The Great British Sitcom: Fawlty Towers

[Mel O'Drama]

Although Love Thy Neighbour is criticised these days for its racism, it was really very mild compared to some of stuff that was on TV during that era.

I'd agree with this.

The show was also quite popular amongst Black people because it was one of the few times Black people were featured regularly on a TV show.

This has struck me as I watched. I'd have thought it would be fairly progressive to have a black couple making up half the main cast.

I think it went out on Mondays at 9pm

This is interesting, thanks. One of these first episodes featured Barbie and Joan talking about sex, with Barbie drawing attention to the fact that she wore no bra, leading to a plot where Joan removed hers but Eddie didn't notice. As I watched I thought it was quite racy for what I assumed would be a 7-8pm kind of time slot, so this makes more sense of it.

My memory is that the Reynolds family (the Black family) were portrayed reasonably positively and generally won conflicts with white Eddie Booth and racist remarks were generally done is ridiculous way that it was difficult to take them seriously.

Yes. Other sitcoms of the era were rife with casual racism and stereotypical views and portrayals, but often lacked the balance that's present here by quietly showing us how misguided Eddie's views are. Half the point of this series seems to be that Eddie's regular put-downs of non-white people (uncouth, uneducated, backwards, etc.) actually fit Eddie himself better than the Reynoldses, who don't even need to rebut most of his views since they're living proof that he's misinformed.

Not that I'm defending the racism in the show, but I think outrage was exaggerated compared with the racism Black people often received in real life, which was generally downplayed.

Sadly, Eddie's outlook wasn't hugely uncommon at the time (and it still has currency today). I'm sure there were probably people who felt Eddie was speaking up for them, just as some couldn't see beyond the satire of Alf Garnett and admired him for his views.

I think series like this are time capsules as much as anything. Terminology and views like this weren't as unacceptable then as they are today, and it's important we don't forget that.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Love Thy Neighbour is whizzing by. I've now watched sixteen regular episodes, plus the Pilot and the All Star Comedy Carnival sketch (introduced by Tarby).

With the tone established, it's fair to say that the series is easily digestible. If anything, it's improving as it goes on because the writers quickly exhausted many of the offensively stereotypical storylines such as the one centring on voodoo, or the one where Eddie blacks up to prove he could still be served a drink at a club. With these out of the way, some of the storylines are more standard sitcom fare, albeit with regular reminders of the series' premise thrown in. Standards have included keeping up with the Joneses over cars (ending in the obligatory scene at the wrecker's yard); Eddie being converted by the Salvation Army and becoming unbearably pious (ridiculously cartoony, but fun enough); and a weekend away at a conference where Eddie plans to pull and ropes Bill into his double-date both unaware that their wives are coming to surprise them (as are the husbands of the two women Eddie pulls).

The episode where Eddie and Bill camped outside a department store in fierce competition for a bedroom suite felt comfortingly familiar. It would be recycled by Never The Twain almost two decades later in that series' final episode.

All the leads are proving engaging, and special points to Nina Baden-Semper for going the extra mile and crying real tears when Barbie's housewarming party was ruined, adding an unexpected touch of pathos to the Series Two opener.

Series Three began with another surprise when Eddie and Joan had a debate over the virtues of ITV vs. BBC, with Eddie scoffing that the BBC is for idiot toffs, while ITV is the true working man's channel. It took another turn when Joan pointed out that Till Death Us Do Part had over 21 million viewers and Eddie complained that Alf Garnett was an ignorant bigot who swore too much (Joan's semi-regular comeback to Eddie's hypocrisies "May God forgive ya" is always funny, but was even more so here). Obviously the irony of the comparison was intended, even if it was a little cheap. Considering the writers owe much inspiration to that series, I like to think Joan pointing out its popularity was a little tribute to the BBC series, rather than trying to suggest this newer series was somehow better.

The party line episode was kind of nostalgic. I have distant memories of party lines and that little button on top of the phone (though since it apparently ended in the early Eighties, the family members who had them must have been among the last people on earth to still be using them).

The changes to set dressings between series is always fun to see. There was a bit of location work in some of the early Series Three episodes (particularly the one with the cars), and I'm fairly certain these are different houses again, with bigger front gardens.

The last episode I watched - Eddie Returns From Holiday - ended on something of a cliffhanger (complete with an announcement of the continuation playing over the end credits), with Eddie challenging Bill to a gang fight, black vs. white. At this point it seems to be quite a grim concept, so I'm curious to see how things go down in the next episode.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Also, I've stumbled on this article written by Bill actor Rudolph Walker for the Guardian in which he reflects on his career. This was at the time he'd just joined EastEnders.

Love Thy Neighbour, in the 70s, was the most highly rated programme on television, it was peak-time viewing. The basic premise was a black couple living next door to a white couple. The white neighbour was a bigot, and the dialogue was peppered with terms such as "honkies" and "nig-nogs". Here we are in 2001, and a lot of people still think that show was racist. But that was the 70s. You cannot compare then and now. And Love They Neighbour was a very clever comedy, because in nearly every show, the white neighbour was shown to be wrong.

