In every British sitcom 1975-85

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

1. the chief protagonists are young marrieds who live in Surrey

― Grandpont Genie, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:30 (eighteen years ago)

2. The next door neighbours get all the funny lines

― Tom D., Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:31 (eighteen years ago)

2. A vicar comes round for tea, oblivious to a domestic crisis taking place in the kitchen.

― Billy Dods, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:33 (eighteen years ago)

3. the male protagonist's boss has no sense of humour, UNTIL.....

― Grandpont Genie, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:33 (eighteen years ago)

did this happen in allo allo?

― the next grozart, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:33 (eighteen years ago)

4. darkies who speak funny english

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:33 (eighteen years ago)

5. A young relative comes to stay and they are a punk and everyone's appalled

― Grandpont Genie, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:34 (eighteen years ago)

bathtub on wheels

― the next grozart, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:42 (eighteen years ago)

6. Male protagonist looks like he's buggering the vicar but oh crikey, he's not...

― King Boy Pato, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:43 (eighteen years ago)

6. The closest (located) family members are embarassing/uncouth

― Mark G, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:43 (eighteen years ago)

[Removed Illegal Link]

― That one guy that quit, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:44 (eighteen years ago)

7. Scenes with postman
8. Scenes with milkman

― Tom D., Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:44 (eighteen years ago)

http://ilx.thehold.net/thread.php?msgid=102731

fuck nu-ilx

― That one guy that quit, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:44 (eighteen years ago)

9. Grouchy bastard spoiling everyone's fun

― Tom D., Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:45 (eighteen years ago)

10. old man confused by modern technology

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:46 (eighteen years ago)

9. Scene : the kitchen

They get a letter which he opens over breakfast. The dialogue goes like this :

Him : It's from my Auntie!
Her : What, the one with the castle in Scotland?
Him : Yes! That one!
Her : Is she coming to stay? Do you remember the last time she came, and all the trouble she caused with the vicar?
Him : Hmmmm. Wait.......it says she's come into some money!

She moves round to the other side of the table to read the letter too. They turn and look at each other questioningly.

[Glissando, and cut to next scene]

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago)

11. character whos only purpose is to feed lines for main character's punchlines.

― Mark G, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago)

12. A car breaks down in a HUGE cloud of smoke, leaving helpless mini-skirted young woman NEEDING ASSISTANCE!

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:51 (eighteen years ago)

13. Even now...

People having breakfast/dinner around a dining table, but not around: All on only one side of the table.

― Mark G, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:53 (eighteen years ago)

13. Man of the house repairs to the local pub to meet next door neighbour and 'some other bloke who they work with and isn't in it very much'. They are slightly silly because they are AWAY FROM THE WOMEN. One might swear mildly.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:53 (eighteen years ago)

Don't remember any of this happening in The Young Ones.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:54 (eighteen years ago)

Or in "Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt"

― Tom D., Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:55 (eighteen years ago)

The dining table in the Young Ones? Yep.

― Mark G, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:55 (eighteen years ago)

15. Girlfriend visits. She sits on sofa watching telly with young male star. Parents sit opposite in separate armchairs KEEPING AN EYE ON THINGS. Dad reads paper. Mum knits and makes banal conversation. Son tries to slide his arm along the back of the sofa around girlfriend. Just as the arm is in position mum brightly says " Would you like a cup of tea BEFORE YOU GO, love"

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:56 (eighteen years ago)

Bloke with asymmetric haircut bums around east London on ridiculous bicycle blathering on about his website and talking into a stupendously wanky mobi...

oh, wait.

― CharlieNo4, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:58 (eighteen years ago)

16. There is some kind of ridiculous relationship issue underpinning the whole thing e.g man still lives next door to ex wife who has married his best friend. Or lives with his mum next door to his divorced dad and a DOLLY BIRD. They are always doctors.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 11:58 (eighteen years ago)

16. Gratuitous use of the word 'bloody'.

― chap, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:00 (eighteen years ago)

17. The protagonist's young children say something, but their lips move at the wrong time and they sound suspiciously like a middle aged female talking in a squeaky voice.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip philip Annoyman, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:01 (eighteen years ago)

17. In pubs and restaurant scenes peripheral receptionists, waiters, other guests etc NEVER SPEAK.

It means that they haven't joined Equity and are therefore doing it for free, or at least for a sandwich.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:02 (eighteen years ago)

No, it means they have joined equity but have not been paid to speak, so they do not. On pain of death.

