face lit up when he realised where Catweazle is. I think he has really grown fond of the old man and the scrapes he keeps getting him into. He is quite clever manipulating initially Sam and then his mother into being where he needed them.
I didn't even consider he would need to go back another way due to his dad closing in, but Carrot is turning into a master schemer.

Sam has also settled into being a friend to Carrot, not currently the one to be ran away from to protect Catweazle. I like his interactions with Carrot, showing off his new car and asking for fingers crossed each time he starts it.
His mother Mrs Woodyard is a nice new character and again I hope one who pops up again as there is possibility for stories there. It's a bit sad how she reacts to the news Sam might be getting married. I think she is scared of being left alone, but it is nice how she says "I would have understood".

Carrot's dad also gets to do some manual labour in this episode, not just ordering Sam around. I guess it's just the more time we spend with him or maybe no longer being in crippling debt has made him mellow. He just seems slightly nicer, almost brushing off Carrot's absence and willing to make a drive to investigate what the vicar is babbling about.

The vicar is well played. Concerned for Catweazle but eventually loses his patience with him. It made sense that he thought the whole thing might have been a ruse to steal the collection money. It would have tied all the events together.

As Pertwee's Doctor points out in The Daemons, the magic gobbledygook and incantations are indeed useful to drum up psychokinetic energy,as Catweazle does, then he inadvertently falls through a weakness in space-time.

This did give me a bit of a Daemons vibe, imagine a conversation between Miss Hawthorne and Catweazle or the main event Pertwee v Bayldon. I think I will have to go and watch it now.

Catweazle has a good episode, from despair at the top of the tower to triumph as he obtained his "Telling Bone". I thought it was a nice touch that he asked if electrickery was involved. He might not know exactly what it is but he is tying things together at least on some level.
More and more people are getting to be aware of Catweazle. I wonder how long it will be before rumours of this strange man start to persist or a recurring character will get in on the secret of his existence.

I keep expecting to hit a crap episode. One that will be either very boring or feel completely unoriginal. So far they have all been pleasant watches and just enough different each time to keep them fresh.

7 pounds I would pay for that car, in today's money, out of 10