George and Lynne arrive at a restaurant. The waiter asks them if they would like their usual table and George is impressed that he remembered. He then offers them two dishes and George is again impressed that the waiter remembered. George and Lynne are then doing the dishes because George did not remember to bring his wallet.
George and Lynne have been to this restaurant before. As they have come back it would be safe to say that they enjoyed their time here. It seems that either the steak and the scampi are specialities of the restaurant or that they were just very good as it seems quite a big deal to get dressed up just for steak and scampi. Perhaps steak and scampi are the height of sophistication for George and Lynne. They just aren't as high-brow as we had them down to me. However this could be one of those restaurants that take a classic dish like steak or scampi and puts their own spin on it.
As George and Lynne cannot afford to pay, in classic cartoon style they are doing the dishes. A dishwasher in 1983 would probably be paid about £3 an hour. If this really is a classy a restaurant as we think it is, then their meal could have cost upwards of £50 between them. In order for George and Lynne to pay off their bill, they will have to wash dishes for the next eight hours. It would have been simpler for George to drive home and get his wallet while Lynne waits at the restaurant as some sort of collateral. If he doesn't return with two hours, they are allowed to shoot her.
The storyline is very lazy, depending on the very weak 'you remembered', repeated, to set up the punch line to the contrary.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most unsatisfactory of all the George & Lynne sketches, and not worthy of the great couple.
in the 1970s people were a lot more conservative in what they ate. steak and scampi was regarded as the hight of sophistication. besides with the demographic The Sun is aiming at they needed to pick two menu items that (a) they might of heard of and (b) would consider appropriate for an evenining out.
ReplyDeleteanyway, the pathetic attempt at humour is part of an elaborate plot by George & Lynne. they wanted to get behind the scenes at the restaurant so they could case the joint. later some of George's heavies will be in to empty the safe.
In 1983, £3/hr would have been an awesome wage for a washer-upper. Indeed it would have been a very acceptable rate in 1993. But I can also confirm steak and scampi would have been a suitable meal in the pre-nouvelle cuisine days.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Ronko. Although the drawing seems to be improving, the material just plain sucks! I don't know why the Sun keeps these hacks on the payroll.
ReplyDeleteIf they're that well known at the restaurant you'd think the staff would have allowed them to pay later. Or was all the friendliness just a front to retain their custom?
ReplyDelete