User Reviews

Arthur is stoney broke so calls in an old debt which gives him a steam cleaning business and some daft scenes involving him and Terry trying and failing to start the business up. Whilst doing this from their office premises they encounter and help a rather creepy hypnotist who has started a relationship With his teenage receptionist. There is also a back story involving paint and a rather friendly yet at the same time intimidating Asian business owner and his family. There is also some small but very funny scenes especially one involving Arthur in a local Tobacconist . The guest actors particularly June Brown as the girls mother and Donald Sumpter as the menacing hypnotist add a great deal to episode although there is a feel they were underused. A now very rare Terry punch up in this one as well as a random attractive female unbelievably falling at the now ageing Terrys feet within seconds of meeting him. A lot going on in this one and a lot of small scenes which gives it the feel of a clips show and this unfortunately detracts from what should have been very good main storyline .

There are three threads going here:

One: Arthur gets a bit worked over on a load of paint by an Asian carpet merchant.

Two: Arthur is behind on his collections so he's got cash-flow problems. He and Terry pay a visit to a steam cleaner who owes him money and by the end of the scene Arthur and Terry are operating the business.

Three: A hypnotist has his under-aged receptionist in thrall. He wants to get his hands on her, um, inheritance.

The writers manage to pull it all together by the end. In the journey, George Cole gets some solid lines to deliver. At one point when they are climbing stairs, Arthur is wheezing. Terry says, ''you should give up those cigars; they're gonna kill you." To which Arthur replies, "wut, and risk dying of stress." That was a completely throwaway line they didn't even stop for a laugh line, but as gawd is my witness I'm completely stealing it for everyday use.

Plus, it was nice to see Terry get to punch someone in the face. It's been a while.