please log in to view this image A still of Collier and Ferris from the greatest half hour of sitcom ever........"No Hiding Place" or "England F" as I always think it's called. It's a genius idea that those of a certain generation will remember like their first kiss or hangover......how to get to watch the highlights without knowing the result. Like those other experiences, it's universal, as soon as you set the tale, everyone knows the pain and suffering.........and humour. Its truth is so universal that it should be able to slot into any culture or country. However, it didn't stop 'How I Met Your Mother' completely mangling the most beautiful of comic conceits when setting it against The Superbowl. Why? Because British comedy used to be, not only, perfectly written but acted just as well, by people such as James Bolam, Alun Armstrong, Brian Glover and................Rodney Bewes. It's a sad day............apart from the laughs. Thank you. RIP Bob Ferris.
The Partridge Family was a little before my time, but I remember the re-runs on Saturday morning along with The Monkees, The Banana Splits and other US '60s/early '70s shows (along with the classic cartoons). It's hard to imagine just how big a star David Cassidy was at the height of his fame. Like Beatlemania. His dad Jack was an actor and played the villain in three separate episodes of Colombo. Best as The Great Santini, an illusionist who kills to hide his Nazi past. Rodney Bewes was always the straight man to James Bolam - and for Basil Brush for a while to!! Boom boom. RIP the '70s
Well said. I can't pretend to be sad at every celeb that dies but some have a resonance because of the memories they bring back and whatever happened to...... was such a part of my childhood (too young for the original series). The episode you mention was a stand out one. As you say we all have our own versions. I remember the day in 1996 when England played Holland. Watching with a couple of friends and 1 had to go to work for a few hours. We recorded it and went for a walk and across the fields we could hear intermittent cheering. So we knew it was going well . RIP pet.
David Cassidy was a (very) guilty secret for me. The album Cherish was lying around at home and I listened to it and to this day love it. Cause of the teenybopper effect he had he ended up much underrated.
The Likely Lads really captured the spirit of the times and the 'real' position for lots of working class men. Then Whatever Happened followed which for me was not quite as impressive because I thought Rodney's life path looked too easy and James's too hard. It had lost the very clever understated quality of the original series IMO.
Prophetic as far as I am concerned........'Whatever Happened......' predicted the death of the British working [skiving?] man.
For all intents and purposes, Bob was Thatcher and Terry was Scargill...........Audrey was the the British public..........definitely prophetic.
The thing is, I saw it play out for real for most of the 70s (in my house and neighbours) more or less as it was in the Likely Lads. And sometimes, much more funnier than with Bob and Terry.
Me too. My dad went to university and wore a suit to work. His dad was selling fruit in a market aged 13. We owned our house and when I was 8, we had a car and a colour TV. My parents went to the theatre and my grandparents went to the dog racing.........'The Likely Lads'/'Whatever Happened .....' chronicled that time perfectly.
He was certainly treated as a serious musician, writing songs with Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys and mixing with John Lennon and Phil Spector in the studio. George Michael said he was influenced by him. Cassidy's hits in the UK were dreamy, melancholy ballads (too dreary for me), but they fitted the persona the record company created for him - teen angst, unrequited love and all that...
The theme of that episode trying to avoid hearing the result of a football match was a constant problem LOL The classic one for me was when England beat Holland 4-1. I was working until 10pm and all day I had avoided hearing the result and people had co operated and not let on at all. So I was all set to go home and watch the game which I think I had recorded or it was being shown late (can't remember which) As I locked up the premises to drunks came up the road singing 4 - 1 4 - 1