― Mark G, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:04 (eighteen years ago)

18. Allan Cuthbertson plays bank manager/retired colonel/town clerk/headmaster/'figure of authority without a sense of humour'

http://www.cinefania.com/pics/personas/5/587.jpg

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:07 (eighteen years ago)

x-post yeah they've signed a day/week membership for equity...or whatever. But yes, they MUSTN'T speak.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:09 (eighteen years ago)

other guests etc NEVER SPEAK - still true to this day and in all shows ever for the same reasons

― Alan, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:10 (eighteen years ago)

19. Posh bloke who turns out to be a conman.

― Roz, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:12 (eighteen years ago)

do they just loop in murmur noises -- would you get pad for saying 'rhubarb rhubarb rhubard'?

― That one guy that quit, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:13 (eighteen years ago)

20. In suburban coupledom sitcoms, many things are resolved by her 'going to stay with her mother'.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:17 (eighteen years ago)

21. Receptionists are always DOLLY BIRDS or OLD FRUMPS - nothing in-between.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:19 (eighteen years ago)

22. Barmen ALWAYS polishing/cleaning glasses when talking to clientele

― Tom D., Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:20 (eighteen years ago)

23. Barman joins in conversation with the blokes, who stand at the bar even though THERE IS NO-ONE ELSE IN THE PUB.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:23 (eighteen years ago)

24. In suburban couple sitcoms SHE always scrapes the car, but never prangs it badly enough so that she can't get home.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:25 (eighteen years ago)

25. In suburban couple sitcoms there are always GOLF CLUBS in the hall.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:26 (eighteen years ago)

Only a very few of these are applicable to Fawlty Towers. Though Allan Cuthbertson did indeed appear in an episode.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:27 (eighteen years ago)

henpecked sexless man

― Alan, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:28 (eighteen years ago)

26. There are brief phone calls ("Hello....Yes....Really?...Bye!") in which the recipient apparently learns far more information than could possibly have been relayed during a call that short.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:28 (eighteen years ago)

27. There are apparently incompatible flatmates e.g. rough bird/posh girl, dolly bird/mummy's boy, jack-the-lad/nice girl.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:31 (eighteen years ago)

28. Someone gets married. The car with the groom in emits black smoke and breaks down. The best man loses the ring. The brides mother boxes their ears with her handbag.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:34 (eighteen years ago)

28. glissandos, full stop

― stevie, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:35 (eighteen years ago)

29. Mrs Suburban Sitcom is doing the washing up. She REMEMBERS SOMETHING, looks up from the dishes and stares out of the window. Cut to next scene.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:36 (eighteen years ago)

30. "a bit of the other"

― CharlieNo4, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:38 (eighteen years ago)

30. All tradesman of any sort all make inadvertant and very mild double-entendres ALL THE TIME. They also bring mud in.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 15 March 2007 12:38 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 98 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

A flustered Terry Scott helps himself to a generous measure of brandy from the decanter in his front room. If in a very agitated state he will down it in one.

― DavidM, Friday, 16 March 2007 10:53 (eighteen years ago)

The boss comes round to dinner. Things go awry.

― DavidM, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:01 (eighteen years ago)

DavidM : see #51 for boss coming round for dinner.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:19 (eighteen years ago)

Dr. C is the boss of this thread. Were he to come round to dinner, things would almost certainly go awry.

― chap, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:21 (eighteen years ago)

63. A car or motorbike is driven up a ramp and into the back of a furniture van. The back doors are instantly closed by Arthur English or Michael Robbins. It drives off with hapless protagonist inside.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:21 (eighteen years ago)

x-post : I am good at making things go awry, yes.

