The BBC create this colourful and weird comedy kungfu cop drama which, as Lesley Jackson discovers, is even sillier than she is. BBC, we want more!
London 2001...and one step to the left.
And we are introduced to the cartoon world of future London where the Queen has just been murdered by a gang of ne’er-do-wells, headed quite literally by a bloke for a basketball for a head in a gang called the Freebies. Their dastardly plan is to seize the throne from the two hapless princes, the idiotic William and Harry; who one suspects is a rather more realistic portrayal than they’d like to admit. Of course, their plan is thwarted by our kungfu cop hero Terry Phoo and his rebellious teenage assistant Whitey Action; who just so happens to be the adopted daughter of the over-protective police chief of London.
This specially commissioned one-off drama for BBC3 is based upon the nineties cult comic strip from the magazine The Face, created by Jamie Hewlett who was also responsible for Tank Girl and Gorillaz. Although it has an American police chief, who even in the shower is not without his shoulder holster and with a Chinese kungfu hero, it is decidedly British in tone with its eccentric setting and rather naughty humour. One can see that Terry Phoo is a pastiche of Bruce Lee with countless references to films and clad in his yellow stripy fighting suit. However, the humour is cute, silly and tongue in cheek as his sifu master comments on his fighting blindfold, “Your ‘Shaolin Wedgy’ is spiritual in nature...you have mastered the technique of no technique.”
Eddie Shin as Terry Phoo is humble and funny as the kungfu cop sent to save Great Britain from being ruled by the evil basket ball head, Jimmy Freebie. Yet the real star of the show is Ray Winstone’s daughter Jaime Winstone who plays Phoo’s fighting assistant Whitey Action, always ready with a sarcastic put down for the pointless and annoying men who surround her. You can’t mention Whitey though without mentioning her pneumatic hips, always squeezed into a pair of tight hot pants, my favourite pair being the gold ones she wore in the disco when she first meets Terry Phoo. They were everywhere and I personally am going on a diet so I can have some too! Even the noble Terry noticed them as it is discovered Whitey is the chosen one, when she opens the Buddha box with the glowing light and pulls out the sacred loincloth, “the prophesy speaks of one who is destined to use the loincloth to restore order, but it says nothing about them turning into hot pants!”
Although this kungfu comedy drama was created by BBC3 as a one off, there are already plans to make this into a series and I really hope they do as this off-beat and affectionate poke at kungfu films is weird, naughty and very funny.
Phoo Action!
Available through BBC iplayer until Tuesday 19th February 2008.
By: Jason Dainter (Registered IP 79.75.155.154) on 20-02-2008 13:48
I enjoyed the first episode, good lighthearted fun, one of those programs you have have on in the background whilst doing some work (or building a martial arts website :-)
By: Claire Hughes (Registered IP 90.195.67.242) on 19-02-2008 23:35
Watched this out of intrigue but ended up giggling away lke a school kid. It's kids tv for grown ups - far too much fun! Kept expecting the famous 'batwords' to erupt on screen. Took some sticking with but I will definitely be tuning in for the full series.
Fun and Entertainment 
(0 vote)
By: Jason Dainter (Registered IP 79.75.155.154) on 20-02-2008 13:48
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