"The Great Ducktective"

Season 3 Episode 7 (episode 52 overall)

Original broadcast date: 3 December 1990

Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
Additional voices: Hawkeye Soames: Jack May

                              Dr. Von Goosewing/Mrs. Bludgeon/Sviatoslav: Jimmy Hibbert

                              Dr. Potson: David Jason

                              Dmitri: Brian Trueman

Castle transport visual not used.

The third and final appearance of inept detectives Hawkeye Soames and Dr. Potson is their best one. They’re involved in the story from the get-go and move the plot along, after Goosewing has set the ball rolling and prepared the playing field. They also have a chance to introduce their ‘Nanny’ in the shape of Mrs. Bludgeon who makes fast friends with our regular Nanny.

Goosewing thinks that getting Duckula imprisoned for murder would be an OK second to having him staked. Evidently he doesn’t think a vampire could potentially escape from prison. It’s possible he’s getting desperate to try anything at this stage, or he knows Duckula’s vampiric powers extend only so far. At any rate, he’s concocted a story about his Great Aunt Gretchen Von Edelweiss having been murdered by the Count and tells it to Hawkeye Soames. Luckily for Goosewing, Soames is about as adept a detective as he is a vampire hunter and he swallows the story immediately, setting off to Transylvania to confront the Count. This is in keeping with the Sherlock Holmes stories and their travelling nature. It wouldn’t be out of place for Holmes to take on a fanciful case if it challenged his powers of deduction (or should that be de-DUCK-tion? Hehehehe! Oh never mind.)

Meanwhile in Transylvania, it’s another run-of-the-mill day for the residents of the castle. Duckula’s annoyed to find blood in his refrigerator and Nanny is distraught to find blood on a handkerchief. While it’s not much of a surprise that Igor is responsible for putting a glass of blood in the fridge, the handkerchief presents more of a problem. It’s the first of a series of false clues planted by Goosewing to frame Duckula. It’s also embroidered with the letter G – G for Gretchen, Goosewing’s fictitious aunt. I like to think he had his own handkerchief with G for Goosewing on it and he just wove the story round that. Throughout the day, more clues are discovered. It seems the Doctor was a bit overzealous with all the false evidence – there’s a metric tonne of it! All murder weapons and bloodstained ladies garments and accessories. Somewhat overkill, if you’ll pardon the pun? I have to give him credit for how he managed to plant all these blood-red herrings without anyone noticing - then again, the castle is huge and it's population scant. 

By now Soames and Poston have arrived at the castle, driven there in their version of the Duckula trailer, by their housekeeper. Mrs. Bludgeon is a nice addition to the cast as she provides Nanny with someone very similar to chat too. They immediately become friendly after Nanny opens the door (shock horror!) to her and start chatting like a pair of middle-aged mums about all the trouble they have with their charges.

Mrs Bludgeon: Your Duckyboos?

Nanny: Yes! The trouble I have lookin' after 'im at times!
Mrs. Bludgeon: And you get no thanks for it neither!

Soames and Potson meanwhile have sneaked off to try and sneak in – the idea being to take the Count by surprise. Again, perfectly in keeping with Sherlock Holmes' capricious nature.

By this stage the mountain of evidence it quite literally a mountain and Igor has come to the conclusion that someone is trying to frame Duckula for murder. Soames, having ‘sneaked in’ with Poston (crash landing on the kitchen table) introduces himself and is soon met with the pile of incriminating stuff which Duckula hopes he can explain for him. Unfortunately, Soames' explanation is not what Duckula would hope and he is immediately convinced that these are all legitimate murder weapons and places Duckula under arrest! Duckula naturally panics and runs away screaming. Soames and Poston give pursuit and with classic British reserve, bump into each other.

Soames: We must pursue the blackguard before he can escape. Poston, you go that way, I'll go this.
(They immediately collide and fall down.)

We cut away to the clock for some light relief about Irish Stew/I arrest you punning, courtesy of Dmitri and Sviatoslav.

All the while, Goosewing is listening in with delight from his airship, by means of a gigantic suction-cup device and a pair of earphones that look like a re-purposed stethoscope. He has a bit of a gloating nature at times despite not technically being a villainous character. No-one in the series is clear-cut 'goodie' or 'baddie' which is rare for a cartoon made around the time it was.