I was also a black face on the screen, at a time when you didn't see black faces on the screen. That sort of exposure just hadn't happened before, and it inspired a lot of young, aspiring actors. I started to get recognised in the streets, then. I remember going to open Vauxhall Motors in Luton. They had to bundle me into a marquee. There were girls screaming everywhere, climbing on top of the marquee. Already with EastEnders I feel the difference. Before I started in that, the staff in my local supermarket all knew me and they would say "Morning Mr Walker". Nowadays, everone calls me Patrick.

I kill myself laughing now when I watch Love They Neighbour. All it is at the end of the day is a black guy and a white guy being damned stupid. The script really had nothing to do with colour. The people who wrote it also wrote Bless This House, which also starred Jack Smethurst. At the read-through Jack would recognise the scenes. He'd say they'd just lifted some of them directly from the scripts for Bless This House. And Bless This House had nothing to do with colour.

^ The last couple of sentences substantiate my thought that many of the situations were familiar (but I'm sure he must have meant For The Love Of Ada rather than Bless This House).

It's funny to think that there is now almost as much distance between the time the article was written and now as there was between the end of LTN and Rudolph joining 'Enders. In the article, he says he feels that youngsters wouldn't criticise, which goes to show how much times have changed since 2001.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I'm now halfway through Series Four, AKA the year when both wives were pregnant. I'm sure I'd read that this shift was necessitated by the actresses' real life pregnancies, but darned if I can find where I saw that. I find this kind of continuity interesting in what is really episodic television, and I suppose this turn takes this series into territory previously explored by its tonal compatriot On The Buses. Except OTB dealt with Olive's pregnancy in the film version, evidently the opposite of what is done here since the big screen version of Love Thy Neighbour was released between Series Three (which ended with the pregnancy announcement) and Series Four (which continued the pregnancy arc). I'm guessing the LTN film is not part of the series' canon and therefore avoids mentioning the pregnancies at all. But I won't know for a while as I'm saving the film for after the series ends.

One disappointing change for Series Four is the replacement of Cyril the publican with Nobby Garside. Ken Parry as Cyril had a quiet brilliance to him. He didn't steal scenes, but he delivered his lines perfectly, and one could feel Cyril's weariness at having to deal with this lot every day. Paul Luty as Nobby is far more OTT and in-your-face. The actor is an ex-wrestler, and it shows in the performance, with lots of loud gruffness and puffing out his chest while trying to look intimidating. It's not terrible, but he feels very one-note and a definite step down from Cyril. It helps not that Nobby seems intended to play a larger part in the series, with him moving in next door to Eddie and Joan.

While I'm discussing supporting players, I realise I haven't yet mentioned Arthur and Jacko who are colleagues of Eddie and Bill, and good friends of Eddie's. They've kind of crept in for me. Both have been around since the second episode, and I initially found them tolerable, but they've come to be essential parts of the series' fabric, and I would miss them if they weren't around. Both faces are familiar, but especially Tommy Godfrey, who has been in practically everything (perhaps Mind Your Language is the most notable for this thread).

Series Four is the last written by the team of Vince Powell and Harry Driver before Driver's death in 1973. Series Five and Six are written by Powell alone after which an array of different writers came in for the last two series. I'm curious to see if and how this affects the tone of the series.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Love Thy Neighbour Series Six is getting underway. Mercifully, there hasn't been a noticeable drop in quality from the gap left by Harry Driver's death. I'm sure it helps that there are no new writers - just one half of the former pair running with the baton. All the same, there have been several scenarios that feel rather familiar having watched earlier episodes.

I'd say lines about race are being toned down a little, or at least not coming with the frequency of earlier episodes. In one recent episode, Bill didn't feature much until around the halfway point, and it struck me how conventional a sitcom it is without the refrains of "sambo" and "honky". At the same time, it also feels quite bold for the lead character to openly speak about his atheism, as Eddie did.

Even two-thirds of the way into the series, it still seems a little odd to me that Bill is a Tory supporter. Of course, Eddie must be a die-hard Labour loyalist, so I suppose it makes sense that Bill would need to have an opposing outlook for its conflict potential. In fact, though, it's barely been mentioned, but it still feels surprising and slightly ill-fitting whenever it's mentioned.

The birth of the babies, too, hasn't really changed the tone. Most of the time their respective sons are hidden in their cots upstairs while life continues downstairs as it always did. It's notable that Nina Baden-Semper didn't appear in one or two episodes at the latter end of Series Four, presumably due to her own real life pregnancy, with Bill's cousin Linda an obvious stand-in. She did appear in the last episode where the babies were born, but all her scenes were lying in bed (other than some location work, presumably filmed much earlier).

The little "Easter egg" with the actresses showing us their real babies after the end credits was a sweet touch, and was evidently successful or popular enough that the Easter egg motif has continued through Series Five and into Series Six, with Bill throwing in an audio quip relating to the story or last scene after the closing titles of each episode. On a related note, a couple of End Of Part One sequences have ended, then audio has continued to reveal the audience laughing uproariously as Jack Smethurst evidently mucks about or ad libs.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Now that I've finished the final series, I'm happy to say that Love Thy Neighbour has been one of the more consistent sitcoms of the era. There was no significant drop in quality, and certainly no question of episodes being unwatchable in the way some later On The Buses episodes were.

