MovieChat Forums > Mulberry (1992) Discussion > Season 1 Alice vs. Season 2 Alice

Season 1 Alice vs. Season 2 Alice

posted 18 years ago by chunba
9 replies | jump to latest

I much prefer Season One's Alice (Lil Roughley) over Season Two's (Mary Healey). Lil had such great chemistry with Tony Selby (Bert) and the rest of the cast, so I was surprised to read in another post that she wasn't asked back for Season Two because they didn't feel she was the right fit. I assumed that it was her choice to leave.

Nothing against Mary Healey who did the best she could but was just a completely different type. It was disconcerting when she replaced Lil in the show, because the original four worked so well together, IMO.

[–] marieisme 18 years ago

I liked both of them, and still can't pick my favourite. It seems to depend on which one I'm watching at the moment...lol.

I liked Lil Roughley's sarcastic comebacks to people; she was never at a loss for words, and didn't suffer fools gladly.

But I also liked the way Mary Healey played the character, it seemed to suit HER as an actress. I think she has kind of a baby face, and she played it more as a sweet, befuddled little girl. I can't see her snapping at people the way Alice #1 did, although she does have her moments.

I wish there hadn't been a change at all; it was quite jarring the first time I saw the series, on PBS. It ran both seasons consecutively, and at that time I knew nothing about the show, so I was left wondering what was going on when the sudden switch happened from one week to the next.

I was very glad when Chris started posting on the "Theme" thread, because I'd wondered for years why there were two Alices, and had never been able to find an answer.

On an unrelated note, I was surprised to see how young Geraldine McEwan looked in the interview extra. I thought she was alot older...it's amazing what they can do with hair and makeup.

[–] chunba 18 years ago

Yes, Lil had that sarcastic quality which made her a great foil to Bert, and I enjoyed her suspicious nature regarding Mulberry. She and Tony Selby had some great scenes together where there characters were in competition, from folding a tablecloth to seeing who bulks their food the quickest. Some of my favorite bits from the first season. It seems they threw all of that out when they replaced her. Mary played her as more of a wide-eyed innocent, and with her cast in the part the storylines revolved more around Alice's attempts to get Bert to notice her.

[–] d_macgowan 17 years ago

I think Lil was really good as Alice. I have a suspicion that there was some behind-the-scenes reason for the switch, like a personality conflict or something. I don't think anyone who saw and appreciated Lil's performance and chemistry with the rest of the cast can buy the "she wasn't a good fit" line.

[–] colinpeppiatt 16 years ago

I must admit I read Chris' comments saying the director felt "she didn't fit with the rest of the cast" probably as a personality conflict between the actress and colleagues rather than Lil not fitting the role of Alice. She did fit this.

If you remember her character in 'My Hero' the character is much more dominant than Alice, but when playing Alice she plays her a completely different way.

[–] LBzura 16 years ago

I know that nobody seems to have been talking about this series for a while, but I just watched it on PBS. Although I haven't verified the dates, it occurs to me that Lil Roughley may have left the series to play the role of mother/mother-in-law in the series "My Hero," in which the titular lead character is an otherworldly superhero dating [and ultimately marrying] a young assistant in a local medical practice. She may well have thought this the more viable career move. But again, I haven't compare dates, etc., so I may be way off base on this analysis. Interesting show, Mulberry, though.

[–] goflorida10 14 years ago

I totally agree. Lil was perfection in the role of the put-upon cook and wife. She was funny without even speaking her lines. I'm often puzzled at the cast changes I see in BBC productions. (Bally K, All Creatures Great and Small to name but a few.)

[–] Gore_Won 14 years ago

The change in Coupling was crippling.

[–] goflorida10 13 years ago

While they were both good actresses, I must admit that Lil Roughley was my choice. She was perfect for Bert and knew how to put Mulberry in his place.

I'm sorry to hear that she was replaced. I had wondered what happened.

I'm hopeful that this series will pick up again someday. It deserves to live again. The same characters would be nice. I'm perplexed why this wonderful series was canceled while other less intelligent shows just go on and on....

[–] SvenHozz 10 years ago

Lil is my Fav.

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