You know of old my slightly peculiar obsession with 60s/70s British sitcoms. Well, it hasn't diminished. Morrissey, lead singer of the Smiths (who it could also be said I have a slightly peculiar obsession with), once said words to the effect that there is little quite so nice as watching an old movie on tv on a cold afternoon, armed with a warm piece of toast. And so it was yesterday, a cold winter's day, that I watched an old ep of "Doctor in the House" on You tube while eating Tuesday night's leftover meatloaf on toast. The early episodes were the best, I think, and perhaps this is at least partially because, as I noticed with surprise, they were written by John Cleese. I'd love to show you a clip but Blogger is being naughty again so here's the link if you're so inclined (and suitable equipped with some toast):
Time once again for some nostalgia. I discovered on a weekend visit to the DVD store that "Robin's Nest" is now available on DVD. Did anyone else watch this in the 70s? It was the spin-off from "Man About the House", with Richard O'Sullivan reprising his role of the abundantly-sideburned Robin Tripp. As with "Man About the House", I have to say that it has aged pretty well and there are certainly still laughs to be had. I've been working my way through season 1 these last few nights. I also saw that "Mind Your Language" is now available too. Good thing we're getting closer to Christmas...old Thames TV shows make excellent stocking fillers!
Sad news yesterday that Mollie Sugden has died. She was, of course, best known as Mrs Slocombe in Are You Being Served?, a great show from the 70s and one of my personal favourites when I was a littlie. How I got away with watching it I'm not quite sure - my t.v. intake was strictly vetted by my mother - because there were double entendres aplenty with this one. But perhaps the average 5 year-old misses all but the most obvious of jokes. I really did think she was talking about her pet cat.
As you know, I am on a bit of a nostalgia kick these days and I still hold affection for all of the Thames Television shows of this era - Are You Being Served?, Mind Your Language, Man About the House, Robin's Nest, George and Mildred, Doctor in the House. Although I did re-watch Love Thy Neighbour the other day and that one was a bit hard to take. Loved the retro interiors but the out-and-out racism? Hmmm - difficult to watch. But, as with my Andy Gibb clip from a few weeks ago, what it is is that these shows bring back those days for me - of sitting on the nubby, rust-coloured carpet my parents used to have in their living room, watching these neat little stories on the old black-and-white set, as some crazily funny circumstance was sorted out all in the space of half an hour. If only life could be like that! Some bantering dialogue, a few laughs and all done and dusted in 30 minutes! This clip in particular also reminded me of the days when I was working in a call centre. Our toilet breaks were timed too! I should say though, that if you are offended by some pretty off-colour 70s attitudes to women, don't watch this - it won't improve your opinion. I just thought it was a good example of Mrs Sugden at work. And perhaps I am also proving that a childhood raised on this stuff has inured me to its dodginess...hmmm...
