For Some Older, And Some Younger Ab'ers -

[andy-hughes]

Looking back, and allowing for the fact that what was served, and enjoyed, as entertainment, was very different years ago, how many of you really thought the following were actually any good at all -

Mike And Bernie Winters
The Goodies
Mike Yarwood
On The Buses
Stanley Baxter

I can honestly say that collectively and individually, I have never so much as raised a smile at any of them, ever.

Any thoughts?

[pixie374]

I remember there only being 3 channels, jj. Now we have hundreds x

[Zacs-Master]

OMG, NJ is a bus-spotter.

[Paigntonian]

All truly awful. Can I add Steptoe and Son, Jimmy Tarbuck, Last of the Summer Wine, Cannon and Ball, Little and Large.

[pixie374]

We knew he was a trainspotter, zacs.... hopefully we've reached the depth of confession now.

[Paigntonian]

Jackdaw; That was funny.

[puzzled54]

Liked the goodies. What strikes me about on the buses, Is how old Stan and jack were to be chasing after girls all the time

[andy-hughes]

Paigntonian - // All truly awful. Can I add Steptoe and Son, Jimmy Tarbuck, Last of the Summer Wine, Cannon and Ball, Little and Large. //

You can add all of those, with the exception of Steptoe And Son.

The essence of any great comedy, is that the protagonists are trapped in their world, and kick against it - that includes Fawlty, Hancock, Meldrew, and of course the Steptoes.

The earliest shows were shot in one take on one camera, just them in the living room, Harold desperate to escape, Albert desperate to stop him, Harold always giving in.

That was the tv equivalent of a stage play - start to finish, live, no edits, no re-takes, just acting out the claustrophobia.

But another golden ingredient of great sit com is pathos, and it needs to be just below the surface, and shown in flashes of tragedy in a blink-and-you-miss-it style.

That's where Wilfred Bramble scored - he could go from snarling selfish disgusting old man, to a look straight at the camera with the face of a frightened child, and back again so quickly you could easily miss it, but the impact was always there if you saw it.

So I have to argue for Steptoe And Son, groundbreaking in dialogue, concept, and presentation.

[pixie374]

Blackadder, Only Fools and Horses, Fawlty Towers... are classics, I think. For the same reasons you said, andy- although Steptoe and son was fairly boring.

[Jackdaw33]

Till Death Us Do Part was a classic for its time but far too non-PC to be shown now.

[JimF]

Harry and Paul did an excellent spoof of On the Buses which showed just how truly awful it was:

[andy-hughes]

Brilliant!!

[Zacs-Master]

I also think Hancock was as funny as dipping your head in molten lead. Eeeek, controversial!

[zebo]

The Goodies were good at the beginning but dragged it out too long.
I never like On the Buses, generally can't stand East London accents.

[puzzled54]

Well now I’m offended Zebo

[pixie374]

I never understood Monty Python... I was younger then. But it just seemed weird.

[tonyav]

But it just seemed weird.

That's because it was weird mainly, pixie. Especially those cartoon things imo.

[brainiac]

There's a story about Mike and Bernie Winters playing the Glasgow Empire, graveyard of many a comedian.

Mike - the 'straight' one would come on on his own and do a bit of shtick and play the clarinet. After a while, Bernie stuck his head through the curtain, gurning as ever, and came on to the stage.

Loud voice from the gallery: "Oh Christ, there's two of them !"

[pixie374]

Fair enough then, lol.

[Mozz71]

The Goodies, at their best, were brilliantly inventive and often hilarious.

[New Judge]

//OMG, NJ is a bus-spotter.//

//We knew he was a trainspotter, zacs.... hopefully we've reached the depth of confession now.//

No, no NO !!!!!

I’m an “Enthusiast”. I don’t “spot” buses or trains (though I did when I was about ten). I don’t wear an anorak. I just have a keen interest in buses and trains (and most forms of public transport and civil engineering).