Don’t expect Demob to stick to its synopsis. Sure, main characters Ian and Dick do start performing at a nightclub after being demobilized from the British army after World War II, but that doesn’t last for half the series. Before you even reach the second disc of the two-disc, six part series, things begin to spiral further and further away from the show as advertised. It quickly becomes a study of ambition, human nature, and love.
Sounds sprawling, doesn’t it? Well, believe it or not, despite its rambling nature, the show does seem, in the end, to tell one full story across six episodes. It’s a pretty satisfying viewing experience with a pretty clear message at its center, and it’s got two leads who are funny as hell.
Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) receives first billing for the show, but his character Dick Dobson takes second chair to Griff Rhys Jones’ Ian Deasey, who is easily the show’s protagonist. He’s a man dissatisfied with returning to his old life after gaining newfound creative freedom in the army (he and Dobson had a stage routine to entertain the soldiers), and when he returns home, he disappoints his wife (but not his young son) because he wants to turn his penchant for comedy into a career. Of course, the only thing holding them back from success is themselves.
Clunes and Jones are exceptionally funny in their roles as Dobson and Deasey, while simultaneously giving real heart to the show. There’s a strange, unexpected twist come the final hour of the show, giving the two a chance to showcase their ability to mix dramatic gravitas with comedic timing. They do so, and exceptionally well.
Demob is a great show, and one of the best miniseries I’ve seen from Acorn Media. The set, which contains the show’s six episodes (which originally aired in 1993) on two discs, has no special features to speak of. Fans of British comedy and drama alike will delight in the antics of Dobson and Deasey. Demob hits DVD on April 26, the same day the Clunes-starring Doc Martin Collection hits shelves (expect a review for that soon). Order Demob on Amazon.
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