The Booze Cruise

Remember this? Paul Minett and Brian Leveson's trilogy of comic adventures with Martin Clunes, Mark Benton, Brian Murphy and the rest of the gang. The one with the treasure hunt seems to stick in my mind as being the most funny one. The writing as ace. What does everyone else think?

By the way, I did a search and there doesn't seem to be a thread on it.

I saw the first one, but can't say I've seen the others. I take it that it's out on DVD?

The original was great, but the sequels were poo.

Quote: Tex Fisher @ May 11 2010, 6:14 PM BST

I saw the first one, but can't say I've seen the others. I take it that it's out on DVD?

I don't know about any DVDs, I just recall the second one being quite funny.

The first one was quite a hit, if I recall (September 2003), but they waited so long that by the time the second was shown on Christmas Day 2005, the momentum was lost, it flopped in the ratings and they pushed the last one out in May of '06 in a much less salubrious slot.

As the Producer of The Booze Cruise films - what do you want to know?

Box set of DVD's are available.

Quote: Roy Gould @ July 28 2010, 12:44 PM BST

As the Producer of The Booze Cruise films - what do you want to know?

I have a question: was anyone a bit peeved that Martin Clunes couldn't do the sequels?

They were great films, by the way; real old-fashioned fun.

Our filming dates, which we were locked into, clashed with Martin's as he was filming the 2nd series of Doc Martin at the same time (both our shows needed to be shot in the spring 2005) Martin wanted to do the other films with us but ITV wanted both at the same time. We were lucky enough to get Ian Richardson and the writers Paul and Brian did a major re-write to introduce his character.
I was very lucky to have Paul Seed as director and a smashing cast and crew altough it did rain alot in Yorkshire when we were shooting 2 and 3.

Quote: Dave @ July 29 2010, 1:29 PM BST

I have a question: was anyone a bit peeved that Martin Clunes couldn't do the sequels?

They were great films, by the way; real old-fashioned fun.

I never saw them, but I remember my mum and dad really enjoyed them. And they hardly enjoy any comedy on TV.

I remember really enjoying the original until a powercut hit my house about twenty minutes before the end. But I really remember enjoying it, especially Martin Clunes insisting sitting in the front of the car (or something like that). Never watched the sequels or a repeat of the first one, but would like to.

The second one was shown on Christmas Day 2005 but I think, because of the big gap from the first one (September 2003), the ratings were very poor and they put the last one out in May 2006 in a primetime Sunday night slot. I think if they had been made and shown in 2004 instead, it would have been better received as people would have remembered it.

Paul Minnet and Brian Leveson are good writers (The Piglet Files with Nick Lyndhurst is among their credis, as is My Family Series 6 onwards).

Actualy as I stated at the time to ITV I thought that Christmas day was a big mistake to show 2 as it would be against EastEnders which it was - so we didn't rate. BC 3 at Easter did good figures. As for showing in 2004 - ITV were too slow off the mark to order the films and Paul and Brian needed the time from mid 2004 to Christmas to write 2 & 3 (with re-writes as we lost Martin and introducing Ian's character.). Paul and Brian are now lead writers on "My Family".