Having rediscovered this great series and decided to see what it was like again, I knew I'd have to make a comment here sooner or later.
Well, to be honest, I think I preferred Thomas The Tank Engine overall but there was something about Fireman Sam that was really enjoyable in lots of ways. The subject of fire is one that I've never been too comfortable with so this series is, in its way, an excellent means of coping with that.
But there was a lot more to the series in its originality than I realised at the time and certainly more than one would expect now. For a start, the atmosphere is very much late 1980s to early 1990s with everything that made that era great. The continuity wasn't quite as stringent as the Reverend.W.Awdry's work but it was a lot better than one might find in the more recent series, which I haven't seen the episodes of yet for the same reasons as RRSI.
One thing that's especially significant is the uniforms: I don't know if they've changed much in Britain (as the more recent series seems to imply) but the black and yellow fire brigade costumes really speak of that particular generation. During that time period, British fire brigades were achieving amazing things against odds more frightening than ever seen before and possibly none more so than the London Fire Brigade at King's Cross and Clapham Junction.
The Fire Service uniforms here certainly remind me of incidents like that - even the high visibility jackets worn during the car accident drill in Dilys' Forgetful Day remind me of Clapham Junction. Admittedly that incident was a bit too extreme for a series like that but what incidents there were in the series, while basic, were quite good and well thought of. Some episodes (especially Bentley The Robot) had a stronger sense of danger than others but somehow having Fireman Sam himself nearby always made it bearable - you could tell that he'd always gain the upper hand somehow.
Even then, there's a lot more to the historical background of the series than just the Fire Service in what could almost be thought of as one of its finest eras. Everywhere you go in Pontypandy, the Welsh element of the series is clear to see - the items for sale in Dilys' shop, for instance, often have Welsh-looking names. Bella Lasagne was inspired by genuine Welsh Italians running cafes in areas like this. A coal mine features at one point, possibly disused long before the Miners' Strike (which took place only the year before the series' Welsh debut). Also there's people like Station Officer Steele and Elvis who contrast in their different tastes in music, from brass bands to rock-'n'-roll.
Re: Episodes I Particularly Grew Up WithThe Kite - I think quite a lot of us probably loved this one. For a start, it introduces the series very nicely and has a more comfortable emergency than one would expect to get started on. The only issue, looking back on it now, is that some voices (Bella in particular) needed a bit of working on.
Barn Fire - The first actual fire in the series and quite an interesting episode in terms of character development. The directing was marvellous for the barn itself (they really timed it right with the water level, didn't they?) and Norman's fishing had quite an odd result. When the old bath plug appeared and he noticed the dropping water level, I genuinely wondered in my younger days if he really had managed to drain it himself!
Dilys' Forgetful Day - Here we see Dilys and Norman in their element as a pair of comic characters and, looking back on it now, the whole memory loss and what led up to it seems more hilarious than ever. The arrival of Penny, too, gives a breath of fresh air.
Spot Of Bother - Another great Norman episode, although I don't think I would have played such a bluff myself, even at his age! The Fire Service members are given some nice development, from Trevor accidentally splitting his trousers to the way they cope with a startling emergency right in the middle of their comfy HQ - and Elvis' comfort zone, since it's his cooking that caused it!
In fact, there's a lot I can connect with my own childhood - for instance, I got rather bogged down with chickenpox myself when I was 4 years old, not long before I first saw the episode, actually. The feature of a box of Cadbury Creme Eggs on Dilys' counter further adds to the sense of historical place in our culture - that's one kind of chocolate I've always loved all my life!
Norman's Pitfall - Another interesting episode. The wasp nest bit might seem a bit alarming (I've never been fond of them) but at least Norman got away without getting stung. The whole mine shaft scene was brilliantly done with excellent musical cue as Sam and Elvis venture off in search of Norman and, even though it was hard to understand exactly why at the time, you do get the sense that finding him is a bit of race against the clock. It's only now, having visited the National Coal Mining Museum a few months ago, that I can appreciate just what hidden hazards the place had.
Further to that, the development of Rosa is simply...well, what the reisdents of Pontypandy would call "megabrill!" I would go into detail about that now but this post is getting longer than expected so I'll save reviewing it for another time.
Lost Ring - A very good Bella and Trevor episode and the chance for Penny to do more and save a situation. The whole flood seems one of the most comic, if understandable, ones of all and again the characters are well tuned. That especially goes for Penny, however: she really seems better trained for such emergency than any other adult woman in the series!
Brass Band - For reasons mentioned previously in this thread, this was another very memorable one. It seems incredible that it's only when Trevor reaches the roof that he remembers his vertigo but getting him down again is memorable beyond anything. Whoever would think that a good meal could coax him down a ladder? Well done, Elvis!
And then there's the rendition of Men Of Harlech - watching poor Elvis trying to keep in line with it and Steele's division between disapproval and amusement (to judge by the smile) is very worth seeing...
STEELE: After two, (firmly)
which comes straight after one, Cridlington. One...
two...! [Fire Station Bell In The Background] Who did that?!
I can see now why people love that bit so much! ;D
Bentley The Robot - As stated previously in this thread, this did have a hint of danger more potent than ever seen in any other episode and you feel sure that it must have some effect on Norman, once he's found out (to his horror, perhaps) what his joke unwittingly caused. He certainly seems genuinely apologetic during the bit where Sam emphasises how lucky they are. Mind you, I shiver to think how Norman would cope in such a situation himself, don't you?
Fear elements aside, however, it's a stunning episode. Bentley seems more successful than any of Sam's inventions up to now and his good manners are lovable indeed. Even when Penny offers a lift, his response is impeccable:
BENTLY: Don't mind if I do, Ma'am. [Even For A Robot] These bags are rather heavy.
No wonder Sam believes so much in his capability and remains so composed in this emergency as well. No wonder too that Sarah and James come to think of him as "superhuman".
Lost In The Fog - I've saved this one till last mainly because, having seen it again, I think it's one of the best ones after the likes of Lost Ring. While more dramatic than the latter, it doesn't have any of the terror that the Bentley episode did - it's as if the producers wanted to prove that even getting stuck in a bog or quicksand isn't entirely the end of the world, something that film makers often tend to mistakenly suggest.
In such a situation as that, Sam is very much at his element, the characters are developed almost perfectly (namely Penny, Sarah and James) and the humour element is still there. I namely refer to the quote Stuart emphasised when starting this thread: Dilys and Norman make a great pair and really know how to lighten an atmosphere that's otherwise thick enough to be pierced with a rod from Llanwern Steelworks. It's certainly an episode that leaves you uneasy but ultimately with the feeling that there's always hope, however bleak it looks.
Re: ConclusionAltogether, in a way I never thought of until now, Fireman Sam is one of those classics that has proven its value and withstood the test of time. Again, I've kept well away from the more recent episodes myself but I've seen the opening credits and it looks and sounds impressive. All the same, even though the lyrics have great quality, it's not really a patch on the magic Maldwyn Pope created or on the great John Alderton for the narration and a fantastic rendition of Dilys especially. Educational but with plenty of entertainment, the original Fireman Sam is the one I'll always prefer and one that rightly deserves to be one of the greats.