Duckula does the logical thing anyone falsely accused of murder would do – cower under his bedsheets. By this stage Igor has rightly deduced that there has been no murder (the lack of a body being the most obvious clue!) and that Goosewing is behind the whole deal. He’s right of course, but now Duckula has to out-sneak his enemy by convincing the detectives that the victim is still alive and well. Not an easy task, since she never existed in the first place! Igor kind of puts his foot in it here, in opening the floor to Duckula.

Now the Count has a plan and it wouldn’t be a Britcom if someone didn’t disguise in drag at some stage and unfortunately for Igor, it’s his turn. This makes sense since up until this point, the detectives have not seen Igor (although they have met in previous episodes) and Nanny would probably not be too reliable in a deception, disregarding the fact that they met her recently already. There now follows a scene which ably displays Jack May and David Jason’s talents at acting against themselves as Duckula and ‘Aunt Gretchen’ confront Soames and Potson (a similar 2 actors/4 characters scene would occur with Brian and David in ‘Escort Red-Handed’ – also involving  Soames and Potson, and in that case, Hugo disguised in drag.) Duckula also turns the thumbscrews a little by prompting ‘Frau Gretchen’ to pay him compliments.

Igor: (in trembling falsetto) It is always a pleasure to meet any friends of -
Duckula: Dear, sweet, kind.
Igor: Dear, sweet, kind.
Duckula: Lovable, generous and handsome.
Igor: (briefly sletting slip a bass growl) Meuugh - lovable generous and handsome Count Duckula!

Potson is baffled (as usual) and Soames is a little dumbstruck that he may have jumped to conclusions. I would have thought the lack of a dead body or motive might have been enough to give him pause, but he’s no Sherlock as we know! Goosewing has heard enough to realise things are going a bit awry so he jumps into the scene – literally, he’s forgotten his parachute once again. Soames now shows a smidgen of deductive skill and posits that, since there has apparently been no murder, Goosewing needs to explain what’s going on. Goosewing in turn is enraged that someone appears to be impersonating his Aunty but he makes the mistake of pointing out that the main reason that this apparent stranger could not be his Aunt Gretchen, is because he never had an Aunt of that name in the first place. Embarrassment and a hasty departure ensue and Soames bullspits his way into glory from the sycophantic Potson by saying he ‘knew it all along.’ Duckula is not impressed. Igor just wants to close the whole sorry scene.
 

Igor: Milord, may I be permitted to shed these rrriDICulous garments now?
Potson: Oh Madam please, there are gentlemen present!

All in all though, now the Count is off the hook it seems we’ll get a relatively happy ending, so cue Nanny to barge in wondering just what Igor is doing ‘wearing frocks in front of guests!’. Poor Igor cries in more embarrassment to close the case off.

Fun episode with a bit of a grisly idea behind the plot and a Jeeves-ian wrapping up - just the job. The animation is by the home team and is mostly fluid and expressive with the occasional use of stock or camera zooms to liven up limited scenes. If you’re a fan of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, this is the episode for you!

Music heard includes ‘Like Strange’ by Kenny Graham (‘I’m quite happy with my beak!’), ‘Spooky Scherzo’ (mobile apartment approaching the castle) and 'Dark Doings' (track 61) by Simon Richard Benson (Soames and Potson arrive at the castle/wrapping up the case). A lot of Victorian-sounding violins, cellos and piano dominate the soundtrack. The bats theme as ever, is ‘Vamp Til Ready’ (Wally Asp). 'The Ogre' (Keith Charles Nichols) plays when Soames accuses Duckula. The music while Duckula whispers in Igor's ear is heard on the open to the previous episode. "Tyrolean Sunshine" (John Hawkins & Francis Fare) plays when Goosewing falls and ''Gasthaus Waltz Link' (John Leach) is heard when Goosewing makes his excuses and leaves. 'Poverty Stricken' (Sam Fonteyn - track 21) closes the episode.

I deduce that it is time for some backgrounds and pans dear reader.

LONDON: Home of the - oh wait a minute, wrong series.

