Michael Palin, in his TV manifestations at least, is an amiable and witty chap. If you'd prefer to go on thinking of him as such, you'd do well to avoid this over earnest, over eager "trouble at the Post Office" farce. And over earnest is the word. If it were ju5t a flabby tale of manky Martin, and his merry band of stamp lickers who are determined to foil the plans of Nasty Nick and his corrupt cohorts it wouldn't be too bad, but Martin isn't just a mild mannered, right thinking person who cycles to work no, when he's had a bit to drink, Martin is inclined to think he's Ernest Hemingway, which gives him a licence to argue points of interpretation into the night with a passing American academic, and ultimately to sail off, like the Old Man, into the sunset. I wish I could say I was sorry to see him go.
