Coogan's Run has only one good episode, and that is "Handyman for all Seasons". This is an absolute classic, filmed entirely in black and white and set in the 60s. It did a great job of recapturing the era, and was also very funny. This episode was like "Schindler's List" - the black and white colour only made it even more authentic, original and memorable. Coogan's Run could have been a classic if all of the episodes had been done like this. However, what we get are just watered-down versions of Phoenix Nights, which is far funnier. Thursday Night Fever is bloody awful, and the rest are just generally forgettable. That may explain why hardly anybody has heard of this comedy series - it is just plain boring, even though it precedes most others of its kind. But "Handyman for all Seasons" is more than just good - it is a breakthrough in comedy, and should be seen by any comedy fan, including fans of Steve Coogan, who has since moved on.
Buy the video for "Handyman for all Seasons" alone. It gets a 10, and the rest get 4 on average, only for inspiring future comedy series which are, generally speaking, far better. 7/10 av.
