S3 E20 The Spirit of Nouvion

[MUSIC] Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening! Or whatever time you're listening to. And you're listening too. Listen very carefully. The podcast for people who laugh all things alone. So, let's begin. I'm Kim Hartman, and I played the part of Melga. I'm Guy Siner, and I played left-hand grubber. And I am Richard Gibson, and I played flick. [MUSIC] Ready? Yes. Series 3, episode 20, The Spirit of New Vion. [MUSIC] And ladies and gentlemen, as you see, we are on air. We are on air! All right! Welcome to my kitchen! I've got your notes. Where are my notes? I think your notes are over here. The on-air sign scroll. You're something very incredibly possible, you said. You're under it. It's over here. Well, they are over here. [MUSIC] I can't help the way I speak. You think you're doing my schooling. Have we said this episode? It's called The Spirit of New Vion? We have. I clapped. Oh, of course you did. But yes, that's not going to be. That stat's not going to be in the. You do that. But we don't have that in the final edit, do we? Sometimes we do. Sometimes we do. You can tell someone who hasn't been watching this. Exactly. You know, I've watched any. I've only listened. Oh, well. No one needs you. I haven't seen that watching me. That's the trouble. I'm the same. Well, our fans like looking at you can. Well, they can. You're not going to listen to my talk. Okay. So. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I don't remember. There's a tool. Sorry. Don't remember it. I thoroughly enjoyed it as you did. Yes. As did I. And I also don't remember it. I second that emotion. I don't remember any of those scenes at all. There was an incredible freshness about it. There were so many ideas. It's fresh, no, to me. Because I've never seen it before. I was. I'm sure I wasn't involved. There was some other guy signer doing that. Yes. He's tweens. I think you're beginning to see a bit of a difference now with the combination of the writers, with Jeremy and Paul. And I think one is beginning to see their work being different from previous episodes. Yeah. They're sort of taking on a character as a pair of writers. As a pair of writers. Yes, it does. Yeah. They're finding their kind of. Their style. Their style. Yeah. As opposed to David and Jeremy. His style was, well, different going for so long and was very different and very recognizable. Yeah. It's not a million miles though from what David does because there's lots of story. It's not just gags. No, exactly. No. That's true. You must have seen it right by only now, is that all right? Yeah, that's all right. Because it means you have to turn away from the camera to look at me if you want to. Okay. I'm full face. Always full face. I look like you don't care about us. No, not sure. The people who do watch YouTube to know that we have elaborate setting up arrangements to get us all in. And we've actually swapped ourselves around this time or so, to make things more exciting for you. Yes. I do highly recommend if you haven't watched it on YouTube, just now and again, it's quite fun to do. Because every time someone is mentioned, they get a little shot of them. So it's all quite nicely illustrated. And sometimes bits of music, but I often get into trouble because the copyright people get onto me about the music. So that's why it hasn't been quite so witty and humorous as usual. And for those of you who don't know, Richard Gibson is our wonderful editor. Sorry. A. Wonderful. Is our very, very good and very clever editor. Thanks. Chuck's, I owe him for this. I did like "Ectic". It's an "Ectic" in the café. It's very rare, isn't it? Yes. Oh, that was in the introduction, was it? Yes. Things are very "Ectic". And then there was a. There has been a "Cur-Cop". No. Is it C-E-R? "Cur-Cop"? The "Cur-Cop". "Cur-Cop"? Surfop. No. I can't read my answer. Yeah. As in the French, rather than in the half a boss' room. It's not "Cur-Cop". It's not "Cur-Cop". No. It was Michelle, was it? Michelle's French accent. Yes. Yes. And there's a "Cur-Cop". Do you remember you used to say, Guy? This is a "Cur-Cop" question. Whenever you see the "Cur-Cop" glass shelves in the café. Yes. There are lots of glasses. You know that someone's going to come in and open up with a machine gun. Correct. There are glasses at "Yes". A resistance girl in a berry and different white socks. We'll come in and machine gun. Bar. And which would explode in shards of glass. And for the rest of the scene, the actor. And she then walked out as if nothing had happened. Yes. Machine gun to the café. And then just walked out. And they carried on the scene. And for the rest of the scene, of course, they were crunching on Bowser. Yes. That was very funny. It was. It was. Yes. But have you ever seen them setting up one of those explosive