Hands up who watched TISWAS back in the day?
Like me, did you watch it purely to ogle at Sally James,
or was it Spit the Dog or the Phantom Flan-Flinger
who sent your pulse racing and fired you with desire? If
it was either of the latter two, you're a filthy pervert.
31 comments:
It was Trevor McDoughnut for me. I know you've never seen The Railway Children, Kid, so you won't be aware that Sally James played the family's maid at the beginning of the film before they move to Yorkshire.
Never seen it (the odd clip aside), so no, I didn't know she was in it, CJ. I do now though.
I've just heard that Brian Murphy who played George Roper has died aged 92. He and Yootha Joyce were a great double-act in my opinion. Brian Murphy's date of birth was Sep 25th 1932, only two months after my mother's (28/7/32).
Yeah, I noticed that this morning, CJ. I think Brian Murphy ended up in Last Of The Summer Wine, didn't he? He had a good long career, in the main.
I don't remember ogling Sally James, I think I was too young at that point. I used to like watching Spit the Dog, a one-trick pony but made me laugh every time. I saw Bob Carolgees on Through the Keyhole a couple of weeks ago (Challenge channel) and Spit still makes me laugh now. I had the TISWAS LP for Christmas the year it came out and I still have it. Loved it. But I also bought Brown Sauce 'I Just Wanna Be a Winner' which I think despite the limited talent for music amongst the personnel is a great pop song. Written by B. A. Robertson I think? He wrote the second Swap Shop theme anyway which is on the B side. Going back to Through the Keyhole, I meant to carry on watching the series as Jimmy Savile was on just to see if they would show it but I forgot to. "Jimmy who? Nah, never heard of him!'
I think I was in my late teens/early 20s, M, so I was old enough to appreciate Sally James' womanly charms. I bought the LP too, and like you, still have it. Must be years (if not decades) since I played it though. I think we can safely assume that any shows that featured Jimmy Savile or Rolf Harris won't ever see the light of day unless they use clips from them on an 'expose'-type documentary. Do you remember the 'adult' TISWAS (though it had another name) that was on late at night with the same presenters? It was short-lived, if I recall correctly.
I think that show was called O.T.T (Over the Top) Kid. I was never a fan of TISWAS or O.T.T seems to be trying to hard to be funny and wild - although it was always nice to see Sally James . McScotty.
I remembered the name the instant you mentioned it, McS - was just too tired to think of it. I always considered TISWAS and the BBC's Swap Shop the TV equivalent of the Swots and the Blots. Guess which ones were which?
I remember OTT. I don't remember much about it apart from my Mom being acutely embarrassed when they kept mentioning 'bonking' during a sketch. Just looked and there is loads of OTT on YouTube. I suppose it was tame by today's standards. Looks as though Sally James wasn't on OTT. She must have thought better of it. Talking of Saturday kids' programmes, did you see when a 'blot' phoned Matt Bianco on Saturday Superstore? That's on YouTube as well. Happy days. 😊
The only thing I remember about O.T.T. is Bernard Manning in a harness being lowered into a huge vat of baked beans, M. If that clip is where the guest is asked why he's such 'f*cking crap' (or something close to it), then yeah, I've seen that repeated on 'worst/best of TV' compilation shows a few times.
Monty, I remember I Wanna Be A Winner by Brown Sauce - it got into the Top 20 I think.
Kid, I didn't know Brian Murphy was in Last Of The Summer Wine but I hadn't watched the show since the '80s and the classic line-up of Compo, Clegg & Foggy. A couple of years ago I did a George & Mildred marathon on YouTube and watched every single episode from 1976-79. The Christmas Day'79 episode was also the last ever episode because of Yootha Joyce's death in 1980. Apparently her early death was due to liver failure due to years of chronic alcoholism but you'd never have guessed she was an alcoholic by watching her on TV so she hid it well.
Well, she didn't let her alcoholism affect her performance (or so it would seem), but I thought it was pretty obvious from her appearance that she was overly-fond of a little drinkie or five, CJ. Another great comedy you should catch up on is Only When I Laugh, which is an absolute hoot. Brown sauce? I'll be 'avin' some of that on me chips tonight.
You must be better at spotting secret drinkers than me, Kid. As for Only When I Laugh I did watch the Christmas 1981 episode on YouTube a couple of years ago.
Well, obviously I must be, but was her drinking that much of a secret? Maybe not known to the general public, but her friends, family, and colleagues probably knew. And what did you think of Only When I Laugh, pray tell?
