'Buddyboy', the third episode in Nigel Kneale's 1976 ITV series 'Beasts' is probably the least believable of the series, and, as its story concerns the vengeful ghost of a performing dolphin, it's possibly the silliest as well. Kneale's unbelievable and silly is still streets ahead of others logical and heavy, however, and, as usual, he's absolutely right - any dolphin dragged from the wide open sea and forced to do tricks in a tiny pool in a shitty part of London would be pretty ticked off, even beyond the grave.
Martin Shaw plays Dave, a bubble permed porn magnate in the making who wants the abandoned dolphinarium as the latest outpost in his burgeoning smut empire; Pamela Moiseiwitsch (great name) is the strange young woman seemingly possessed by the titular mammal.
Plus Playschool's Stuart McGugan doing some ace leering. 'Baby' and 'Barty's Party' may be harrowing but the more offbeat episodes of 'Beasts' are great. If only 'The Chopper' was still in existence ... Patrick Troughton and a haunted bike. Bliss!
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