Keen
Eddie is
one of the
smartest comedies to appear on TV in years. No wonder it didn’t
last. First shown on Fox Network, it was WAY too sophisticated
for the network whose only intelligent show is The
Simpsons
and a news program
that is barely a step above the National
Inquirer.
Talk about a poor fit. Fortunately for those of
us who love British humor with an American twist, Bravo picked up Keen
Eddie
and ran all the episodes, including the ones Fox did not
show
after it unceremoniously dumped KE.
Eddie Arlett,
an American cop transplanted to London, is full of smart
alec remarks and clever ideas. With his kinky partner in crime
detection, Monty Pippin, Eddie wisecracks his way to solving the cases
in his own ingenious way while continually bickering with his
delectable but passive aggressive housemate Fiona.
Though all the
episodes were fun, “Horse Heir” was the most riotous of
them all. Full of sly (but subtle) sexual innuendoes [tapioca pudding,
anyone?], colorful characters, and smart writing, it is so
side-splitting that we have imposed it on numerous friends who, we are
happy to report, found it funny also.
Bruce plays a
hood named Yellow who has Hurricane, a champion horse,
kidnapped so that his “seed” (as Monty so tastefully puts it) can be
sold on the black market. Just a little problem though. The horse
drops dead while Charlotte the “40 year old slut who will do
anything” is trying to…obtain the seed. Yellow is not amused.
When Yellow confronts Fishy, the one who staged the kidnapping, we
think for a moment that menacing Yellow is going to pull a gun from his
jacket and off Fishy right on the spot. When Yellow pulls out an asthma
inhaler instead, it makes for one of the most hilarious scenes in the
whole story. An asthmatic hood. Such an unexpected and brilliant piece
of business. Merlin, our tech wizard, laughs every time he thinks
about it.
As Yellow,
Bruce not only gets to do his usual excellent job as a
menacing bad guy (with a cool au
currant
haircut, we might add), he
gets to show off his comedic talent as well. In several scenes,
he mugs
for the camera, including the final scene when he is captured by the
cops. Falling to the floor with his hands behind his head, Bruce
responds with what us Americans would call a s***-eating grin on his
face. Just too funny. This is the actor who played the psychotic
Charles Rane and the bloodthirsty Jacob Kell? Yes, it is. Bruce
is a versatile and talented actor and we think this performance is
strong evidence.
But even when
he is being the bad guy, Bruce’s spot-on timing and stern
expressions are as amusing as his more overt mugging. Even the simple
line, “My name is Yellow” is funny when Bruce says it in his droll
deadpan. Bruce’s glaring expression when the two co-owners of the
Sticky Wicket Pub, the American, One Ball Bill, and the
Scot, Gay
Johnny, are wrestling
the thermos bottle full of—well—“seed”
back and forth—is
also priceless.
Bruce
also has a
chance to spar again with his old comedy buddy from Solarbabies,
Alexei Sayle. They
make a delightful team, with Bruce as the straight man and Alexei as
the goofball actor hamming it up as a prospective buyer (with a
terrible German accent) in a police sting. When Yellow asks Rudy where
in Germany he is from, Rudy answers “Innsbruck.” When Yellow
queries, “Isn’t that in Austria?” Rudy replies with a perfectly
straight face, “No. No, it’s not.” Later, when Rudy’s wig starts to
migrate round the top of his head, Yellow stares at it with a quizzical
look. Oh-oh, time for the cops before Yellow gets too suspicious…
“Horse
Heir” is
one of our most favorite Bruce performances. If you’ve
seen it, you probably agree with us. If you haven’t, find a copy of it.
You’re in for a treat.
do
anything” is trying to…obtain the seed. Yellow is not amused.
When Yellow confronts Fishy, the one who staged the kidnapping, we
think for a moment that menacing Yellow is going to pull a gun from his
jacket and off Fishy right on the spot. When Yellow pulls out an asthma
inhaler instead, it makes for one of the most hilarious scenes in the
whole story. An asthmatic hood. Such an unexpected and brilliant piece
of business. Merlin, our tech wizard, laughs every time he thinks
about it.
mugs
for the camera, including the final scene when he is captured by the
cops. Falling to the floor with his hands behind his head, Bruce
responds with what us Americans would call a s***-eating grin on his
face. Just too funny. This is the actor who played the psychotic
Charles Rane and the bloodthirsty Jacob Kell? Yes, it is. Bruce
is a versatile and talented actor and we think this performance is
strong evidence.
Ball Bill, and the
Scot, Gay
Johnny, are wrestling
the thermos bottle full of—well
