Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This - Review

One of the sadder facts about my personality is that I really enjoy old comedians from the 1970s and 1980s. Comedians like Morecambe & Wise, the Two Ronnies, and Tommy Cooper. So when I heard way back in January that ITV were making a drama about Cooper’s life, I was intrigued. I was further intrigued to hear that the lead part and title role would be played by actor David Threlfall who’s well known for playing a scruffy layabout on Shameless (which I’ve never watched but it’s hard not to have heard of it).

So last night I stayed up way too late to tune in to this drama on ITV+1 after enduring an hour of Jamaica Inn which I couldn’t understand because they were mumbling in Cornish. (And I’m half-Cornish!) So it’s fair to say when I finally got round to this drama, I had little to no expectations. I was just praying for a good solid two hours (or without the ad breaks, an hour and a half or so) of entertainment.

My expectations, I’m glad to say, were exceeded.

The first thing I noted was that David Threlfall plays Tommy Cooper so well, it’s pretty scary! I have a DVD of Tommy Cooper at home and I’ve seen most of the tricks played out last night before but I swear if you got fake and real Tommy Cooper in a room together, I could not tell the difference! That’s just a testament to David Threlfall’s acting.

The other big names in this drama included Amanda Redman playing Cooper’s stern but loving wife Dove, and Helen McCrory playing the meeker, more modest Mary. Both excelled in portraying these different women, so much that it was easy to see why Tommy Cooper loved two women at the same time.

It’s not all praise though. The one actor I wasn’t convinced by was Bob Golding who played famous comedian Eric Morecambe. Maybe its because I watch Morecambe & Wise DVDs at least once a month but whoever Golding was playing, it was NOT Morecambe. He didn’t sound like or act like Morecambe at all. I was looking forward to his portrayal so it’s a shame I’m coming away disappointed there. I can’t comment on the portrayal of Eric Sykes simply because I’m not familiar with his work.

Onto the story itself which focuses on Tommy’s love for two completely different women. And I have to say, I could buy that he was in love with both. Dove and Mary were women on different ends of the spectrum and Tommy seemed to rely on them in different ways. He had a special connection with Dove, having been with her for so many years, having children with her, and knowing her inside out. But he also develops something with Mary who he relies on during the tour not just to organise his props but to calm him down when he develops stage fright.

The one thing I thought the drama was brave to do was to show Tommy’s more nastier side. At risk of controversy, I wouldn’t call him a violent man but there are times when he’s pushed to the edge, telling Mary in a gritted dangerous tone to never raise her voice at him, or bullying his agent (ok I have to say, the latter went a little too far for my liking). He couldn’t quite remain sympathetic throughout, there were times where I was wondering why I liked him, but then he’d win me round with a bad joke.

Talking of jokes, there were plenty of jokes and ‘tricks’ in the tv movie which, if we’re honest, was probably a way of time filling but didn’t feel that way. The beauty of Tommy Cooper’s comedy is that it is so simplistic. He’s the ultimate bad comedian with his dad jokes and magic tricks that never worked all the time but you just have to laugh.

Onto the end scene which climaxed, as everyone expected, in the death of Cooper on stage in 1984. I’ve seen his death on Youtube (sad, isn’t it?) and it really is chilling just how much detail they put into recreating the show. For those who didn’t know how it ended, they would surely have been able to guess as Tommy is shown to be getting worse as the day goes on. His leg hurts, he’s tired, he’s sweaty. And even during the show, he’s shaking and swaying slightly before finally collapsing near the end of his act.

The final scene shows Dove and her two children who have been growing up during the course of the drama on the sofa watching an old Tommy Cooper video. And whilst they can’t laugh yet, there is a sense that already Cooper is living on through his wonderful work. Which is so right by the way. I wasn’t even born when Cooper died but can still laugh at his jokes.

While the drama wasn’t perfect, it was a great attempt to portray what turned out to be a more complex man than originally thought. A 9/10 from me for great acting and storytelling. Although there were a couple of hiccups here and there, the drama exceeded my expectations and turned out to be a good couple of hours of solid entertainment.