things? They had these little caps that all go off on a timer. So it has nothing to do with the machine gun. And hidden amongst all the glasses. Are these little caps that all go off one after the other? You know how I love a special effect to be. Very clever. Yes. The BBC Special Effects Department. She does proud over the years. I thought that Carmen was unusually well dressed this time. But as the show went on, and there was more budget, especially in the stage show, but also in the tele. She used to get more glamorous, didn't she? Yes. And there would be lines like, I'm getting a wrap for the staff supper. You know, there's all this deprivation. And there is Edith in hand made silk. Mind you, there was a reason for it, wasn't there? Because she wanted to win the competition of being the spirit of Newveon in the local paper. So that's why she's dressed in the middle of a war. It would never have been up to find such a beautiful silk dress. But maybe she already had them from before the war. Yes. Yes. That's what I like to be. It's a bit of an excuse and you're sticking to it. And for the rest of the series, she's only ever worn two dresses. But then I think, because the budget got bigger, she got nicer frocks, didn't she? So we went on to your cellar, the next series. Oh, yes. I thought that scene was brilliant. Yes. Where the two of you basically had a huge argument and split up. Yes. I thought it was so funny. How could you have dumped me? I still can't believe it. All these years later. And then you said, "Come on, I'm a brilliant." And then you went into English, didn't it? We suddenly knew what you really thought of him all along. And I actually did remember that bit. Because I'm doing that bit. Because I suddenly, when we got to the end, and I threw that vast of water over you, I remember doing that. I didn't know what you were doing. Peter Laurie Esk to the Old Housen. I was once in a production of "Arsonic and Old Lace", and I happened to have seen the film. And Peter Laurie was in the film and he was so brilliant, I just decided to do it like Peter Laurie. Because I thought nobody could improve on that. So I did a bit of. He's been a good Peter Laurie. I'd quite like to have been Peter Laurie, I think. Really? That's interesting. That's a confession. Yes. That is a big secret that you've let go there. And Peter Laurie had the classical career in Budapest. He was a great classical actor as well. I'm not like some people around me. I found in my notes here what it was. Oh, I'm just going to do a little bit of hamlet for you for Peter Laurie. Toby, I'm not Toby, that is the question. That was definitely one small house. It was, because it wasn't Peter Laurie. I'm not very good at impressions, but I enjoyed the bunch more. We're very well done, well done. Now, what it was that Uncle Himmler said in the letter that he wrote to you on scented note paper. What scent would it be? Yes, I recognize his scented note. Oh, is there a suggestion that Uncle Himmler might move from the pavilion in, perhaps? Well, he could as he was banning his nephew from mixing with extra-corricular corrompics. Yes, yes, expression, I believe. Yes, maybe he was sort of had a touch of the essay about him. Yes. What's the essay? Well, you know, the origins of the essay who hit their exterminated because they were all gay. Oh, really? Yes, I didn't know that. Very early on in the book. I thought essay meant Gibson. Why haven't you done your essay? I thought it was another form of essay, which I didn't know. Yes, I wondered about that too. No, you were about to say something interesting. Oh, no, never. I didn't do that. About Uncle Himmler. No, I think I'd said it all. Extra-corricular crumpet. Well, what, well, we're talking about Hunchmore hasn't. I like to the next bit of this little scene, which is when the phone rang. And it was Renny with a handkerchief over the phone. Oh, yes, I think, you know, this is a friend, Corrie. Hunchmore hasn't done to you. It's said, "We have a friend." "We have a friend." But he also answered the phone and said, "Guys, stop our secret headquarters." How can I help you? All attentively. You're incredibly helpful. Would you like our address? He's not really cut out for the Gestapo, is he? Do you think, before he started working for Hairflick, that von Smallhausen dressed like that? Oh, no, I suppose, in "Alo-Alo Land," Augustapo, people look like that, don't they? Yeah. Yes, but he sort of secretly hear a worship to Hairflick, I think. I think that's all in your imagination. Probably. Did he get bombed on the head? There was somebody got bombed on the head in this episode. He got bombed on the head by Hairflick. Oh, yeah, no, it was somebody else later on who got bombed on the head. And there was this special effect. There was like a clunk, which wasn't. It