64. When suburban or city people go ino the country for the day, they have a picnic in a field where there is A BULL. The bull eats their picnic and chases them, observed by two ruddy-faced straw-chewing yokels. The yokels shake their heads sadly and continue to move hay about.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:25 (eighteen years ago)

Yokels generally played by Arthur English and Nosher Powell.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:30 (eighteen years ago)

Michael, I don't know who he is but I like his goofy face!

― Laurel, Friday, 16 March 2007 13:49 (eighteen years ago)

He was in 'Doctor On The Go', 'Doctor In The House' etc etc

http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/images_tv/doctor.jpg

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:05 (eighteen years ago)

STILL CUET

― Laurel, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:06 (eighteen years ago)

I'll just need to sound your chest, Miss Arbuthnot.

http://www.comedy-zone.net/images/tv-shows/d/doctor-at-large.jpg

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:07 (eighteen years ago)

STILL CUET??

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:16 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, the second picture was as cute as the first. He's an adorable wry monkey.

― Laurel, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:21 (eighteen years ago)

65. In family sitcom teenagers find a copy of The Joy Of Sex hidden away. It prompts a conversation which begins 'Dad, do you and Mum still....you know, do you still....'

The book belongs to Dad, who has been given it by next-door neighbour or workmate. He hopes to spice things up a bit at home, but hasn't plucked up the courage to show his wife the book yet.

OR it belongs to the next-door neighbour who has hidden it in the house temporarily.

It is likely that the book will be left lying around when the mother-in-law or a straightlaced old aunt come to visit.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:23 (eighteen years ago)

I'll try and find you some handsome men, Laurel.

Alan and Philip in Rising Damp! Alan and Philip in Rising Damp!

(I am kind of tempted to search for Rising Damp flatshare slash, but I think if I find it all that remains of my innocence and youth with wash down the drain.)

― Anna, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:26 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.leonardrossiter.com/risingdamp/11rooksby026.jpg

Alan and Phil.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:29 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.leonardrossiter.com/risingdamp/11rooksby000.jpg

Rigsby

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:30 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.leonardrossiter.com/risingdamp/13charisma007.jpg

The best Risgby photo ever.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:32 (eighteen years ago)

Those are completely fabulous smiling eye crinkles, but the teeth, the teeth really have to be done by.

― Laurel, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:33 (eighteen years ago)

image]http://www.leonardrossiter.com/risingdamp/14night006.jpg[/image]

And my favourite actress ever, the incomparable, the magnificent, Frances De La Tour, as Miss Jones.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:35 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.leonardrossiter.com/risingdamp/14night006.jpg

Here she is.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:36 (eighteen years ago)

Classic pub conversation: What was the 2nd-best ITV sitcom ever? Cos there's a Federer-like gulf after #1.

Laurel: I just like to image an alternative universe in which an adult you & Nedwell hooked up sometime in the '70s. It's a vision of a better world, somehow.

― Michael Jones, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:53 (eighteen years ago)

I have had to revise my general feeling of dread re: Francis De La Tour since The History Boys.

― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 16 March 2007 14:53 (eighteen years ago)

She was FANTASTIC in the History Boys!

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 15:23 (eighteen years ago)

Thirded.

― peteR, Friday, 16 March 2007 15:30 (eighteen years ago)

Happy to oblige, Mike Steady!

― Laurel, Friday, 16 March 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago)

Alright fact fans - what's the conncetion between the other Dr. in the white coat in the picture with Mr. Nedwell above, and Nigel Havers/Tony Britton.

― Dr.C, Friday, 16 March 2007 15:34 (eighteen years ago)

Did Barry Evans and Nedwell live together in Doctor in the House, a la the divorced father/son arrangement in Don't Wait Up?

― Michael Jones, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:16 (eighteen years ago)

They're both seven degrees away from Kevin Bacon?

― peteR, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:18 (eighteen years ago)

(I just looked up Barry Evans on Wikipedia - what a sad end to his life).

― Michael Jones, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:19 (eighteen years ago)

Alan and Philip in Rising Damp! Alan and Philip in Rising Damp!

It's true, Richard Beckinsale was very cute. Poor him. It's funny how Ralph Fiennes is looking more and more like Leonard Rossiter these days.

― accentmonkey, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:24 (eighteen years ago)

(I just looked up Barry Evans on Wikipedia - what a sad end to his life).