The series managed to keep its tone despite the array of different writers coming in for the latter four series. The worst that happened in this department was occasional repetition of scenarios, but with a broad sitcom that already features stock catchphrases, that familiarity felt welcome. Speaking of familiarity, it helped greatly that there weren't any major changes to cast or format once the series was up and running. Apart from the recast of Joan beyond the pilot, the most jarring shakeup was the introduction of Nobby. I maintain that Nobby was inferior to Cyril, but both were just peripheral enough for it to be acceptable. The sets were consistent throughout (particularly once the bar was established in place of the canteen or workshop) and any changes to roles felt like continuity rather than change for change's sake. Even the pregnancies and birth had little impact, and I was perfectly happy that the babies were talked about but almost never seen on-screen.

Perhaps it helped that, as was often the case with sitcoms at this time, there were two series per year: spring and winter, meaning that all eight series were produced in under four years. This not only meant the cast stayed consistent but, with an average of less than seven episodes per series, it meant there wasn't much room for filler. On The Buses, for instance, had fewer series than LTN, but OTB's series were longer, averaging 11 episodes per series, and it felt there was a lot of filler in that show.

It's very gradual, but I'd say the series mellowed over the course of its run. The relationship between Bill and Eddie is the best example of this. It felt implicitly more playful and lighthearted towards the end. The same insults and criticisms were bandied about, but it felt as though they somehow appreciated each other and perhaps even enjoyed the dynamics of their little spats. There were occasional episodes when Eddie would give Bill his due, for instance. And (even though it ended up with another falling out) Bill coming round to help Eddie with his shelves showed some willing. He arrived grudgingly with shoulders sloping and announced he had been sent by Barbie, and the overall effect was of two overgrown children who had been told by their mothers to make up. Which I suppose sums up the entire series.

I had a feeling the final episode would be a damp squib, at least in terms of giving closure, and I wasn't wrong. It was simply another episode, which is why I'm glad I've saved the feature film to close things out.

 

[Angela Channing]

I'm glad I've saved the feature film to close things out.

Although the film is where Love Thy Neighbour ended, Jack Smethurst ands Rudolph Walker appeared together in the film version of Man About The House or George and Mildred, I can't remember for sure which one. George finds himself at Thames TV studios and spots them in the bar having a drink and he thinks they are their characters in Love Thy Neighbour rather than the actors that play them. George calls Rudolph "Sambo" and "nignog" and Jack remonstrates with him for doing so.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Jack Smethurst ands Rudolph Walker appeared together in the film version of Man About The House or George and Mildred, I can't remember for sure which one. George finds himself at Thames TV studios and spots them in the bar having a drink and he thinks they are their characters in Love Thy Neighbour rather than the actors that play them. George calls Rudolph "Sambo" and "nignog" and Jack remonstrates with him for doing so.

Funny you should mention this as I was considering watching the Man About The House film specifically for this reference, just to round things off. I remember the scene, and I knew who they were enough to understand the Thames in-joke, but it will be good to see it now I've actually watched Love Thy Neighbour.

I've only watched the film once before, and that was probably in fairly low quality. I now have it on Blu-ray, so will be glad of the chance to give it a spin.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Last night I closed out the Love Thy Neighbour series by watching the 1973 big screen adaption. Director John Robins worked on this project in between the Hammer big screen adaptions of Nearest And Dearest and Man About The House, which appear to be about the extent of his non-TV work.

As with the On The Buses film, the adaption took some adjustment. My comments about the first OTB film below also hold true for Love Thy Neighbour.

Let's get this part over with: first impressions were a little jarring. It had very little to do with the numerous changes made for this adaption, and rather more to do with the way it was shot.

Being on film made it the aesthetics very different anyway and the ratio is different... [P]resumably this film has more time for setups and more going on in the background (location work, more interesting sets, more extras) that allows for more wide shots...

...Compounding this is the lack of the "shared experience" factor that the series had due to the studio audience.... there was a sense of absence or stillness that made the adjustment a significant one, particularly watching this back-to-back with the series.

I suspect it would be very different taking this in isolation and without comparison, but it was hard to shake and meant that, while I enjoyed the film, it didn't blow me away.

Another element I noticed last night was the music. The score was fine but felt a little intrusive at times because I've just become so used to there not being one in the series. On the other hand, I enjoyed the different recording of the theme music. Not that I have anything against the TV version - I like it very much - but I'm glad we have both.

As with most of these Hammer adaptions the increased location work also changed the tone. While the houses were clearly different from those used at any point in the series, care had been taken to match the orientation and floorpan. This helped the sense of familiarity, even though most of the details were different. Speaking of details, one little touch I really liked about the exterior of the homes was the fact that they were surrounded by fences at the front, but the only thing between the two adjoining houses was a stump where a fence had once been. This meant that it was just a footstep between the doorways rather than having to clamber over a fence.

