Duck Patrol [1998]

The lowdown: 'Duck Patrol' was a short-lived British sitcom featuring the work of the Thames River Police.
Only one series of seven episodes was made, and it was broadcast on ITV1 from 19 July to 30 August 1998.
features Richard Wilson as PC Roland 'Prof' Rose, who is effectively in charge of the Ravensbeck station
and its laid-back, work-shy because the elderly sergeant (known to all as "Serge" and played by Geoffrey
Hutchings) is absent-minded and is more interested in fishing than police work. The rest of the team at the
station tolerate Serge's eccentricities because they know that if the powers that be are aware of the situation
Serge will be replaced, most probably by somebody who will make them actually work. The cast also includes
David Tennant as PC Simon 'Darwin' Brown, who has a crush on WPC Gillian 'Marilyn' Monroe (Samantha
Beckinsale), who has been temporarily assigned to the station while a permanent replacement for a recently
departed officer is recruited.

The episode: 'Flying Colours' was the first episode of the series, and sees the Ravensbeck team investigating
reports that unusually-coloured wildlife have been seen in the area, including pink ducks, an orange goose and
a green dog. Prof quickly discovers the truth of the situation - a young girl has been pouring her baker father's
colourings into her paddling pool. Meanwhile, the Ravensbeck team are preparing a party for a colleague who
is getting married, while Darwin takes advice from Prof's partner about letting Marilyn know how he feels (but
he isn't quite such a smooth-talker as Serge in his younger days). Marilyn is shocked and disappointed when
the new officer arrives.

The verdict: 'Duck Patrol' is a likeable enough series with the kind of gentle humour that reminds one of British
sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s. The cast works well together and the scripts are entertaining enough, although
the series is never going to be remembered as a classic of the genre. However, Tennant and Wilson in particular
are excellent, and help to make this series much better than many of the British comedies of the last decade.