Getting pushed down a hill by Janine?

― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:36 (eighteen years ago)

Disambiguate! Disambiguate!

― Michael Jones, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago)

I agree, it was kind of tragic...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40803000/jpg/_40803523_janinepush_300.jpg

― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:40 (eighteen years ago)

Take that, statue of Lenin!

― accentmonkey, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

I remember a docu bit on Barry Evans, he'd become the original White Van Man.

― Mark G, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago)

Sorry to interrupt but Mike Mike I sent you an email, can you see if you got it?

― Sarah, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:45 (eighteen years ago)

That particular Barry died last night while chasing cars.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:52 (eighteen years ago)

The answer is that the other Doctor is played by George Layton (also of It Ain't Half Hot Mum) who wrote 'Don't Wait Up'.

― Dr.C, Monday, 19 March 2007 09:30 (eighteen years ago)

D'oh! I should've got that.

― Michael Jones, Monday, 19 March 2007 10:00 (eighteen years ago)

Rigsby and Miss Jones get it AWN in the film version..... canon?

― JTS, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 09:06 (eighteen years ago)

Does anyone remember a short film with Frances De La Tour and Tim Healy running a motorway cafe? Around 2001-ish?

― JTS, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 09:08 (eighteen years ago)

Sadly, no!

― Dr.C, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 09:19 (eighteen years ago)

It wasn't made between 1975-85, so no wonder we don't remember it!

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 09:22 (eighteen years ago)

However, Eric Sykes' The Plank was made in the sixties, and I can still recall that star-studded cavalcade of mirth!

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 09:27 (eighteen years ago)

seven years pass...

I've been watching Mind Your Language on Youtube and I'm curious what Jamila Massey is actually saying in the bits where she is speaking Urdu. I'm assuming that neither Vince Powell or Stuart Allen actually spoke Urdu themselves, so did they just give her a general idea of what her character was meant to be saying and let her translate? Is she even speaking Urdu?

I think I remember on a couple of occasions when they showed bits of Mind Your Language on clip-shows. amongst the talking heads there being ppl who were the children of 1st generation immigrants talking about how their parents loved the show- to be clear I don't mention this to defend Mind Your Language, which is terrible, but I was wondering how it was received at the time by immigrants to the UK? I guess it would have been one of the few populist programmes concerned with immigration, rather than earnest documentaries and dramas etc?

― soref, Friday, 26 December 2014 18:06 (eleven years ago)

Vince Powell and Stuart Allen were also responsable for Bottle Boys, the 2nd and final series of which aired in 1985, which feels appropriate re: the thread title, Bottle Boys feels like the last gasp of this kind of show, although Powell did write Slinger's Day the next year, which I've never seen.

― soref, Friday, 26 December 2014 18:13 (eleven years ago)

I think I remember on a couple of occasions when they showed bits of Mind Your Language on clip-shows. amongst the talking heads there being ppl who were the children of 1st generation immigrants talking about how their parents loved the show

Ha, my Dad emailed our family with Youtube links to this show last year, commenting "Most hilarious. Very tatefully humorous. Realistic indeed. thumbs up for its creator!" What little I saw was dud.

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Friday, 26 December 2014 18:43 (eleven years ago)

Various international television shows based on the premise of Mind Your Language have followed the original series. Among them are What a Country! (US), Zabaan Sambhalke (India and Pakistan), Second Chance! (Nigeria), Jami'ar Albarkawa (In Hausa language, Nigeria), Raja Kaduwa! (Sri Lanka) and Classmates (Kenya).

most of these are on youtube as well, What a Country! is mainly crap, but does have Don Knotts in it so isn't totally worthless, the others went over my head for the most part.

I watched a bit of Slinger's Day and is totally this kind of show, despite having been broadcast 1986-7, I wonder if there are any later examples that aren't at least theoretically ironic

― soref, Friday, 26 December 2014 19:02 (eleven years ago)

I remember on a clip show Shappi Khorsandi said she and all the immigrant kids at her school loved it.
Stephen K Amos thought the show was an abomination and every ethnic minority involved was a sell out.

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 26 December 2014 19:16 (eleven years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.