At the factory things felt less familiar, and this is especially true of the social club which looked completely different to anything seen in the series. The film has a huge space which is more authentically a social club than the small bar area of the series. Of course, something this generously sized would not have been practical for a sitcom set. Apart from the lack of space in which to do this, it would have lacked intimacy. One thing the film gets right is clearly establishing that the social club is on the site of the factory where they work. This feels more oblique in the series where it looks as though the colleagues have all chosen to socialise after work.

Naturally, there's a bigger cast for the film with lots of familiar faces from various sitcoms: Melvyn Hayes is cast against type as a ladykiller (a year before he'd play camp Gloria in It Ain't Half Hot Mum). Arthur English plays the journalist who sniffs round (literally, since he has a constantly blocked nose). No Place Like Home's Michael Sharvell-Martin is the police constable who decides tracking down a naked Eddie will be too much paperwork. Bill Pertwee plays the postman who reads the Booth's mail before it's delivered, and his Dad's Army compatriot James Beck has a cameo at the end as Joan's brother (in the film's big twist, he has married Barbie's sister, and Eddie is horrified to realise he is now related to Bill). It's one of James's final screen appearances: he would die a month after this was released. In bigger roles are Patricia Hayes and Jamaican actor Charles Hyatt as, respectively, Eddie's mother and Bill's father who become the best of friends.

The large ensemble means that TV series supporting players Arthur and Jacko are pushed into tertiary roles. They're kind of the same characters, but at the same time they're not, because they serve different functions here. In the series, they're sounding boards for Eddie, and often mediators between him and Bill. The film versions are more observers, with little to distinguish them from the dozen or so other factory workers. It's not a dealbreaker, but certainly a noteworthy difference.

The union theme present in the series is amped up here, and this aspect of the film plays out rather like Carry On At Your Convenience with strikes and whatnot: a slightly odd choice given the poor reception and box office that film had received due to its cack-handed depiction of trade unions. Having recently watched not only Eighties Brookside, but also films like Dockers, Pride and Billy Elliott which all have more sympathetic treatment of striking union members, it's easy to see that it's awkward to see the subject trivialised in broad comedies. Still, though, these were different times. This was before the Winter Of Discontent, and a full decade before Thatcher's Government's stranglehold on the country stopped this from being a laughing matter.

With these films, it often goes one of two ways: either it feels like several episodes strung together, with a "greatest hits" of the series, or it can feel like one long story that's diluted and over-padded. While this had elements of both, it did lean heavily into the latter for me. This is particularly true of the factory stuff, with the strikes and the "grudge" cricket match on the grounds. When it worked, it worked, though. I was surprised that the scenes between Eddie's mum and Bill's dad worked so well, even though they were often in isolation from the rest of the characters, but they were very enjoyable. It helped that they had a river cruise tour and we were able to see London at its Seventies best. Speaking of which, many "then and now" locations for the film can be found on Reelstreets (mostly Borehamwood).

As predicted, the pregnancies - actresses and characters - weren't referenced and I actually forgot to look for signs of this as I watched anyway. As with most such adaptions, this film is non-canon, existing in its own timeline, and best enjoyed in this context. The beauty of this is that it's easy to make it "fit" in with any point of the series, and adding it on at the end allows me to give the series a proper ending.




So often when I get to the end of a long-running series, I feel I'm ready to leave as there's a sense it is past its prime. I feel with Love Thy Neighbour I could have happily watched another series or two. And I like that it's left me wanting more. I liked all the characters, the catchphrases, the comfortable familiarity. And especially Bill's shrieking "whistle" laugh, which has taken me far too long to mention as it never fails to make me smile.

 

[James from London]

Very interesting, Mel! I actually remember the film version of Love They Neighbour (as well as those slightly mind-bending cameos in the Man About the House movie) much better than the series itself, although the show was definitely part of the cultural zeitgeist at the time (or what passes for a cultural zeitgeist when you're still at primary school).

I was surprised that the scenes between Eddie's mum and Bill's dad worked so well, even though they were often in isolation from the rest of the characters, but they were very enjoyable. It helped that they had a river cruise tour and we were able to see London at its Seventies best.

Ah yes, it's the scene on the river that's stuck with me. I knew it was between a white woman and a Black man, but thought they might be Kate Williams and some potential extra-marital love interest. I recall it as a comparatively serious, almost melancholic scene and I vaguely recall her remarking on his exact shade of skin colour, but in a way that didn't feel judgemental or insensitive (at least not to me as a little white kid several decades ago, so I'm probably not the best judge) .

You probably know Kate Williams and Rudolph Walker briefly became a couple on Enders about fifteen years ago. (I kept hoping Jack Smethhurst and Nina Baden-Semper would move in next door). I couldn't find a clip of them together, but this at least shows them in the same scene, right at the end.

