thu 28/03/2024

On Expenses, BBC Four | reviews, news & interviews

On Expenses, BBC Four

On Expenses, BBC Four

Satirical drama about the Commons expenses scandal has Swiftian overtones

Brian Cox as Speaker Michael Martin: not even tribal loyalty could save him
As one of the opening captions put it, "you couldn't make it up",  and this sprightly drama about the House of Commons expenses scandal duly tacked its way skilfully up the channel between satire and slapstick. Concluding correctly that wallowing in moral outrage was not the way to handle a subject whose full ramifications have yet to land on us (and them) with their full crushing force, writer Tony Saint instead deftly depicted the Commons as a kind of Swiftian monstrosity, ludicrous yet malevolent.
As one of the opening captions put it, "you couldn't make it up",  and this sprightly drama about the House of Commons expenses scandal duly tacked its way skilfully up the channel between satire and slapstick. Concluding correctly that wallowing in moral outrage was not the way to handle a subject whose full ramifications have yet to land on us (and them) with their full crushing force, writer Tony Saint instead deftly depicted the Commons as a kind of Swiftian monstrosity, ludicrous yet malevolent.

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Comments

Really enjoyed this comedy drama...just like real life!! & cannot get some of the incidental music out of my mind, especially the rather disjointed brass music played during the shopping bag sequence etc. Can anybody tell me whether its available somewhere or who the artist is please?

I too could not get the music out of my mind. I search the credits at the end but failed to see artist,orchestra, etc. Let me know if you find out Dave.

The disjointed music (brass, drums, bass and strings, almost military) is also with me all the time now. Very interested to know who did it - catchy, comical and captured the mood of mischief and pomp/pomposity so well.

did you find out anything about this music? I was intrigued too.

Where can I buy a DVD of On Expenses?

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