was that crab tree being knocked out by the Italian army. And he went cross-eyed and fell over backwards. We've never had that before, have we? We haven't had sort of comedy sound effects. Oh, the von Smallhausen head clunks. There's a little woodblock here. That's not actually the noise it makes. But they go like that, it's a special effect clunk. Yes. But he hasn't got a woodblock on his head, has he? No, no, no, it sounds like it's a special effect. I didn't think they did. Oh, right. Okay, I thought this was the first time that when Crabjit, this is very boring. When Crabjit got bombed on the head later, and there was a definite clunk, which sounded very artificial. And like a sort of funny clunking. I think that was Foley. I think it was definitely Foley, don't you? What do you mean Foley? Well, add in sound, octafect and sound. But I don't think so. No, Foley's live. In radio, they used to be doing it live, as they were doing the play. They would be a Foley artist. They'd still call it Foley. It's a sound effect, rather than. The point I'm trying to make is I didn't think we'd had sound effects before. Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, Karl. But all the von Smallhausen clunks are definitely added on. Oh, are they? Right. Because of all that hair, you wouldn't hear it. It's actually a point. I've never thought about this stupid me. But it's actually a good point. But I think you're right. I think it is probably woodblock. The woodblock sound added on in the sound edit. Well, I didn't like it. I didn't like it. It's a bit cartoony, isn't it? Yeah. And I just don't think maybe it was a different woodblock. But. But. Maybe it was too much, yes. It was a bit too cartony. Yeah. You don't think the squirrel with a machine gun was too cartony, do you? Hardly at all. That was what I was going to. By the way, yes. Sorry, I. By the way, yes, I'm sorry. Hazelnut machine gun. Yes. God, wouldn't I love to be able to do that to my squirrels? Oh, yes. Cyril, who begs up my garden daily. Oh, yes. I would love to machine gun in with hazelnuts. I'll lend you a pushpush for a night. That would be a pushpush consort. That would be a squirrel. As soon as you look at it. When you gave me, you didn't give me, you told me where to get. A special water can. A super-soaker. A super-soaker. Oh, yes. And I've never been able to hit him. Try as I might, and he goes, "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, no." And that doesn't turn to it. When they go across the long the wall, you get the super-soaker in front of them. You need the super-soaker. So they're running towards it. And then that's a term when you. You go and throw the run straight into it from there. I tried that. I tried it. There's a weary old squirrel who comes into my garden now and again. And when I get the super-soaker, he just looks at me as if to say, "Don't worry, mate, I've had this before." I don't mind a bit of water. They can actually ask you, "No, but I know it's just water." So just to say, "Oh, God, let's get it over with." And a weary look, and then he turns tail and goes off. But instead, here we have this dear little red squirrel, which, if only we still had in England. Dear little red squirrel, firing hazelnuts, I did this little machine gun, and it was a bit silly. Before that, there was one. I have just been stuck with a hazelnut, yes, from a nut at you. Well, that, again, is I think, is a poll and Jeremy thing that you wouldn't have got with the David and Jeremy thing. Because we did have. David would have said that you would have pulled back, you think? I think so. Because although we had silly things like cameras in potatoes and things like that, it was sort of real in a way. It was as if. Bosses, it's man-made. Yeah, the camera in the out, in the tree. Yes. Sort of possible. Yes, whereas this is a separate live animal that isn't actually, it's a fake thing. And so that is cartoony. So I think maybe we are at the L.O.L.O. It's going into a more cartoony area than it has been in the past. Yes, and when the door blows off, it sort of goes vertically horizontally across the town square. Whereas it would actually go, "Whew, dog." Yes, did it just sound effect? That was folly. Yes. No, I think you're right. And I think, yeah, David would have pulled it back, wouldn't he? I think so. He would have just said, "No, no, no, we're not going quite that far." It's not real, yes. But we sort of like it all the same. We do. It's classy cartoony. Yes. In the cafe, do they know that's flicking von Smallhosen? Because her flick has dressed up like a dapper man about town. Riki knows. Von Smallhosen's is Fruzy. Riki knows. Immediately. What's her name? Evet. Evet. He made it. He goes to Renny and says, "Look, it's over." Yes, of course. They have flickered small hours and dressed up on that