Last year, Rudolph Walker and his present romantic partner on Enders were given a fantastic two-hander to play, real Play for Today stuff. Of all the 40th anniversary specials that the BBC aired earlier this year, this discussion between the two actors involved was by far my favourite:

Angela Wynter and Rudolph Walker Remember... EastEnders: Yolande and Patrick

Actors Rudolph Walker and Angela Wynter, firm favourites with EastEnders fans, discuss their poignant two-hander episode from May 2024.

www.bbc.co.uk

I was very excited a while back when I discovered Nina Baden-Semper had once covered Cilla Black (and therefore Paul McCartney). At least I was until I heard the results (bless her heart):

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I actually remember the film version of Love They Neighbour (as well as those slightly mind-bending cameos in the Man About the House movie) much better than the series itself

Oh, that's interesting. I'd imagine they were shown on TV quite regularly.

I recall it as a comparatively serious, almost melancholic scene and I vaguely recall her remarking on his exact shade of skin colour, but in a way that didn't feel judgemental or insensitive (at least not to me as a little white kid several decades ago, so I'm probably not the best judge) .

You had it spot on. She commented how much lighter his skin was than his son Bill's* but even though she led with something like "you're quite light for a blackie", the tone was one of genuine curiosity and interest.

* And the very logical explanation was that Bill's mother was much darker skinned than his character. I like that this detail was included because I'm sure it's the kind of thing that someone in her position would be curious about.

You probably know Kate Williams and Rudolph Walker briefly became a couple on Enders about fifteen years ago.

Nope. I knew they were both in it, but hadn't made that connection at all. That's lovely.

I couldn't find a clip of them together, but this at least shows them in the same scene, right at the end.

This is great. And it was equally exciting for me to see Tameka Empson and Linda Henry in the same space because I similarly hadn't put those pieces together either (even though I knew they'd both gone on to appear in Enders after Beautiful Thing).

Last year, Rudolph Walker and his present romantic partner on Enders were given a fantastic two-hander to play, real Play for Today stuff. Of all the 40th anniversary specials that the BBC aired earlier this year, this discussion between the two actors involved was by far my favourite

Oh, this is lovely. I've just watched the whole thing and even without the full context it's such a warm and lovely conversation. Their description of the weight of responsibility as black actors in such a high profile event was fascinating.

It's also fascinating to hear about the process behind a two-hander, from anxiety over learning the dialogue, to the fact that the producer said it was fine if Rudolph didn't want to do it.

And how far removed Patrick is from Bill Reynolds.

I was very excited a while back when I discovered Nina Baden-Semper had once covered Cilla Black (and therefore Paul McCartney). At least I was until I heard the results (bless her heart)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Last night, to add the final flourish to my viewing of Love Thy Neighbour, I watched 1974's big screen version of Man About The House.

Despite the high billing of Jack Smethurst and Rudolph Walker, I kept anticipations right-sized since I remembered them just having a brief scene towards the end. And I think this is the only thing I remembered clearly about the film. Some things - the plot to buy up the street or the strip poker and Monopoly games - quickly came back to me as I watched, but I'd completely misremembered what the film was about. I was convinced it was more of a romantic comedy and ended with Robin getting married. I know I'm not thinking of Robin's Nest, but I must be confusing this with another big screen adaption. I didn't think it was Bless This House either, even though I'm almost certain ends with a wedding, but perhaps it was.

There are familiar faces fromthe Love Thy Neighbour film. In addition to that film's two leads, there's Melvyn Hayes, Andria Lawrence (who cropped up in both the LTN film ands series. She's easily recognisable because she's the same oversexed ready and willing character in everything) and even Bill Pertwee as the postman (the same one? I like to think so).

Outside that, it's a who's who of British entertainment of the era. There's Arthur Lowe; Peter Cellier; Michael Ward and Julian Orchard (whom I sometimes confuse with one another due to their invariably fey appearances in the Carry Ons); Norman Mitchell (as an old love of Mildred); Bill Maynard; and Spike Milligan as himself (the visit to the Thames TV studios giving them the chance to wheel on a few names) .

The previous time I watched this film was directly after watching the MATH series. Even then I thought it was one of the best from its stable. Watching it in isolation possibly does it even more justice, since there's none of the comparing it directly with its small screen counterpart. On its own, it's a sparkling gem. The energy was good. The story was cohesive and entertaining and never dragged or felt repetitive. And there was no sense of this being a "greatest hits" from the series, even though I'm sure some lines and moments might have been.

Richard O'Sullivan and Paula Wilcox are so good, and the more I see of them - here, in other projects and in interviews - the more I realise how talented they are. Sally Thomsett has a sweetness to her, but her role in proceedings is probably best encapsulated by the poker game, which is essentially a two-hander between O'Sullivan and Wilcox. with Thomsett on the sidelines saying "I'll pass" as required, without seeming to fully understand what's going on. Brian and Yootha are magic together. I'd forgotten how truly magnetic Yootha is as a screen presence. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Oh, one other thing that's never left my consciousness after my previous viewing of this film is the theme song, with music by Christopher Gunning (who immediately makes me think "Poirot"), lyrics by Annie Farrow and sung by Jane Christie.

 

[James from London]

You had it spot on. She commented how much lighter his skin was than his son Bill's* but even though she led with something like "you're quite light for a blackie", the tone was one of genuine curiosity and interest.

