STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
In the hit soap East Enders,Tamzin Outhwaite and Martin Kemp played on-screen couple Mel and Steve.In 2002,both stars left the show seperately to pursue other acting projects.And finally,in early 2003,in the most poetic twist of fate,both stars who once shared so many scenes together in the BBC serial drama,found themselves in an unexpected and unwitting ratings battle on seperate terrestrial TV channels.Outhwaite with Red Cap on BBC 1 every Tuesday and Kemp on ITV 1 every Thursday with this series,Serious and Organised.
I myself don't keep up with such trivial matters as ratings,that's for TV bosses to worry about,but I'm certainly interested in determining which is the better show.........and the winner is..........Red Cap,I'm afraid.
This is a well intentioned but ultimately unremarkable show that just doesn't quite leave you swelling with the eager anticipation to see the next episode as soon as possible that RC did.And all the more underwhelming since this is an original show and not a spin off.Kemp and Joe Duttine are actually very well cast as the hardman copper brothers and the lead stars of the show,Kemp especially bringing an air of charisma and style that is required.It also adds a surprising and unexpected air of realism to give him an on screen brother given Kemp's real life close relationship with his brother Gary.It's certainly a novelty that pays off,and their chemistry is fine.But unlike in Red Cap,the storyline's aren't as brain taxing,however much they try to be,and instead come across as rather disjointed and skewed.Some of the dialogue's a little cliched too,although probably quite a stretch for a TV project of this magnitude.
It's certainly not missable,but it's certainly not unmissable too,if you know what I mean.***