table. And then when he pulls his hand and starts off, they go, "You don't say, oh, god, of course, I've wonderful to sky." I love your little kiss calls. You know, I had to do that. Yes, beautiful. Again, David Morris Chiver, yeah, I don't know who did make up this week, but it was splendid. And also von Smallhosen, I thought was surprising. He turns into a quite a decent-looking woman, doesn't he? I fancy him. Yeah, I didn't find I had that problem. I don't think he was crump it exactly, but he certainly wasn't crump it. No, but he was believable. Yeah. But he really goes for it, John Laryman, because as a man, he was terribly shy. And on the first day, he went round in the catering wagon helping them and wiping down the tables and saying, "I'm just an actor. I know, buddy." And then when people ask me his autograph, he said, "No, no, you don't want my autograph." And he was very, very modest but something happened to him when he started acting, didn't it? Yeah, yeah. But he'd been acting for years. Well, that's right, but when he is acting, he is risky, takes risks and is very. Extrovert. Hmm. Yeah, which he isn't in real life. Hmm. It wasn't. There was a great cat fight. Oh, another of the waitresses having a cat fight. Is that one? Yes. It is. I really enjoy those. Oh, hi. And they really look as if they're going at it, don't they? Yeah. I mean, they don't pull their punches. No. Do you think they have a fight director? Do they have a fighter agent to come and sort them out? I don't think so. It is very amusing. And all that lovely preparing for the spirit of New Vion is a talent show, beauty content. No, it's a photograph. It's a photograph. It's a photograph. It's a photograph. It's going to be in the local paper. Yes. It was beautiful and then he disappeared into the other regions to develop the plate. If his heart was going to last long enough. Yes. He got some blood pressure pills. He had some blood pressure pills that were in the developing room. Yes. So hopefully he was going to last out the afternoon. Are we ready for our forum Madonna Watts? Do you think? I love the way the room goes quiet. And there are some fans who are going, yes, yes. But the forum Madonna was treated quite casually this time because I don't think we've ever been told how it got into the hands of her flick and into his safe and into his safe. And when they got it out of the safe, they were waving it around as if it was just a piece of old cloth, which I think they skipped all the four play about how it came to be with her flick. Somebody just said, "Her flick now has the forum Madonna in his cellar." It's a real time explanation for how it's there. So it doesn't, isn't there a moment in this episode where somebody says, "How did it get into her flick?" Somebody says, "Do you, how did you get hold of it?" And you say, "I'm not telling." Something like that. Yes, it's a story. I don't know. But story wise, they've skipped over. All of the thing about how it came to be there. Tell us how it got there. I'm not telling you. In other words, we don't know. We the writers have no idea. I think we thought Madonna do what, I think you'd call that. I can't even remember where we last saw the forum Madonna. Or when we saw the forum Madonna. It has been a while. The last time I remember was that it was in Venice, cellar. Because we've had fleeing months, we've had a picnic before this. So it's been a long time. But then, at the beginning of Paul Adams' residency, they started a whole new forum Madonna story, didn't they? About exchanging it for money. And that's how it came to be in the confessional. Oh, yes. The money. So, anyway, there are some forum Madonna what geeks are there. And you know who you are. So if you think you know how it came to be in hair flick cellar. In his safe. In his cellar. In his cellar. In his cellar. That's what I do on your five, isn't it? But there are siblings. Well, there's some sort of email address that goes with that. If you know something that I can't think of at Helga. Gruber. Flick.com. That's Paul at Helga Gruber. Flick.com. So if you are said geek or one of said geeks, please email us. Yes. A little teeny weeny prop watch. Tribe tree got cost. Yes, cloned. Yes, he got cloned. The thing you were talking about earlier. Yeah. And when they did it, it was clearly a rubber trungeon because it went bending all over the place. Yes. But I loved the way it was neatly choreographed. That they appeared behind him. One of them grabbed the trungeon. One of them took off his head. A second one took off his hat. And a third one he did. Yes. And then put that back on. And then he fell over. I though it was beautifully done. Yes. It's all they want to do. This special effect bump we were talking about. Yeah. This is really quite a small thing but I love anything like set notches