* And the very logical explanation was that Bill's mother was much darker skinned than his character. I like that this detail was included because I'm sure it's the kind of thing that someone in her position would be curious about.

Great to have that confirmed after all these years! It seems likely that the reference to Bill's father's skin colour would have been added after the actor was cast, i.e., they chose the actor they most wanted rather than the one who "matched" Rudolph Walker and then worked backwards, which makes it even more interesting that that should be the bit of dialogue that always stayed with me. I'm fascinated by such examples of necessity as the mother of invention (or "happy accidents"). Re-re-watching EastEnders from the start, for example, it dawned on me how much of Angie Watts's life that takes place after the actress has left the series -- the alcoholic relapses, relationship break-ups, sudden marriages -- is dictated by Letitia Dean's panto commitments. Every January, regular as clockwork, some drama occurs in Angie's life that necessitates Sharon dropping everything and leaving the country for a month or two. And then all of those incidents are fed into and remain part of the overall saga, long after the original reason for them has been forgotten. And of course, a good 75% of what happens on Brookside in the late '80s is a result of three actors (one each from three of the main households) deciding to quit in mid-1987. The list, especially in soaps, goes on and on.

it was equally exciting for me to see Tameka Empson and Linda Henry in the same space because I similarly hadn't put those pieces together either (even though I knew they'd both gone on to appear in Enders after Beautiful Thing).

Here's a bit more direct Empson v Henry action:

Oh, this is lovely. I've just watched the whole thing and even without the full context it's such a warm and lovely conversation.

Yes, it really is.

And how far removed Patrick is from Bill Reynolds.

Although soap being what it is, Patrick has mellowed considerably over the (last twenty-five!) years. He was a bit of a bad lad when he first showed up.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

It seems likely that the reference to Bill's father's skin colour would have been added after the actor was cast, i.e., they chose the actor they most wanted rather than the one who "matched" Rudolph Walker and then worked backwards, which makes it even more interesting that that should be the bit of dialogue that always stayed with me.

It hadn't consciously registered with me that it would have been added after the actor was cast, but of course that's the only explanation that makes sense.

Re-re-watching EastEnders from the start, for example, it dawned on me how much of Angie Watts's life that takes place after the actress has left the series -- the alcoholic relapses, relationship break-ups, sudden marriages -- is dictated by Letitia Dean's panto commitments. Every January, regular as clockwork, some drama occurs in Angie's life that necessitates Sharon dropping everything and leaving the country for a month or two. And then all of those incidents are fed into and remain part of the overall saga, long after the original reason for them has been forgotten.

Poor Angie. Her life constantly changing at the slap of a thigh.

And of course, a good 75% of what happens on Brookside in the late '80s is a result of three actors (one each from three of the main households) deciding to quit in mid-1987. The list, especially in soaps, goes on and on.

Yes. And there's also a point at which the audience reaction to these shifts ends up feeding back to inform the storylines further. Like how Petra was eventually given a definitive ending because Brookie execs grew weary of the regular sightings that were reported when she was missing.

Here's a bit more direct Empson v Henry action

Oh, that's very similar to the energy between them in the film. I'd like to think they later made up while slow dancing to Mama Cass.

Patrick has mellowed considerably over the (last twenty-five!) years. He was a bit of a bad lad when he first showed up.

I hadn't realised quite how long he's been in it. A quarter of a century is like several lifetimes in soap time.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

A couple of weeks ago I watched a video comparing British sitcoms with their American remakes, and it mentioned a long forgotten one that stoked dim memories in the memory banks. So I hastily acquired a copy of the Network DVD set...

As the blurb on the front says, Keep It In The Family was created by Brian Cooke who - along with his writing partner Johnnie Mortimer - created Man About The House and its various spinoffs. In my head, though, this is lumped in with various other forgotten teatime sitcoms, and I sometimes struggle to distinguish between KIITF, Full House and the BBC's No Place Like Home.

Having recently rewatched the Man About The House film, it's easy to find common ground in the templates between the two series. The unoriginality is only thinly veiled by flipping things, so that it's now young lodgers downstairs/interfering landlords upstairs rather than vice versa. And the weary man constantly rebuffing his wife's advances is now back to the more traditional randy bloke whose wife is rarely in the mood setup.

The casting also echoes the earlier series a little, with the two middle class girls, one a former child actress, who are the flatmates and lodgers. The tones and delivery isn't dissimilar to that of Man About The House, though they feel a little more generic. Neither has the snappy knowing delivery of Paula Wilcox, but neither is as monotone and one-note as Sally Thomsett. They both seem to fall somewhere in the middle, which is safe but a little dull. Jenny Quayle was recast with Sabina Franklyn after the first two series and I'm curious as to the reasons. Certainly, Franklyn was a stunner and a perfectly competent actress, but I find nothing to dislike in Quayle's performance. In fact I find her increasingly endearing.

