Panda Pops

Ring the bells from the tallest tower! House Doctor is back!

You can call me a big old mox if you like (I suspect many of you already do), but there can be no containing my excitement at the prospect of a new series of House Doctor. No other show can offer the combination of my two favourite television personalities, the divine Ann Maurice and the lovely Alistair Appleton.



It might be better for all concerned if I just changed the name of this blog to Steve Loves Alistair Appleton. But I'm going to stick with the subtle approach. If I may admit something shameful, I was slightly concerned that Alistair might not be back to present this series, that he may be too busy looking for cash in an attic somewhere, and that he may have been replaced. Perhaps with Tris Payne, who used to do it before, and whom I'm sure was perfectly competent, but didn't twinkle like Alistair. But when I saw that Alistair had returned, I squealed with glee and hugged the television. But you must promise not to share that with anyone.

Much as I heart watching Alistair on Cash in the Attic, it just doesn't compare to House Doctor, since Alistair and Ann are one of television's great double acts. As a friend of mine once said, and I hope he won't mind me paraphrasing, "she is the perfect foil for his posh campness."

Tonight's episode didn't disappoint. I won't blather on (much), but here are my top three moments:

1. Alistair arrives with the video of the potential buyers, chortling to Theresa (the vendor), "I bet it was fun showing Ann around here! Look at all the clutter!"
2. In a rather heartrending moment, Theresa running out of the room in tears after hearing what the viewers had to say.
3. Alistair's return after the house doctoring was completed, clutching one of Theresa's much-loved dolls that Ann had banished to storage, saying "Look who I've found outside. (High-pitched voice.) 'Please can I come in?'"

And of course the biggest trauma was finding out that despite glowing reports from the viewers following Ann's visit, 'Tre' and her husband put everything back shortly after Ann left and took the house back off the market.

But hey, that's the heady world of property merchandising, people. As long as Alistair's there to guide us through it, we'll survive.

posted by Steve @ 7:58 pm