Irish News, 23 February 2002, by Frank McNamara. "Smoothies like Nigel they just don't exist." ----------------------------------------------------------- Well there it is, or should I say he is. After the past two weeks of smallpox and plastic surgery I promised fluffy bunnies or a chocolate box top. I couldn't find any programmes to fit those pictures so here is the next best thing (for the ladies anyway). Well he is "girl's heaven" according to my big book of anagrams. Yes that old smoothy Nigel Havers is back on the small screen and being "frightfully outrageous" with three other 40-something smoothies who will do well to keep up with Nigel as the comedy *Manchild* unfolds over the coming weeks on BBC2 (Tuesdays 9pm). Nigel Havers plays Terry in a kind of yuppie rat-pack scenario with Anthony Head as James, his nearest rival for the English cad title. The rest of the quartet is made up by Don Warrington - who, like the previous two have left marriage, fatherhood - and responsibility behind and Ray Burdis, who as Gary is slightly more believable on the other hand as he is still married to Cheryl (Lindsey Coulson) and can only look on enviously as the others enjoy life to the full. Nigel Havers was born for these roles and carries them off so much better than others - like Hugh Grant for example - who lean towards that type of character. Mr Havers is 47 in real life and his voice-over commentary provides the guide to what is happening in the (rapidly descending into fantasy) lives of the rest of the group. But despite this show's billing as comedy it only hits the spot with the odd bit of politically incorrect satire. The rest of the time you are left wondering just who could get away with such a lifestyle. There are, I'm sure, mid-life crisis men about who will fall perfectly into the way these guys chase 20something women but I'm glad I don't know any. It is as if the whole thing has been put together to stick two fingers up at Channel 4's *Sex in the City*, but doing it with parodies of "foolish middle-aged men" is just foolish. No doubt as the series wears on and throws up more talking points there will be deep psychological analysis of what makes men this age really tick. You see smoothies like Nigel's character just don't exist in the real world - that's why they are some kind of "heaven" for women to fantasise over. It doesn't matter what period you slot guys like this into, Nigel will always have a hint of the Raffles character about him. *Manchild* tries to change this with unsubtle touches like giving him a BMW R1100 motorbike as one of his big boy's toys. Now a real mid-life crisis type would of course ride a Harley Davison. The *Manchild* men all have plenty of cash and appear to have a really great time spending it but reality for most 40-something men - even those holding plenty of the folding stuff - is one where marriage, fatherhood and the responsibilities that go with those things are for the most part still unfolding and to be enjoyed. If you don't believe me take someone light years ahead of these shallow characters in the money stakes who stepped up to receive a lifetime achievement award during the Brit Awards on ITV on Thursday night. Former Police front man Sting is often criticised for the way he has developed since his band emerged during the punk rock era, a genre they were mistakenly regarded as part of. He has since moved into more cultured circles with his interest in jazz music and the Brazilian rain forests. The point is someone like Sting could more accurately be described as "girls heaven" than Nigel Havers or the characters he plays. Just as Kylie Minogue who presented Sting with his award by referring to his humble beginnings teaching in the north east of England. "If he was still teaching I'd be straight back to school," the pocket princess of pop said. Perhaps it has something to do with Sting starting out in life as a milkman like his father and brother. That particular trade has long held a dubious connection to "keeping the ladies happy." But Sting was born in Wallsend. It's a gritty enough place to start out and probably a far cry from what whoever was "making plans for Nigel" faced. Nige just seems to maintain the look of someone who has tasted life growing up with the silver spoon. His father was Lord Michael Havers, once Britain's attorney general and an ex-Lord Chancellor. Maybe the comparison is unfair, Nigel does his fair share of "charidee" work and while Sting campaigns endlessly for the preservation of the South American rain forests, our Nigel is a Comic Relief veteran and visited Honduras in Central American after Hurricane Mitch struck. Sting has often come in for a lot of criticism for broadening his interests. Just because he has all the trappings of success though doesn't mean acting in the boorish way the *Manchild* characters do. This Geordie has known what it's like to get there the hard way and by all accounts has not forgotten. He barely had two pennies to rub together when he set off, Dick Whittington-like, for London to make it as a musician. But that's all stood him in good stead and his award on Thursday made him king of the Brits. He might have aspired to Nigel's world in songs like Englishman in New York, but he is a proper Geordie at heart despite the posh Darras Hall accent. (Darras Hall is Newscastle's answer to Belfast's Cherry Valley). Caption: Upper Crust: Nigel Havers was born to play roles like Terry in *Manchild* and carries them off better than anyone. ----------------------------------------------------------- Bentley's Bedlam http://www.BetsyDa.com/bedlam.html This website is for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to infringe on copyrights held by others.