Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?

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Is the england vs poland one (with late great brian glover) the best or just the most famous?

Bulgaria, not Poland. Bewes makes a reference early on to rainfall figures for Bulgaria (or something, Bob often has this spotterish streak), and at the end... well, I won't spoil it. Er, perhaps I just have.

With Tim on this - Porridge vastly superior. Fairly Secret Army had its moments - nothing with Geoffrey Palmer can ever be all bad.

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Fairly Secret Army also had a blinder of a theme tune. i think it was by Michael Nyman.

Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

...but surely George And Mildred was better than Fairly Secret Army?

Tim, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Terry - they did repeat the Grot series cos otherwise there's no way I could have seen it. It was about a decade ago I think though, maybe the first series has been on again since.

Tom, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

"Terry" is right in as much as they repeated the first series about three or four years ago. I too remember the other re-run which was in 1988 which went right through the Grot series which was triffic.

Pete, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Funnily enough, the show now seems like something Robin Carmody might have dreamt up.

Ha ha. This is so true. What does Robin think of it? Robin?

N., Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

There's a surprising lack of Perrin action on UK Gold etc, it's all Birds of a feather etc, for shame.

chris, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I'm sure I've seen it in the last few months. Maybe it was on terrestrial. Watching that 'heroes of comedy' thing about Leonard Rossister recently made me decide he really was a hero of mine and I don't have many. God he was great.

N., Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I read Nobb's book "Bit of a do" and wish i'd seen it on the teev. (think it was on when i was at college.) Has this ever been repeated or UK Golded?

Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

That was the one with Brenda Blethyn in, no? Never watched it but I'm sure they show it on the ITV one, Granada gold or somesuch.

chris, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Can't remember whether Blethyn was ever in A Bit Of A Do but she was definitely in Chance In A Million with Simon Callow - Thames or Granada (?), 1982-3ish.

Terry Shannon, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Watching that 'heroes of comedy' thing about Leonard Rossister recently made me decide he really was a hero of mine and I don't have many. God he was great.

Everton fan too (also politically blue, I'm afraid - he and Frances [SWP? CPGB?] de la Tour didn't get on). Seemed to be mates with Kubrick - I imagine Rossiter with his meticulous nature would be perfectly happy to do the 37 takes ol' Stanley might demand of him.

Michael Jones, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

It is always a bit surreal seeing Rossiter turn up in 2001. cHigh point of a pretty dull movie though.

Pete, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Pete, I can't agree re "dull movie"*, but i always thought it would spice things up a bit if they played the "Frasier caption" jazzy music over the epsiode titles. You know in big white Futura lettering: "Jupiter, Infinity and beyond" (tootle, tootle, tootly- tootle)

* You MENTALIST.

Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

(pete = korrekt abt dull movie, except he is not EMPHATIC ENOUGH!!)

mark s, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

grrrr.

Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Don't worry Alan. It is my favourite film in the world possibly. At least that's what I told the Big Brother application form. Ill advisedly, I think. Who wants to watch some boring Kubrick fan on TV?

I know Rossiter was a right wing monster but somehow that's part of the appeal. Leftie actors are so dull.

N., Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

michael redgrave = grate

frances dlt [heh] shd have been in the CPGB(ML) IN rising damp imo (and discussed cornelius cardew non-stop)

mark s, Tuesday, 5 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Never seen "Fairly Secret Army" but going to that page it's easy to see the Sanderson connection, I'll concede ...

Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 6 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

yes, bizzare that bolam's clothes/haircut don't look overly ridiculous today, whereas bewes is a 70s nightmare

Put in context of time. Bolam working class with no pretensions, Bewes working class who's desperately upwardly mobile, new car, new settee, new clothes etc Bewes judgement more pliable than Bolams (natural sceptic)hence fashion faux pas.

