The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series

One of the most unusual sitcoms ever made, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin ran on the BBC network from 1976-79 and was so popular in reruns that it was revived in 1996—even though the star had been dead for a dozen years (the revival featured Reggie's family, friends, and colleagues, who united to fulfill the conditions of his will). Compiling all 21 episodes from the original three-season run, the show stars Leonard Rossiter as Reginald Perrin, a tired, dissatisfied, middle-aged salesman whose stresses at work and home drive him to distraction. On the edge of a breakdown, Reggie resolves to get out of the rat race one way or another, eventually faking his own suicide (leaving his clothes on a bench at the beach) and vanishing in a bid to start life anew. Adopting different guises—from pig farmer to explorer—Reggie ultimately returns home to the wife he once dreaded seeing every day. Sporting a fascinating premise that evolves along darker comic lines than typical American sitcoms with henpecked husbands, the show's supporting characters tend toward stereotype—bombastic boss, sexy secretary, sycophantic subordinate, slacker son-in-law, etc.—but their easily recognizable characteristics only serve to reinforce Reggie's discontentment with the stultifying sameness in his life. DVD extras include the hour-shy TV bio “The Very Best of Leonard Rossiter” and the brief “Reginald Perrin Christmas Special Sketch” from 1982. Recommended. (E. Hulse)