and stuff. The Colonel came into Flick's cellar. And I don't think he's ever been in the cellar before. The Colonel. Yeah. Can you think of a single example? No, he's never been in there. I have. But he's in there for the first time. Yes. But when? I don't remember. When he went to the safe. When we were coming to him about Renny and the ghost. Oh. Oh, he was in the cellar stealing the painting. Yes. I see. He's never been in the cellar before. No. Because they blew the door off. Yes. Of course. Sorry. And leading to a lovely, lovely scene for Guy Siner in the cellar. The headless Renny. Oh, there. It's very good. The headless Renny. You know what he explained it for the listeners or those who didn't see it? Yes. Well, Port Hubert has always had this terrible memory of having had to shoot Renny one with a firing squad. And he's never quite forgiven himself. Which was fake. Which was fake. Everybody except Groobernose. Yes. Which was fake, of course. So yes. So he now thinks Renny is his own twin brother. And he has once before in the graveyard seen this specter of Renny. He imagines Renny dead rising out of his grave to say awful things to spooky things to him. Which was to do with a resistance aerial or something was stuffed up. Renny is the back of Renny's jumper or something. Anyway, on this occasion, he opens the cellar, opens the safe. Jacques Hughes. Jacques Hughes. Jacques Hughes. Jacques Hughes. But on this occasion, when they finally do break into the safe, one of the Italians cleverly opens the safe. And it's Groober who actually first pulls the door open. And there is Renny having tunneled into the safe from the other side, having broken into the safe from the other side, covered in flower. I mean, I suppose it's supposed to be brick dust or something. Blaster dust. Blaster dust. But with this very white ghostly face. And of course, Groober sees this and thinks it's this embodied head of this man who he's had shot. And he did a lovely exit. A freaked out scared exit. And you know what I loved about the way it was done? And it was obviously, was this too long stuff? Or was this who directed Martin? No, no. Come on. Come on. Anyway, who directed? What I loved about it was that it was almost like, because I had the white gloves. It was very sort of Marcel Marcel. It was with the black uniform on the white glove. It was, yeah, it was very, a lot of mine about it. Yes. And the hands like this, you know, in fright. And again, very effective. It was too neat. Yeah, but it was, but it had a, it was real or form. Oh, yeah. So that's again. Real. It was real or form. Sorry, it was, it was fundamentally real. It was, it had a fundamental truth to it. Yeah, because he was so upset that he'd seen this ghost. It was magical. My, it was real sweet, because I say accentuated by these white gloves and these, and these frog-like hands. Yes. One more thing. Hefwick mentions the airman. How does he know about the airman? Because he's never had any contact with him at all. In the story, there has been nothing to do with the airman. And any of the flickin' hell there seems. That doesn't seem scary. Good point. So suddenly spotted it. That's a very good point. I've never thought of that. He doesn't know that there are these two airmen. Oh, series is about. And we had a similar thing in the current software. The scene that you were in. About a week or two. I think they don't know about the airman. That's a separate story. [Music] story is about the painting, the Colonel, Gruber, Helga, hair flip. Also, they don't know specifically about the two airmen, they know about the resistance. I'm forever going to have a change. They're talking about the airmen as if they know, as if they're familiar with them. Yes, yes. And it's the first time it's ever come up, I think. No, that is interesting. Yes. God, that's the third time you said that to me. What? God, say it again. No, no, don't let us spoil you. There's interesting. Could this be a case of the writers not having done their homework? I think after 67 episodes and one of the writers being new, you could forgive him. Oh, tell us. Could not know in that. Yeah. Could you? I couldn't. Well, I might be the only geek who actually has spotted it, so there you go. Yeah, well Paul, if you're watching, go and stand in the corner or get in touch with us. How? Oh, how is it? pod@helga Gruberflick.com. That's pod@helga Gruberflick.com. So Paul Adam, if you have any excuse for your behaviour, please get in touch with us. Time to go. Thank you for joining us this week and don't forget to follow and we're on Instagram, TikTok and you can follow and like us on YouTube as well. So see you soon. Bye. Bye. So if you have any questions or answers or stories or Kim Guy or Richard, contact us on pod@helga Gruberflick.com. That's pod@helga Gruberflick.com.