 

Two versions of this scene exist. One has a fade out from the kitchen scene and a jump cut to the mobile apartment traversing the mountainside, another cuts stright to this scene from the kitchen with no fade out.

 

Trivia

*Another title with the word duck in it, although spelled a little unusually. 

*Rare episode that doesn't start off with a scene involving Duckula, Nanny or Igor. Goosewing, Soames and Potson get the first scene, with Soames getting the first shot.

*First time Goosewing enlists the aid of others to help doom Duckula. The next time would be in 'Around the World in a Total Daze' which also started off in London.

*The narrator identifies Soames' residence (or somewhere near) as 'Daker Street' to facilitate an alliteratition. Reference to Baker Street.

*Goosewing’s assumed name in this episode is Von Edelweiss, which is a type of flower and also a song from ‘The Sound of Music.’ Nanny called her temporary employer the same (mistakenly) in ‘Rent A Butler.’  

*It should be fairly obvious that Soames and Potson are spoofs of Holmes and Watson. Mrs. Bludgeon is a take-off off Mrs. Hudson.

Soames and Potson as they appear in 'Victor & Hugo.'

*3^rd and final appearance of Soames and Potson. They would go on to make 3 further appearances on ‘Victor & Hugo – Bunglers in Crime’, where Brian Trueman would assume the role of Soames. Their colour schemes on that show were also different to how they appeared here.

*Only appearance of Mrs. Bludgeon although she is referenced in the V&H episode ‘Escort Red-Handed’ and possibly in ‘Do-In-Yourself.’

*The same layout is used for Soames and Potson's flat as in 'Mysteries of the Wax Museum', with a picture of what appears to be a startled Sherlock Holmes on the wall. It is not quite the same background however.

*Mrs. Bludgeon has a cup of tea and a chat with Nanny in the kitchen. The last character to do so was the werewolf man from ‘The Return…etc.’

*Soames and Potson end up on the kitchen table. The last character to do that was Duckula himself in ‘Amnesiac Duck’ and before that, Hesekiah in ‘Town Hall Terrors.’

* Igor and Duckula make a variant on the nice aperitif/a pair of teeth gag they did in 'Dear Diary'.

*Another appearance of Von Goosewing’s airship.

*Goosewing invention: Just one - the Dr. Von Goosewing Mark 9(Nein?) Super Patented Listening-in und Snooping Device! If you listen closely, what Goosewing hears via this contraption is Soames' previous lines identifying the clues.

*Duckula has a dart-studded poster of Gooeswing on his bedroom wall.

*Closest Jack May gets to playing a female character. A pity, as Igor’s trembling old spinster impression is rather decent!

*Although we never do learn Von Goosewing’s 1^st name in the series, we at least know that it’s not Erich! Unless it's a double bluff, and Igor really does know his name.

* Igor’s Auntie disguise doesn’t convince Goosewing – sort of - since VG invented the existence of his Auntie in the first place. However he doesn’t realise it is Igor himself whereas Nanny knows immediately.

* Goosewing says ‘Weltgeschichte’ when he’s embarrassed. In English it means 'world history.'

* A rare instance of an episode ending in Duckula getting off the hook and Igor coming off worse.

* Animators include Malcolm McGookin (Avenger Penguins writer). Storyboard by Vincent James whose illustrations appear in a number of tie-in books.

* This episode was released on VHS along with two other murder mystery type episodes  - ‘Private Beak’ and ‘Whodunnit?’ It was also re-released individually by Boots in 1996 where the credits for ‘Whodunnit?’ were mistakenly used. On the original VHS it credits Brian Trueman as the writer of all three episodes, where as individually, this one is ascribed to Jimmy Hibbert. Ruby Wax was also only in 'Private Beak.' The original multiple episode VHS releases usually only used one intro and outro and since ‘Whodunnit?’ was the last episode on the tape, its credits were used. Finally, got to love how they presented one of the most murder-centric episodes in a more kiddie way than usual. 

Soames and Potson as they appeared in the UK Count Duckula comic.

Goofs and Nitpicks

 *Unless the hankie is embroidered on both sides, the G changes case.

* Mild alignment issue when Soames and Potson bash into each other.