If you mean the Christmas episode it was enjoyable enough. I'm currently watching the second series of Porridge on BBC iPlayer - the series was originally broadcast in October and November 1975 with a festive special on Christmas Eve.
That's the one with the dubbed voices of the kids, isn't it? The series is really funny (there were two, which I have on DVD). I enjoyed Porridge, but I still prefer Bob and Terry 'cos I can better relate to them and their situation. Right, I'm away shopping again.
Yes, the voices of children which were clearly adult voices!
Guess what, CJ? When I was in HMV earlier today, I saw a 60th Anniversary box set of The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads. It contains all the surviving TV episodes of the first series, along with the soundtracks of another 10 episodes which were without the visual content of the programmes. It also has the '60s 'episode' from Christmas Night With the Stars, as well as interviews by Melvyn Bragg with Dick Clemens and Ian La Frenais, Rodney Bewes and Richard Beckinsale. The '70s episodes (WHTTLL) have been remastered and the colour fixed where necessary. And it also includes Barry Norman's review of the movie, a review I haven't seen since it was broadcast on Film '76. Did I buy it? Of course I did!
Congratulations on your purchase, Kid. Last Monday I listened to the 3rd episode of The Likely Lads radio series (1967) on BBC Radio 4-Extra and there's a scene where Bob is in hospital and Terry brings him a box of chocolates with the coffee creams missing - obviously this reminded me of the line "In the chocolate box of life the top layer is already gone and someone's pinched the orange creams from the bottom". They also mentioned Thelma several times but she didn't actually appear in the episode.
I know Thelma was mentioned in the '60s TV series as well, but I've never been able to find out whether an actress was actually cast in the part or not, CJ. Did you know that The Likely Lads was the first BBC comedy to be in the top 20 watched shows, and WHTTLL became the second most watched show in the UK back in the day?
Kid, apparently Brigit Forsyth did appear as Thelma in at least one episode of the '60s TV series which I only know because I was recently looking at an episode guide of The Likely Lads on Wikipedia. I believe Thelma appeared in another episode but not played by Brigit Forsyth on that occasion. You said your box-set contains an interview with Richard Beckinsale but I didn't realise he had anything to do with The Likely Lads.
Was it definitely Brigit Forsyth in the '60s episode, CJ? I'll have to check, but when I did so previously, her name never came up, and I seem to remember a book I have saying that her first appearance as Thelma was in the '70s series. As for Richard Beckinsale, he and Rodney were being interviewed in connection to Clemens and La Frenais, who wrote LL and Porridge.
I've just checked the episode guide again, Kid, and you appear to be right - Thelma does appear in one episode of the '60s show but not played by Brigit Forsyth.
Oh no, right again. I'm in danger of becoming boring and predictable. (Who said what do you mean, 'becoming'?)
Just catching up on these latest comments. We (the wife and me) have watched the complete series of George and Mildred and Only When I Laugh. We're currently watching Nearest and Dearest. The odd episode is funny but on the whole I don't find Jimmy Jewel funny as he just seems to shout his lines. Apparently him and Hylda Baker hated each other. I've got the box set of The Likely Lads and WHTTLL to watch in the near future.
Is it the 'old' box set, M, or the new 60th Anniversary edition? I've just finished watching The Likely Lads movie five minutes ago (brilliant stuff), though it's not part of the set, it's a separate DVD.
I had to check. I've got the old box set which has got LL 1-3 surviving eps, WHTTLL 1-2 plus a 1965 ep 'The Other Side of the Fence'. Then in addition to that I've got a DVD with two previously lost eps 'A Star is Born' and 'Far Away Places' so I think I have all eps apart from the audio ones in the 60th Box?
The new set also contains the Christmas Night With The Stars short episode. I haven't checked the audio episodes yet, but I get the impression that some are the soundtracks from the TV shows and others are from the radio shows - not 100% sure.
Forgot to say we watched the LL film a couple of years ago. I think that's the one where they are in a caravan?
Yup, that's right. Bob, Terry, Chrissie and Thelma are playing Bridge, with Thelma and Terry (who is useless at the game) partnered together. Terry goes outside and relieves himself against the caravan, and the sound of his wee hitting the caravan is heard by the trio inside. Chrissie apologises, saying she is so embarrassed, and Thelma responds with "Don't apologise - it's the first time all night I've known what he's got in his hand."
Oops! Elsewhere in my replies, I refer to Dick Clemens - I should have typed Dick Clement as that's his name. Subconsciously, I was likely (pun intended) thinking of Brian Clemens.
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