Prospects - The Complete Series [DVD]

Billy and Pincey, two young blokes living in the fast changing world of London's East End in Thatcher's Britain. Brought up in a world where the old trades of working the docks are long gone and their entire home area is changing by the day, Thatcher and Tebbit's message of help yourself if you want to get on in life is driving and Billy and Pincey through each day. The series details the people they have to deal with on a daily basis, the small time mobsters, the thugs and the racists trying to split Billy and Pincey apart and holding them back. Undeterred the two lads keep pushing on with any daft scheme Pincey comes up with and Billy reluctantly goes along with, they often come off worse but they keep trying all the same.It's superbly written, gritty comedy/drama about how the east end of London was rapidly changing as the Docklands area went through massive changes. Alan Janes the writer doesn't shy away from dealing with some nasty aspects, the racism that Billy has to put up with makes for very uncomfortable viewing but the two heroes grew up in a modern multi-cultural society and Janes makes sure that it's just something the heroes deal with and brush off.The photography in the series is superb and a real pleasure to see so much of the old east end of London as it was when I used to live there as a kid. I was born a stone's through from where the series was set, several generations of my family worked the docks and Prospects made a connection with me when I was a teenager. It also brought back what a tragedy it was to lose Gary Olson at such a young age, a superb British actor who should by rights have gone on to much greater things after his stint on 2 Point 4 Children finished but it was not to be.

Fair play to Network for finally releasing Prospects a Euston Films classic which has slipped off the radar for over 20 years and depicts a London docklands/society which is now all but a memory. Brian Bovell and Gary Olsen are Billy and Pincy loveable duckers and divers from the Isle of Dogs who scratch, scam and steal a living whichever way they can in the middle of Margaret Thatcher's era of enterprise, money and the yuppie. The 12 episodes take in many of Pincy's ideas and scheme's which although scorned upon by Billy he goes along with and usually results in some sort of trouble and scrapes with local villain's like 'Stretch' (Eddie Tagoe), corrupt businessmen, racism and police detective Halforth (Ben Howard) which with comedic realism depict a sense of realism for many working class east Londoners in the mid 1980's.It's a real shame Euston Films/Channel 4/ITV and the writer Alan Janes never got it together for at least a second series of Prospects which was rumoured to have been put forward as a replacement for Minder as in my opinion based on the quality of the episodes here and the popularity Prospects had when repeated on ITV in 1987 it would certainly have been a more interesting (arguably better) option than a Dennis Waterman-less Minder. Prospects also along with shows like One Summer, Scully, Boys From The Blackstuff, Auf Pet etc. also shows an alternative socially real 1980's to the wealth, greed and money making era many seem to picture it as and does resonate very strongly with anyone who was a teenager/youth from that background in that era.I'm glad it's finally got the proper DVD release it deserves and with all the rumours of master tapes being wiped and the show being forgotten in vaults it fans of Prospects and other series like it can now see a piece of socially real television which should still be getting made today. Sadly it isn't and is being totally ignored by the period drama obsessed British television these days.RIP Gary Olsen - long live Pincy!

Written by the same personal and production Done by Euston Film's ltd Famous for the Sweeney&MinderLots of locations in London 1980's`I:E :Isle of dog's+ Canary Wharf (pre development) Older attitude to Politics and Economics Racism and always looking for the next big thing to earn from well written and new or young Viewers will be glued once they see the main two Caricatures developmentVery good Viewing.

This throw back to Thatcherite 80s London is refreshing as the day to day aspects of survival are navigated through by Pincey and Billy - both with big ideas but shallow pockets. They get into all kinds of scrapes with all kinds of unsavoury characters including the law. If you remember the era it is good to look back; if not then it is an education.

Loved rewatching this. I remember being a huge fan of this series when I was 15/16 in 1986. Follow Pincy and Billy, a couple of lads trying to get ahead in the pre-Canary Wharf Docklands of the mid 80s. Full of hope that normal working class people could share in some of Thatcher's supposed golden future (they couldn't). They try not to be too downcast as be they go through life and keep on trying to make a living "on the crumbling city streets, hoping for tomorrow".

Nice see older programs

Waited an age for this to be released but so glad it has as is easily one of the best comedy dramas from the 80's. Watched it when it first aired and have been banging on about it to people ever since, many who ad not heard of it.Was advised awhile back that the relevant television company had lost or got rid of the master tapes of this, obviously they found them again and I am more than happy that they did.The character and situations are great. Favourite episodes are the ones with the bank job and the chip shop hostage situation.

i remember watching this back in the eighties. tucked away on channel four i think. it stayed with me ,i kept checking to see if it was released on dvd , now it is and is as good as i remember.great cast led by the late great gary olson as pincy . always on the look out to make a few quid by some or other dodgy plan . aided and abetedby his easily led mate billy ,played by the excellant brian bovell.all in all a great dvd package .