Brian Gillespie has perhaps the most challenging role in bridging this gap. His delivery and style evoke Richard O'Sullivan, but this character is the father of the two girls. Not that this has stopped Cooke recapturing the energy of MATH with scenes where he larks about with the two girls, including awkward moments of tickling and romantic dips while dancing. It comes across as troublingly incestuous, and perhaps intentionally so since witnesses seem to register this (such as Summer Wine's Mike Grady as one of their boyfriends who looks on aghast), but the tone is so frivolous it's difficult to know what the intent is.

Gillespie's Dudley Rush also falls into the hapless, often irresponsible eccentric husband so often seen in British sitcoms. He's a curious breed, though, with the character's eccentricities and often attention-seeking behaviour grating after a while. Conversations with his hand puppet even when nobody is around are the tip of the iceberg. Most episodes feature a sub-plot with him procrastinating from working on his comic strips, and I'm finding these a little tiresome.

One of the key issues I had with the first couple of episodes was that there didn't seem to be a clear premise. I suppose there's the element of the protective father struggling to adjust to his adult daughters’ new independence, but there's a lot of other stuff going on. Not all of it is needed.

Not that the series is unenjoyable. The cast does work together. For all his character's foibles, Gillespie is quite charismatic, while Pauline Yates glides though things mostly serenely, but with a nice sting in the tail. Glyn Houston brings a needed gravitas to things, though is sometimes either underused or badly used (his character often ending up suffering from being the butt of practical jokes or well-intentioned actions gone awry). Some of the lines have also made me laugh out loud for their wry wit (I know I should cite a few, but my memory for dialogue is failing me today).

Already I'm into the second series, and I suppose it lives up to my memory of it as a reliable-if-unexciting way to pass an enjoyable twenty five minutes.

 

[Daniel Avery]

A couple of weeks ago I watched a video comparing British sitcoms with their American remakes

So from what I'm reading here, this must be the source material for the American sitcom Too Close For Comfort, which I recall watching and enjoying. TCFC was mostly a "star vehicle" for Ted Knight, better known to most as Ted Baxter from Mary Tyler Moore.

One of the key issues I had with the first couple of episodes was that there didn't seem to be a clear premise. I suppose there's the element of the protective father struggling to adjust to his adult daughter's new independence, but there's a lot of other stuff going on. Not all of it is needed.

This was definitely the main thrust of TCFC, that Henry (not Dudley) Rush was frequently worried/anxious about his daughters and wanted to protect them from the world outside their home. To be fair, the show was set in 1980s San Francisco, so there were numerous opportunities for the characters to encounter weirdos and counter-culture types whom Henry would react against. His wife Muriel (played by Nancy Dussault) had been a bit of a hippie in her youth so she provided a sort of calming influence on Henry while also helping the girls get their dad to give in . A scene I recall featured Henry and Muriel trying to sleep while daughters Jackie and Sara are having a party downstairs.
Henry [sniffing the air in the darkened bedroom]: "What's that? Is that pot? [freaking out]Are they smoking pot down there?"
Muriel [undisturbed]: "It's incense."
Henry: "Incense? Why would they be burning incense?"
Muriel: "It kills the smell of the pot."

 

[Mel O'Drama]

this must be the source material for the American sitcom Too Close For Comfort, which I recall watching and enjoying.

That's the one. And considering the main character's eccentricities I can easily envisage Ted Knight playing him.

To be fair, the show was set in 1980s San Francisco, so there were numerous opportunities for the characters to encounter weirdos and counter-culture types whom Henry would react against.

That sound promising. I'm not even sure if the location for this one has been specified, other than appearing to be a reasonably affluent suburb. It's produced by Thames TV, though, so I'd assume it's somewhere in the London area.

His wife Muriel (played by Nancy Dussault) had been a bit of a hippie in her youth so she provided a sort of calming influence on Henry while also helping the girls get their dad to give in .

I don't think the hippie element is there with British Muriel (though it's not beyond the realm of possibility), but apart from this her role in the proceedings feels quite similar to her American counterpart.

A scene I recall featured Henry and Muriel trying to sleep while daughters Jackie and Sara are having a party downstairs.
Henry [sniffing the air in the darkened bedroom]: "What's that? Is that pot? [freaking out]Are they smoking pot down there?"
Muriel [undisturbed]: "It's incense."
Henry: "Incense? Why would they be burning incense?"
Muriel: "It kills the smell of the pot."

There was an analogous scene in an early episode of the British series with Dudley and Muriel in bed and a party going on downstairs. If I remember correctly though, in the British version, after he asked if they were smoking pot, Muriel just scoffed that he didn't know what pot smelt like. The American payoff is much funnier.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Keep It In The Family continues to stream gently onwards. I'm now into Series Four, with Series Three having introduced number of changes.

First up is the recast of Jacqui, with Sabina Franklyn stepping into Jenny Quayle's shoes. As mentioned before, I have no idea why this recast took place, since the original actress was perfectly fine. It's juicy to think there might have been trouble backstage, but it could be something as ordinary as availability. Assuming neither of these is the case, my best guess would be that a slightly more glamorous Jacqui may have been required to give more of a contrast between the sisters. Whatever the case, she works well and has good chemistry with the rest of the cast.

