The Optimist (TV series)

The Optimist is a British television comedy series starring Enn Reitel, produced by Robert Sidaway. Each half-hour episode follows a separate comic adventure of an ordinary man who remains cheerful whether he succeeds or fails, with fantasy and dream sequences woven into the stories. Inspired by Jacques Tati, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and the Walter Mitty character, the show was conceived as a silent comedy, relying on original music and enhanced sound effects. Shot on 16mm film, it was filmed on location in Cabo San Lucas, Los Angeles, and London. Thirteen episodes were produced, featuring guest stars such as Martin Kove, Tracy Scoggins, and Robert Davi. The series first aired on 14 April 1983, and its final episode was broadcast on 5 January 1985.

The first series began with a pilot, "Sea Dreams," filmed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in summer 1981, with post-production in Los Angeles and London. After a private screening in Wardour Street, Channel 4’s Cecil Korer commissioned six more episodes. Each episode starred Reitel as The Optimist, with a rotating cast and a different British actress providing a romantic interest. Filming for series one took place in Los Angeles in summer 1982, directed by Peter Ellis, with Peter Appleton as director of photography, Mike Porter as art director, and Jo Korer as costume designer. Composer David Spear wrote and recorded the main theme and score in Los Angeles, while editor John Daniels completed post-production in London. Announced in the press and previewed on Channel 4’s opening night (2 November 1982), series one aired on Thursdays at 8 pm from 14 April to 26 May 1983.

For series two, Channel 4 commissioned six new episodes, shot on location in London during summer 1984 under director Robert Fuest. Francis de Groote, who had been assistant cameraman on the first series, became director of photography, while Mike Porter and Jo Korer returned as art director and costume designer. John Cameron wrote new music scores, using the original main theme. Series two aired on consecutive nights at 8 pm from 31 December 1984 to 5 January 1985. The episode "The Fool of the House of Esher" was nominated for the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1985.

A 2-disc DVD set containing all 13 episodes was released by Kaleidoscope in 2023, including scripts from the first series and an unbroadcast version of the pilot.