"Mystery Cruise"

Season 3 Episode 13 (episode 58 overall) 

Original broadcast date: 21st January 1991

Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
Additional voices: Game Show Host/Captain 

                              Farley/Sviatoslav:

                           Jimmy Hibbert

                          Sandy: Ruby Wax
                       Dmitri/Number One: Brian Trueman

                       

Travel location: Unspecified ocean (it's a mystery cruise after all!)

Castle transport visual not used.

Nanny wins a mystery cruise on a ocean liner whilst taking part in a game show. Duckula and (reluctantly) Igor come along for the ride.

This episode features no traditional horror trappings other than what we'd usually expect as standard (a scene in the castle, Igor insisting on rampart-stalking) and instead is mostly pure sitcom with a bit of game show/nouveau-riche mocking thrown in. Although, unusually, it does feature a bit of an education spot (from Igor naturally) about the Mary Celeste A real life event which can certainly be considered both a mystery and more than a little spooky.  

The episode starts off with a fun scene where Duckula tries to justify his watching "Super Duper Double Drachma Deal" on TV just to keep Nanny company. It's clear he's having a bit of a hate watch by choice of his own though. David Jason's timing whilst slagging off the show is perfect.

Duckula: Some people have all the luck. Now what's he got that I haven't? Why couldn't that be me? If I wanted it to be, which I don't.....Much.

Igor to his credit, shows no vestiges of disguise for his disgust and lays into the show viciously when he appears. 

Igor: I have no desire to witness this ridiculous exercise in avarice and greed milord. 

But where is the genuine fan of SDDDD all this time? Well, appearing on the show itself it would appear! After predictably not getting a single question right (probably just as well given some of the truly shocking prizes), Nanny just gets lucky and is allowed to try for the star prize, which is actually decent. The title of this episode should give you a clue as to what that is. Once again though, she hasn't a clue what the answer is and just replies "What?" Fortunately, the answer is Watt - as in Dr. James Watt! I like how they didn't go for the usual standby of "What is it called when a football player gives the ball to another player?- Pass - Correct!" joke. And there you go, a bit more education slipped in there too. So, Nanny has won the luxury ocean liner cruise for her and two friends so Duckula (and lets face it, us the audience) immediately assumes this means himself and Igor. Igor himself, conversely, is not too pleased since he's never got on with water as the opening of "The Mutinous Penguins" will attest.

Nanny, to her credit, isn't too pleased about this situation either. It's rare seeing her genuinely peeved at 'duckyboos' and she mostly just tolerates him throughout the episode, apart from a brief moment when he's in trouble. There's a funny little scene where they meet the upper-class 'what what' captain and do the traditional Cosgrove-Hall rapid-fire word-play confusion before Duckula tries to shorthand flirt with one of the least attractive of the Ruby Wax babes on the show. I also like Nanny's reaction to being told she's going to be allowed to navigate the ship as part of her prize. In perfect low English.

Nanny: What? Me drive the boat?

At least she has the good sense to realise this might not be a good idea! Too bad the ship's crew didn't.

They're soon shown to their cabins by the stewardess where Duckula decides to open a porthole and flood the place. He's just as daft as Nanny at times, though it's mostly through over-confidence and believing he knows more than he actually does. This nicely contrasts with Nanny's self-awareness from earlier. As a result of his idiocy, everyone gets almost drowned. I have no idea why the stewardess says 'totally awesome' though. Surfing reference? Igor in the swim ring is an oddly cute visual.

We cut to the clock bats for the old groaner about nervous wrecks and back to see the aftermath of Nanny's attempted boat-driving. So that joke ties in. It's funnier (and cheaper!) to hear about the disaster being referenced by the characters than to actually see it happening anyway. Captain Farley shows up a little worse for wear, in comedy bandages, a wheelchair and a frown. I do enjoy the little low-key rivalry between Duckula and the Captain established earlier, which continues here. The captain has the last laugh though when he rolls his wheelchair over Duckula's foot.

Next scene takes place during breakfast the following day. More animation is saved by the fact that the main three are the only ones in the dining hall. Igor educates Duckula somewhat by likening the situation to that of the Mary Celeste. There's no-one to be seen and no explanation as to how or why they have disappeared. This could indicate a lack of self-awareness on all of them. Assuming you have already seen the episode, you will know that the rest of the crew and passengers are just trying to avoid Duckula, Igor and Nanny by hiding from them. Igor's education segment stands out. It's spookily done and informative, so that's in keeping with his character. Although I suspect Brian Trueman's writing would have probably wove the educative aspect into a script a little more seamlessly.

Duckula gets an opportunity to play detective again. So out comes the magnifying glass and Sherlock Holmes hat. Nothing results from this investigation however, other than that there is still no sign of anyone on board other than the main three. The viewer knows better of course, as we can see crowds of people sneaking by just out of view and eyes peering out from dark corners. Eventually our trio decide abandoning the ship themselves might be a safer option than allowing Nanny to drive - I mean - navigate once more so it's off to the lifeboats and away. Igor seems quite happy to leave!

The crew and passengers chose this moment to throw a big party and sail away into the sunset. Were this not a cartoon I strongly suspect that Captain Farley would be scrub-deck Farley before too long! Duckula rages impotently from the lifeboat. Perhaps his coffin full of Transylvanian soil is still on board, in which case he's screwed anyway. And that's the end, what? What? Absolutely.

