An annual television event for five years, 'All Star Comedy Carnival' was ITV's "Christmas bonus" - a festive mix of variety and brand-new sketches from the network's most popular sitcoms. An eagerly-awaited festive treat, only two editions still exist: those for 1972 and 1973. This set presents both complete shows, comprising sketches not seen since their original transmission over forty years ago.
Comedy Shows Comprise:
- Love Thy Neighbour
- On the Buses
- Christmas with Wogan
- Nearest and Dearest
- Thirty Minutes Worth
- Sez Les
- The Fenn Street Gang
- Father Dear Father
- Man About the House
- My Good Woman
- Billy Liar
- Spring and Autumn
- Doctor in Charge
As popular as it was controversial, Johnny Speight's classic sitcom satirised the less acceptable aspects of entrenched working-class culture and the generation gap, creating a sea change in television comedy that influenced just about every sitcom that followed. As relevant today as when first transmitted, Speight's liberal attitude to comedy shone a light on some of the more unsavoury aspects of our national character to great effect. As Speight himself said: "I didn't create Alf Garnett - I just grassed on him". Starring Warren Mitchell as highly opinionated, true-blue bigot Alf Garnett, 'Till Death Us Do Part' sees him mouthing off on race, immigration, party politics and any other issues that take his fancy. His rantings meet fierce opposition in the form of his left-wing, Liverpudlian layabout son-in-law Mike, while liberal daughter Rita despairs, and long-suffering wife Else occasionally wields a sharp put-down of her own. Though all colour episodes exist, many early black and white episodes were wiped decades ago. The recent recovery of the episode 'Intolerance', however, alongside off-air audio recordings made on original transmission allow us to present a complete run of all seven series.
Written by Johnny Speight creator of 'Till Death Us Do Part' and based on an idea by Spike Milligan, 'Curry and Chips' proved to be one of the most controversial situation comedies ever made. Originally screened in 1969, the series featured Milligan as Kevin O'Grady, a man of mixed Asian and Irish descent who has just started his new job at Lillicrap Ltd, manufacturer of cheap novelty items and seaside souvenirs. Inevitably, he soon becomes the butt of jokes from his resoundingly intolerant workmates. Speight's determined attempt at confronting racism with its own conventions polarised critical opinion, although it was extremely popular with the viewing public and ended up in the ITV Top Ten. Co-starring with Milligan was long-term friend, writing partner and comedy legend Eric Sykes as shop foreman Arthur Blenkinsop. Kenny Lynch, Norman Rossington and Geoffrey Hughes played their narrow-minded workmates. Reflecting the widespread and overt prejudices of its time, 'Curry and Chips' attempted to confront bigotry in daily life by caricaturing it. Exploring similar territory to Johnny Speight's earlier and highly successful 'Till Death Us Do Part' 'Curry and Chips' will inevitably shock modern audiences in its language and single-minded focus on race.
Mel Smith is best known for 'Not the Nine O'Clock News' and 'Alas Smith and Jones'. In this much loved 1980s BBC sitcom, the late comedian plays an aspiring writer stuck in a soul destroying day job. Depressed Colin Watkins (Mel Smith) works for the British Rail Passenger Relations Office, otherwise known as the complaints department. He doesn't like his job much and has dreams of becoming a full-time writer, toiling late into the night trying to realise his ambitions. Distracting him are his girlfriend Jenny, best friend Des, and the obnoxiously happy couple Richard and Sarah. He takes a step towards achieving his ambition when one of his short stories is accepted for publication in "The Langley Book of Horror". In Series 2, a famous film producer offers Colin the chance of adapting his short story for a film. Colin jumps at the chance but disruptions in various guises continue to derail him, and keep him tied to the desk job.
Long Lost Comedy Classics is a collection of films from a golden age of British Cinema, remembered stars and some unique movies that have stood the test of time. So why not take a trip down memory lane and see how cinema used to be? A Sleepy army barracks is about to be overrun by a film company planning to shoot a science fiction caper. And it's not long before the enticing female stars persuade the boys of the brigade to take part - much to the annoyance of the Divisional Commander who decides to make a surprise inspection.
The boys are back. Dennis (Tim Healy), Neville (Kevin Whately), Oz (Jimmy Nail), Wayne (Gary Holton), Bomber (Pat Roach), Barry (Timothy Spall) and Moxey (Christopher Fairbank) are reunited in Blighty, but it seems that their efforts to keep themselves off the dole and their love lives on an even keel, have not been a rip-roaring success.
Ray Galton and Alan Simpson have long been regarded as Britain's most successful comedy writing partnership, having created and written the long-running series 'Hancock's Half Hour' and 'Steptoe and Son'. Turning their hand to one-off stories, 'The Galton and Simpson Playhouse' consisted of seven individual comedy plays, with the stand-alone format allowing for a wide variety of characters and story-lines. The high calibre of the scripts attracted the cream of comedy actors from 1970's television, including Arthur Lowe, Leonard Rossiter, Richard Briers, John Bird, Frances de la Tour, Patricia Hayes and Warren Mitchell.
1. Car Along the Pass
Henry Duckworth is living proof that the English take their holidays very seriously indeed.
