Review Details

The Box - Volume 1

Product Review (submitted on 4 February 2018):

This set of episodes on The Box, Volume 4 maintains the rage and the drama. Max Knight succumbs to the pressure of an impending divorce and the relentless pressure of being a senior TV executive. The new flagship show Mercy Flight and the auditions for the ‘perfect’ nurse ruffle a few female feathers. Poor old Mrs Hopkins. They didn’t have the heart to tell her she was not small screen matron material. Turns out a real-life exposure to a hospital saw her turn down the role. Tony Wild, ubiquitous as ever and so insecure. You lose count of how many times he tells everyone he is the star of channel 12. Mind you he transitions seamlessly from Manhunt to Big Night Out. ‘Trooper’ Davis (Kit Taylor) arrives and his womanizing ways and maverick approach to filming his Manhunt scenes do not endear him to many at the channel. Paul Donovan (George Mallaby) still hopes to save his marriage and reconcile with his wife Judy. Jean rejects a marriage proposal from the pin up boy Don. Vicki Stafford, now anchoring her own day time program is as feisty and confrontational as ever. The jilted lovers, damaged egos, manipulations, personal and professional interactions, shenanigans and character twists make hugely enjoyable viewing. It helps that we are in 1973-74 when ‘political correctness’ was neither in the vernacular nor the consciousness. Endless sips of tea and puffs of cigarettes are again the order of the day. Oh, and poor old Fanny Adams (Vanessa Leigh) returns and in her gig as the fill in tea lady offers a novel blend of herbal tea. Unbeknownst to her it is a blend not to the liking of the tea-swillers who are rusted on fans of dear old Mrs Hopkin’s more traditional brew. Great stuff!