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In the Netherlands Just Entertainment set, at the 39:40 mark, right before the scene in which all the available Ashtons & Tony & Sefton are seated at table for Christmas, there is a brief scene, lasting just over 1 minute (69 seconds), in which Freda and Owen, sitting together on the couch, are listening to carols on the radio. Sefton, miserable grouch, decides a quiet room would be more conducive to conversation and switches the radio off. “We don’t want this on, do we?” He refers to some correspondence Australian Owen is reading and refers to “CanBERra.” “CANberra,” corrects Owen, drawing a “Yes” from infallible Sefton. Sefton, playing proud uncle, exclaims “So you have a boyfriend at last, do you?” Freda has spent the episode separating from Owen, though she still invites him to stay for Christmas. “Do you know what she said at her sister’s wedding about getting a boyfriend?” he says to Owen. “The first that asks, ha ha!” Freda, elegantly, gets up, offers Sefton a NUT, and puts the radio back on. Edwin comes in, and Sefton, pompous fool, addresses him “I see you’ve managed to get a Christmas tree!” Edwin rebuts that it’s the same tree as last year; he got it in his garden. Money and marriage issues figure heavily in this episode.<div><br></div><div>What is most remarkable about this series is the collective writers’ (read John Finch, who wrote this screenplay) ability to see characters “in the round” as real people, with their internal biases and limitations and modes of compensation. The ability of the superb cast to deliver those constructs is equally astonishing. Extra rehearsal time DOES pay off. I wish American television had had that. Early American televised drama succeeded because so many actors were theatrically trained to deliver on a frantic, live platform.</div><div><br></div><div>Anyway, I count a total of 4 brief scenes extra in the Netherlands set, concluding Series One. Adjusting for extra seconds at the opening and closing of each episode, internal scene trims exposing bumper theme music (two in this episode), and the four scenes might account for a total difference of 6 minutes.</div><div><br></div><div>On to Series Two!<br><br><br></div>
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