2. Swap You One of These for One of Those
Henry Fairlane's invite to a colleague's party has one big condition...
3. Cheers
Peter and Charles'long friendship is jolted by Peter's marriage plans.
4. Naught for Thy Comfort
An airline steward whose wife has left him finds no comfort in friends.
5. Variations on a Theme
The eternal triangle can have more than one outcome...
6. I Tell You It's Burt Reynolds
A film and TV know-all goes to absurd lengths to prove his knowledge.
7. Big Deal at York City
A man attracts attention travelling home from a day at York races.
The Rebel
As a frustrated creative artiste and bored city clerk, Hancock decides to escape across the channel to la vie de Boheme. So it's farewell East Cheam, au revoir Railway Cuttings. Off to Paris he goes resolved ro be a successful artist - or cut off his ear...
Punch and Judy Man
Tony Hancock is a melancholy Punch and Judy man trying to establish himself as an important citizen in the seaside town where he works. When his snobbish wife is taught a lesson at an important social event it looks like the British comic genius may just get the new lease of life of which he's always dreamed...
In his first leading sitcom role, Ronnie Corbett dons bowler hat, brolly and briefcase to play a quintessential suburban commuter on whom disaster fits more snugly than his pin-striped trousers! Created by comedy legends Barry Cryer, Eric Idle and Graham Chapman, 'No That's Me Over Here' sees Ronnie battling the relentless forces of time while struggling to keep his place in a ruthless suburban status race. Bewildered by office politics, rapidly losing the fight to retain his non-fattening centre and belittled at every opportunity by his patronising neighbour, he's the kind of chap who gets dressed up only to be unceremoniously brought down.
Looking forward to bier killers, frauleins, high wages and no taxes, Dennis (Tim Healy), Neville (Kevin Whately) and Oz (Jimmy Nail) leave Newcastle for work on a building site in Dusseldorf, meeting up with fellow ex-pats Wayne (Gary Holton), Bomber (Pat Roach), Barry (Timothy Spall) and Moxey (Christopher Fairbank).
This gentle, romantic sitcom stars the real-life partnership of Pauline Collins and John Alderton as a couple recounting the eventful earlier years of their marriage. Clara (Pauline Collins) and Charles Danby (John Alderton) revisit several key moments from their courtship and marriage of ten years. Clara is now a successful children's author, while Charles, affectionately known as 'CD' ('Clever Drawers'), is an established actor. But life wasn't always this comfortable for the Danby's; early days saw the couple struggling to make ends meet as their fledgling careers seemed to founder, and Clara's choice of husband caused a little unease for her aristocratic family. However, the combination of Clara's oddly compelling logic and CD's eternal optimism saw them through those unsteadier times - and would they really have wished it otherwise?
Young bachelor, Terry Scott lives with his mother at 33 Lobelia Avenue in Tooting. He passes his days dreaming of easy wealth - no hard work required. Simpleton, Hugh Lloyd is Terry's lodger. When he's not hard at work at the local aircraft factory, he whiles away his free time getting haplessly roped into Terry's get-rich-quick schemes. This hilarious sitcom sees the unlikely twosome encounter all sorts of scrapes and mishaps as bully boy Terry pursues wealth and glory, with the kind but dim-witted Hugh trailing along behind.
Salute the 50th Anniversary of the Army comedy that started them all - The Phil Silvers Show - with 18 classic episodes of the Emmy Award-winning series. Re-enlist in some of TV's funniest moments with Sergeant Ernie Bilko (Phil Silvers) and his bumbling platoon as he schemes and swindles his way through his tour of duty at Fort Baxter.
A highly successful crime show from the late 1950's, 'Shadow Squad' initially featured the adventures of Detective Vic Steele (Rex Garner) who, tired of being boxed in by rules and regulations, quit his job to form his own detective agency with the help of crafty Cockney Ginger Smart (George Moon) and their stalwart cleaning lady, Mrs. Moggs (Kathleen Boutall). Steele subsequently disappeared on a mission to Australia and the running of the Squad was then taken up by ex-DI Don Carter (Peter Williams). Its longevity and popularity provided a training ground for key television writers of the 1960's and '70s, including BAFTA-nominated Julian Bond and 'Coronation Street' creator Tony Warren. 179 episodes were transmitted between 1957 and 1959, but only four now remain in the archive. These classic examples of a bygone age of television are featured on this set alongside the sole remaining episode of the 'Shadow Squad' spinoff 'Skyport', which features Ginger Smart as an airport security guard.
Nutbourn College, the most established and respectable of boys' schools, is run by unyielding Headmaster Wetherby Pond. When a military mistake billets a girls' school to share the college's premises due to wartime restrictions, he is outraged. However, he soon discovers he has met his match when he encounters the Headmistress of the girls' school in question, the formidable Muriel Whitchurch. Initially the two are hostile to one another, but with a staff of dazed, eccentric teachers and a student body whose mischief knows no bounds, they are forced to pull together. Then, just when they thought the situation couldn't get any more complicated, they discover they are faced with two troublesome visits on the same day; one from a group of parents, who must believe the school is only for girls, and one from the Ministry, who must be presented with an all boys establishment!
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