The recast is no doubt a key reason for the change to the opening credits. They've gone the whole mile with the animated version giving way to a live photograph album with old photos of (I assume) the cast at various stages of their lives. It's fine, but less fitting and I suspect was cheaper to film. One notable improvement, though, is the music. It's exactly the same, but the first two series' themes started a couple of bars in, so there was always a sense of having missed something and it used to irritate me.

Curiously, even though I only remember Sabina Franklyn as Jacqui and the "corrected" music with the theme starting at the beginning, I don't remember the photo album imagery at all, but clearly remember the animated opening from the first two series, so there's clearly some mashing up going on in my collective memory.

The third change is one that could potentially have had the biggest impact on the tone of the series: after writing the first two series in their entirety, creator Brian Cooke wrote only half the episodes in Series Three, and then dropped out altogether. For the last two series, the bulk of the episodes will be written by Dave and Greg Freeman, the former instantly known to me as the writer of Carry On Behind (and Columbus, but the less said about that, the better). Greg went on to adapt Who's The Boss? into The Upper Hand, but would also go on to be a successful playwright. Meanwhile, a few episodes have been penned by Please, Sir!'s David Barry. Honestly, though, the episodes are pretty indistinguishable. Whether it's due to the skill of the replacement writers or because the series writes itself is difficult to say, but it works and I'm still laughing which is really the objective.

One change to which I am most definitely not looking forwards is the departure of Pauline Yates in the final series. I'm not sure why this happened, but at this point I can only imagine it being to the series' detriment. Dudley's eccentricities are mostly the right side to tolerable because Muriel is there to rein him in. Without her grounding, I envisage things going downhill quickly. But I'm trying to keep an open mind

 

[Mel O'Drama]

One change to which I am most definitely not looking forwards is the departure of Pauline Yates in the final series. I'm not sure why this happened, but at this point I can only imagine it being to the series' detriment.

Watching Pauline Yates's final episode, it's easy to think any sensible person concerned with being attached to credible projects might have chosen to leave at this point.

That final episode's premise of Dudley becoming obsessed with ufology was far from the series' finest hour. It started promisingly with crossed wires between Muriel and Dudley when he began setting up a camera in the bedroom, talking about selling the pictures to a newspaper to make some money. And the idea of them receiving religious American visitors - keen for Dudley to work on a comic project for them - worked on some levels. Ultimately, though, it just got too silly, with a con involving a flying saucer shaped frisbee. It didn't help that Susan spent the episode in a ridiculous devil costume and got into a blazing row with Jacqui whom Susan thought had stolen her boyfriend.

The most unforgivable moment came at the end with the suggestion that there may indeed be a real spaceship outside the house. It's not terrible, but neither is it hilarious and clever. It's just daft. The one saving grace is that Muriel had the last word, which is appropriate for her final episode.

Exposition came thick and fast in the first few moments of Series Five's dialogue, with us learning very quickly that Muriel had gone to Australia to visit her mother. Good old Oz: far enough to explain a character being off-screen long-term (and perhaps forever), but not so far away they can't quickly return should an actor or actress become available again.

As expected, the formula has been necessarily shaken up. Looking at it kindly, one could take the view that it has become a little more expansive with supporting players doing a little more. For a start, Duncan's vacuous-but-sexy-in-a-common-sort-of-way secretary has been given more to do. Indeed, most of Duncan's scenes have been with her so far this year, moving the series away from the very concept of "keeping it in the family". Up to this point, there have been very few moments where a member of the Rush family hasn't been on screen. There have probably been more instances of this in the first two episodes of Series Five than in the first four series combined.

Meanwhile, we're now following Jacqui to her new job at a secondhand bookshop. This is slightly more promising, if only for featuring all remaining Rushes, with Dudley and Susan dropping in or phoning and having to pretend to be customers so as not to antagonise Jacqui's new boss who (sensibly) doesn't like his employees' personal lives interrupting their work. It's fine, I suppose. A tad contrived, but an acceptable - though inferior - substitute to the family scenes at home (which are still there, but have more of a sense of something missing without Muriel present).

It's funny, really. I started out watching Series One feeling that it lacked identity somewhat. Then I grew to thoroughly enjoy it. Now it's losing the identity all over again and having to restructure itself to be more than its original simplicity. I may grow to love it, but I'm currently feeling that the remaining four episodes will be plenty for me.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Now it's losing the identity all over again and having to restructure itself to be more than its original simplicity

Oddly, the same type of thing happened to Too Close for Comfort here in the US, though it took a very different path to that disarray. They had a one-off character appear as a moronic friend of Sara's in an episode, and eventually the character (named Monroe) kept popping up again and again to the point he became a regular cast member. The focus on Monroe and Henry's escapades took over in the way that Urkel took over Family Matters later on. The show also introduced a cousin of the daughters named April who was more willing to "misbehave" than the daughters. She was supposed to inject a bit more strife in the household but the character never caught on. Then Muriel ended up having a late-in-life baby, which is always the kiss of death for an aging sitcom. It all had the feeling of "throw it all against the wall and see what sticks".