Once again, a lesser-viewed episode that was a lot funnier than I remembered. Nothing too deep, just good fun. I particularly liked Duckula's self-justification for watching the game show and his argument with Igor near the start. Great drawings throughout too. A lot of effort put into that cruise ship, especially the exterior establishing shot before it gets wrecked. I can't watch this one, however, without being reminded of my one and only attempt to have a holiday on a cruise liner. The ship got damaged or rendered faulty in some way before it even left the port so everyone had to go home! Still, I suppose it's better than having it wrecked in mid-journey like here and getting a refund in essence meant I got a free day and night with some nice food and drink to boot. I feel sorry for the couple in the lift who said that this was the third time it had happened to them. And since holidays getting prizes are related to the festive season, that tangent allows me to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays! Have a glass of sherry on the port bow like I did all those years ago. Or was that a glass of port on the sherry bow? Try both!

Music

"After Dark" (track 30 - Paddy Kingsland) - Open.

"Star Parade" (Tony Kinsey) - Super Duper Double Drachma Deal!

"Star Prizes" (Tony Kinsey) - "Step right up!"

"Badlands 1" (track 8 - John Cameron) - "Sea-faring men."

"Young Ballerina" (David Farnon) Captain Farley.

"Romance At Midnight" (Johnny Pearson) Sandy.

"Vamp Til Ready" (Wally Asp) Bats.

"Jack-O-Lantern " (Roger Roger) - Aftermath of driving the boat.

"Swamp Trek" (Adrian Ludlow) - Deserted dining hall/Marie Celeste.

"Laser Love" (Brian and Warren Bennett) - Investigation.

"When The Saints Go Marching In" - Party.

"Untitled Melody" (track 19 - Robert Osborne Pagan) - End.

Danger Mouse fans may spot the music that plays during Duckula's investigation is Copper Conk Cassidy's theme from "Where There's A Well, There's A Way." I thought it might be a Mike Harding original, but no.

Pans and Backgrounds

A very bright chintzy looking episode overall, other than the one gloomy scene in the castle. It's a refreshing break when we see how the other half lives in this series. Yellows and oranges predominate whereas sepia tones are used during Igor's flashback educative segment. Some DePatie-Freleng-esque tissue paper on wet paint seems to have been used for some marble effects in the ship's dining room. I use this technique myself. Not many clear pans though, or pans in general.

Love the comedy plaster on the bow.

Trivia

• Episode starts in Cluj, Transylvania and ends out at sea on Duckula's screaming.
• The TVTV station exterior background is also used in "Prince Duckula."
• No exterior shots of the castle are seen in this episode.
• The game show host's cry of "Step right up!" is most likely a play on "Come on down!" from "The Price Is Right."
• Duckula's (sort-of) twin seems to be in the audience! Perhaps it's Sid Quack or Prince Otto.
• It's always Tuesday in Transylvania. Once again. Igor makes reference to Duckula stalking the ramparts, as per their agreement in "Amnesiac Duck."
• The 'beloved president' is apparently a reference to Nicolae Ceausescu, a Romanian dictator who died on Christmas Day 1989. If you believe YouTube comments. Personally, I think it's more likely to be fictionalised.
• Since Transylvania is a land-locked country, the seaport is presumably somewhere else in Romania. It's never specified anyway.
• The ship is called the SS Transylvaniatania. SS (single-screw) is a general prefix for any steam-powered ship.
• Despite his non-traditional vampirism, perhaps Duckula is affected slightly by the sun. He asks for his shades.
• Nanny's bad arm comes out of its sling briefly when handing Duckula his sunglasses.
• Nanny refers to her (unnamed) sister and niece Primrose, as briefly mentioned in "Bad Luck Duck."
• Duckula and Sandy do a variation on the "may I call you?" - "No." gag here, as no surname is given, he uses 'gorgeous' instead. Despite this, he does call her 'gorgeous' later on anyway!
• He also does another "if I could walk that way -" joke too. Unlike in "No Yaks Please, We're Tibetan" Igor doesn't find this amusing. But he and Nanny are in a foul mood with him throughout this scene anyway.
• Igor correctly refers to the Mary Celeste by it's proper name. It is often erroneously called the Marie Celeste. He says it was discovered on the 5th December 1872, though some sources cite the 4th. Given Igor's age, this technically counts as a sort of flashback, since he would have been alive at the time, even if he wasn't there.
• Duckula mentions a bloodhound, which excites Igor. This was also referenced in "All In A Fog."
• Duckula wears a Sherlock Holmes hat while investigating. It's identical to Goosewing's. 
• Duckula references Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh in "Mutiny on the Bounty." Funny to hear a vampire utter the word "Christian!"
• Appropriately, Jimmy and Brian use similar voices for their sailor characters as they did for Cuthbert and Denzil. They sound a lot less ignorant though.
• There's a theory that says this episode was intended as a prequel to "The Lost City Of Atlantis." Other than the design of the lifeboat (which could conceivably have been damaged by the ocean waves) this makes perfect sense. Try watching them back to back. Indeed, the animation of the waves for the title card is used in the Atlantis episode also.
• This episode was released on VHS along with "Bombay Duck" and "Mississippi Duck." That makes two episodes on the tape where Hibbert plays a captain and that make use of "When The Saints Go Marching In" music.

Goofs and Nitpicks

• Pyotr takes his tie off when we see him with his prize.
• Captain Farley appears to have recovered from his injuries while avoiding Duckula's snooping and his shirt collar is coloured as his jacket in the final shot.
• The flags must have fallen down and been replaced pretty quickly near the end!