Both Isaacs and Davis were excellent,tho' I think Isaacs was much more convincing as Harold,but it was interesting to be a fly on the wall of both Corbett's/Brambell's private lives. I did know about Brambell's arrest,but not that Corbett was originally a serious stage actor,or that Brambell quit then came back after failure on Broadway. Was David Hemmings ever approached about Steptoe? While it would've been good to see the Oz tour,I think the drama finished strongly with Corbett receiving the phone call about Australia and realising Steptoe had trapped him forever. The actress who played Corbett's wife was very good too. It was a sad story really,tho' not surprising,and a shame Corbett&Brambell couldn't enjoy their now legendry comic creations.
Both Isaacs and Davis were excellent,tho' I think Isaacs was much more convincing as Harold,but it was interesting to be a fly on the wall of both Corbett's/Brambell's private lives. I did know about Brambell's arrest,but not that Corbett was originally a serious stage actor,or that Brambell quit then came back after failure on Broadway. Was David Hemmings ever approached about Steptoe? While it would've been good to see the Oz tour,I think the drama finished strongly with Corbett receiving the phone call about Australia and realising Steptoe had trapped him forever. The actress who played Corbett's wife was very good too. It was a sad story really,tho' not surprising,and a shame Corbett&Brambell couldn't enjoy their now legendry comic creations.
The Australian tour was quite interesting as it was a new script combined with good old English "knee's up" songs. It culminated in a very drunken Wilfred Bramble swearing live on TV which, at the time, was a big scandal. As a result HHC never spoke to WB again, however WB broke down in tears when paying tribute following HHC's death in 1982.
I always had the impression that it was WB who hated HHC, but following last night it seems that it was both ways.
I checked my recording, and it could have been Clive Goodwin (minor actor) played by Julian Forsyth.
It is funny how we all liked the show, yet there was very little explanation offered - they just stated what happened according to friends, colleagues, relatives, etc. of Corbett and Brambell.
It's quite interesting how many of us have watched this on BBC4 - there is an audience if they trail the shows. And now it's the featured show on iplayer.
Excellent production with a great sense of time and place.
Sadly I forgot about the Galton and Simpson interview, was there any mention of the stage play which Galton wrote a couple of years ago in which he concluded the story? Since seeing it I've always wondered if this was how they wanted to end the story all those years ago and whether they didn't want to kill the cash cow or were dissuaded by the beeb. (For those who don't know about it, it's set in the present day years after Harold went mad, murdered his dad and went on the run, and returns to find the junkyard turned into an exhibit).
1.4m viewers overnight. A smidge under 7%. Pretty darn good for BBC4!
K
Exactly what I noticed. Let that be a lesson to all programmers - channel does not make a difference to those of us with an independently functioning brain (note all the ITV1 dramas that are not being watched).
I would have loved to see the new concept where his son turned up at the door and they started again from there
Wonder if the script is still in exsistance, would be interesting to read but I suspect it would have been a disaster had it actually happened
Very good programme, but I think they've missed a trick by running the Steptoe one first, the first scene includes a conversation about Hancock, might have been better to have his episode first
Did anyone notice that when they were recording 'The Offer', before and after the recording started they played 'Old Ned' in the studio?
Surely this was written for the series itself, which started some time later? In fact, when you saw HHC and SS watching the broadcast itself it had the Comedy Playhouse theme...
I've not watched this yet, though I have V+'d it, and the episodes of Steptoe & Son that BBC4 have been showing all week.
Nest week's "Curse of" film is about the equally great Tony Hancock, so you'd expect that, as with this weeks Steptoe episodes, BBC4 would be showing some classic episodes of the Lad 'imself.
But no. They seem to be showing episodes of Up Pompei, even though the Frankie Howerd film isn't on for another week.
Really enjoyed this. I had seen it advertised but was just flicking through the channels & put it on. I was only a kid when Steptoe was on but have watched the repeats many times over the years. Didn't know the background story so it was all new to me. Great viewing figures. Makes you wonder what it would have got on BBC1. Have today put BBC4 on my favourites on sky+ as only caught it by off chance last night.
Did anyone notice that when they were recording 'The Offer', before and after the recording started they played 'Old Ned' in the studio?
Surely this was written for the series itself, which started some time later? In fact, when you saw HHC and SS watching the broadcast itself it had the Comedy Playhouse theme...
At the beginning of the pilot both tunes are played. Old Ned is played just after the Comedy Playhouse theme.
Both portrayals of Steptoe and Son were pretty good. There were some continuity issues but that is usual in this kind of drama. They condense so much in it's unavoidable.
I am looking forward to the other tributes. If that's the right term.
Did anybody watch the programme on BBC4 Tuesday? It was about BBC rules and regulations!If you watched that programme then you understand how Stepetoe became a trend setter if you can call it that!
Comments
(Tried to add this to my previous posting, but too late as I had to check the details above)
It has the "in joke" about the Grandad character being very clean which took me a while to get.
The Australian tour was quite interesting as it was a new script combined with good old English "knee's up" songs. It culminated in a very drunken Wilfred Bramble swearing live on TV which, at the time, was a big scandal. As a result HHC never spoke to WB again, however WB broke down in tears when paying tribute following HHC's death in 1982.
I always had the impression that it was WB who hated HHC, but following last night it seems that it was both ways.
And I think he was described as Paul's other Grandad.
Yes indeed. Goodness knows why I thought Galton and Simpson wrote it.
Brilliant writing, though the swearing was a bit too much. The F word wasn't used as much then as it is now, especially in the case of women.
Thanks, Barbara.
It's quite interesting how many of us have watched this on BBC4 - there is an audience if they trail the shows. And now it's the featured show on iplayer.
Sadly I forgot about the Galton and Simpson interview, was there any mention of the stage play which Galton wrote a couple of years ago in which he concluded the story? Since seeing it I've always wondered if this was how they wanted to end the story all those years ago and whether they didn't want to kill the cash cow or were dissuaded by the beeb. (For those who don't know about it, it's set in the present day years after Harold went mad, murdered his dad and went on the run, and returns to find the junkyard turned into an exhibit).
K
I especially liked how the writer *got* both Galton an Simpson ,Superb BBC4 ........
Isaacs and Davis 10/10 ...:)
Wonder if the script is still in exsistance, would be interesting to read but I suspect it would have been a disaster had it actually happened
Very good programme, but I think they've missed a trick by running the Steptoe one first, the first scene includes a conversation about Hancock, might have been better to have his episode first
Surely this was written for the series itself, which started some time later? In fact, when you saw HHC and SS watching the broadcast itself it had the Comedy Playhouse theme...
What was it about British comedy in those days? Every star performer either had a screwed-up life, died young or both.
Nest week's "Curse of" film is about the equally great Tony Hancock, so you'd expect that, as with this weeks Steptoe episodes, BBC4 would be showing some classic episodes of the Lad 'imself.
But no. They seem to be showing episodes of Up Pompei, even though the Frankie Howerd film isn't on for another week.
Strange!!
At the beginning of the pilot both tunes are played. Old Ned is played just after the Comedy Playhouse theme.
Both portrayals of Steptoe and Son were pretty good. There were some continuity issues but that is usual in this kind of drama. They condense so much in it's unavoidable.
I am looking forward to the other tributes. If that's the right term.
Brilliant...thanks for that!!
K