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Classic UK TV
The Great British Sitcom
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<blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 389633" data-attributes="member: 23"><p>Last night I wrapped up The Garnett Saga by going back to the roots of the characters and watching the 1968 film version of <strong><em>Till Death Us Do Part</em></strong>.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FXLGY2BP.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ed20109d279ebbfa6f9e987aba3af824138840e00f4e94d22dbcc702a23f47a9&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 731px" /></p><p></p><p>Before watching, I was aware that the film was made between the black and white and colour series of the series of the same name; that it operates in a different canon to that of the series; and that it begins with a flashback to the Second World War.</p><p></p><p>What I was unprepared for was how very well-done the WWII scenes are. It opens in 1939, and the period detail is just incredible. The street on which it's filmed alone told many stories - and I still don't know if it's an incredibly realistic outdoor set or a real street that they've somehow managed to change to reflect the pre-war neatness, followed by the bombed-out look of WWII and the VE Day Celebrations and finally to the ghost town of the late 1960s as it's condemned by the council.</p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/LqgdtN8.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 734px" /><img src="https://i.imgur.com/T6fgKGZ.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 735px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p><p></p><p>The period dress, makeup and hair (or hairpieces in most cases) do an astounding job of showing our characters begin much younger and age-up as the decades pass by. The fact that the cast is filled with experienced character actors helps greatly. Warren Mitchell was in his early Forties here, and played Alf as an older character, so he begins by playing Alf as just a little younger than himself, and is aged-up as time passes.</p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/pUaaPPa.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 537px" /><img src="https://i.imgur.com/H7aH3kG.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 537px" /></p><p></p><p>There are many familiar faces among the cast, and some of these make the transition along with Alf. These include Bill Maynard and my <em>On The Buses </em>favourite Michael Robbins (who, incidentally, also appeared in one of the final episodes of<em> In Sickness & In Health</em>).</p><p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/kEAceGF.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 556px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/cqbGJq7.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 536px" /><img src="https://i.imgur.com/WwURNoX.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 536px" /></p><p></p><p>I really was blown away by how compelling this part of the was and actually felt quite sad when we got to the Sixties and left it behind. In fact, this film feels very much like a document of key moments in 20th Century British history: There's the commencement of WWII and its end and everything in between (Chamberlain's radio announcement, then his resignation a short time later when he was replaced with Churchill. We see rationing, building a bunker in the back yard, being woken several times each night by air raid warnings). There's Rita and Mike's wedding reception, held in the living room. We go with Alf and Mike to watch England win the 1966 cup. Then there's the Garnetts being forced to leave their condemned street to move to a high rise in a New Town: the moment where Alf goes to the corner pub, sees it boarded up then looks sadly around his once bustling street, now boarded up and desolate is genuinely poignant. And in practical terms, the council give him £300 for his house when he'd paid £1500 for it a short time before. The wonderful Frank Thornton explains the discrepancy: the house is now worthless so he's being paid the land value. This is something that hadn't occurred to me before, but I imagine many people made such a loss on their biggest (and perhaps only) financial investment. I felt quite moved to think of people losing their life's work this way.</p><p></p><p>It's easy to see why this film was a success and paved the way not just for the eventual return of the series, but also the many, many big screen versions of sitcoms that would follow in the next decade. As a companion to the series it's an interesting anomaly, but as a film in its own right it's a must-see. It's not even a straight comedy film. There are so many fascinating layers that makes this worth a watch even to those who aren't fans of the series.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mel O'Drama, post: 389633, member: 23"] Last night I wrapped up The Garnett Saga by going back to the roots of the characters and watching the 1968 film version of [B][I]Till Death Us Do Part[/I][/B]. [CENTER][IMG width="731px"]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FXLGY2BP.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ed20109d279ebbfa6f9e987aba3af824138840e00f4e94d22dbcc702a23f47a9&ipo=images[/IMG][/CENTER] Before watching, I was aware that the film was made between the black and white and colour series of the series of the same name; that it operates in a different canon to that of the series; and that it begins with a flashback to the Second World War. What I was unprepared for was how very well-done the WWII scenes are. It opens in 1939, and the period detail is just incredible. The street on which it's filmed alone told many stories - and I still don't know if it's an incredibly realistic outdoor set or a real street that they've somehow managed to change to reflect the pre-war neatness, followed by the bombed-out look of WWII and the VE Day Celebrations and finally to the ghost town of the late 1960s as it's condemned by the council. [CENTER][IMG width="734px"]https://i.imgur.com/LqgdtN8.png[/IMG][IMG width="735px"]https://i.imgur.com/T6fgKGZ.png[/IMG] [/CENTER] The period dress, makeup and hair (or hairpieces in most cases) do an astounding job of showing our characters begin much younger and age-up as the decades pass by. The fact that the cast is filled with experienced character actors helps greatly. Warren Mitchell was in his early Forties here, and played Alf as an older character, so he begins by playing Alf as just a little younger than himself, and is aged-up as time passes. [CENTER][IMG width="537px"]https://i.imgur.com/pUaaPPa.png[/IMG][IMG width="537px"]https://i.imgur.com/H7aH3kG.png[/IMG][/CENTER] There are many familiar faces among the cast, and some of these make the transition along with Alf. These include Bill Maynard and my [I]On The Buses [/I]favourite Michael Robbins (who, incidentally, also appeared in one of the final episodes of[I] In Sickness & In Health[/I]). [CENTER] [IMG width="556px"]https://i.imgur.com/kEAceGF.png[/IMG] [IMG width="536px"]https://i.imgur.com/cqbGJq7.png[/IMG][IMG width="536px"]https://i.imgur.com/WwURNoX.png[/IMG][/CENTER] I really was blown away by how compelling this part of the was and actually felt quite sad when we got to the Sixties and left it behind. In fact, this film feels very much like a document of key moments in 20th Century British history: There's the commencement of WWII and its end and everything in between (Chamberlain's radio announcement, then his resignation a short time later when he was replaced with Churchill. We see rationing, building a bunker in the back yard, being woken several times each night by air raid warnings). There's Rita and Mike's wedding reception, held in the living room. We go with Alf and Mike to watch England win the 1966 cup. Then there's the Garnetts being forced to leave their condemned street to move to a high rise in a New Town: the moment where Alf goes to the corner pub, sees it boarded up then looks sadly around his once bustling street, now boarded up and desolate is genuinely poignant. And in practical terms, the council give him £300 for his house when he'd paid £1500 for it a short time before. The wonderful Frank Thornton explains the discrepancy: the house is now worthless so he's being paid the land value. This is something that hadn't occurred to me before, but I imagine many people made such a loss on their biggest (and perhaps only) financial investment. I felt quite moved to think of people losing their life's work this way. It's easy to see why this film was a success and paved the way not just for the eventual return of the series, but also the many, many big screen versions of sitcoms that would follow in the next decade. As a companion to the series it's an interesting anomaly, but as a film in its own right it's a must-see. It's not even a straight comedy film. There are so many fascinating layers that makes this worth a watch even to those who aren't fans of the series. [/QUOTE]
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