Other thespian boozers, Michael Elphick unsurprisingly helped keep the Cricketers arms at Darlo afloat when he did panto a few years back. (allegedly)

Billy Dods, Wednesday, 6 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Best WHTTLL episode = the one w/the bicycle race

I like it a lot, but it's not as good as "Porridge" or "Rising Damp". "Rising Damp" is prob my favourite TV comedy.

Norman Phay, Wednesday, 6 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

also Terry has been in the army = rip van winkle = he is wearing clothes some yrs out of date in trendy 197x therefore "timeless" in any other year

also he is not chubby

mark s, Wednesday, 6 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

(inciedentally i think birds of a fevver is as good as rising damp et al)

mark s, Wednesday, 6 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

SinXoR = utter mentalist but therein lies his charm

Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 6 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

three weeks pass...
W.H.T.T.L.L.Superb series reinforcing a commonly held view that good times are only possible when your to young to realise how tragic life really is. Also can anyone remember the name of the pub.

Simon Harte., Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

cunt + dic r to do likely lads eppsd sooncome

a-33, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Is the name of the pub called 'The Fat Ox?'. By the way, I have read somewhere that the original B&W programme was shown between 1964 and 1966, and the second was 1973-4. Terry goes off to the army at the end of the 1st show. I have a LL feature film on video where they knock the fat ox pub down and go on a caravan holiday. it was made in 1971 but where does it come in to the story? or was there a film made before showing the return of Terry?

John Perry, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Ant and Dec are remaking the famous "trying not to find out the England football score" episode, presumably in time for the world cup. And Rodney Bewes is going to have a cameo part. I suspect this is all a bad thing.

Jonnie, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Just found out the film was made in 1976, it says 71 on the tape for some reason, doesn't matter. What does everyone think of the film? Was the pub called the Fat Ox? I haven't seen it for ages.

JohnPerry, Monday, 11 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

The first part of the film where they are touring the ruins of the old Newcastle of their childhoods is good. Spells out what was implied gradually over the course of the TV series: almost melancholy, but still funny. Can't really remember much of the second half, suspect like most 70s film adaptations of Brit sitcoms it wasn't very subtle, more Carry On than WHTTLL?

WHTTLL = classic, belated btw, for reasons already mentioned upthread.

Jeff W, Monday, 11 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one year passes...
i go look see if on dvd, but after beiderbecke disappointment, i worry...

gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 00:40 (twenty years ago) link

did you find it?

Mary (Mary), Monday, 11 August 2003 06:59 (twenty years ago) link

have had a vhs copy of the 'WTTLL' movie since, like, forever.
funniest big screen translation evah.

bob ' hello terry'
terry : 'ello kidder...i'd give yer a drink but i've
only got six cans'
*

bob : 'in the chocolate box of life the top layer's already gone...
and someone's pinched the orange cream from the bottom'
terry : 'bloody hell'

*

hated each other in real life y' know.

piscesboy, Monday, 11 August 2003 10:51 (twenty years ago) link

the film is available in HMVs bogof promo at the moment

chris (chris), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:04 (twenty years ago) link

eleven months pass...
REVIVE!

Revivalist (Revivalist), Monday, 19 July 2004 11:27 (nineteen years ago) link

is the movie on dvd? god it's funny.

piscesboy, Monday, 19 July 2004 14:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Whatever happened to the Lovely Lads?

57 7th (calstars), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:53 (nineteen years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

... they died. Well Rodney Bewes has:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42067506

Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 November 2017 18:44 (six years ago) link

RIP Rodney. Never understood what happened to this guy's career, he was so brilliant in "Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads", but maybe that's all he could do, he could only ever be Bob Ferris?

Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 November 2017 18:46 (six years ago) link

I don't think Bolam has spoken to him since the 70's after falling out with him, even after his wife died a couple of years back. That is one long falling out.

calzino, Tuesday, 21 November 2017 18:48 (six years ago) link

Have never seen this series but have long appreciated the theme tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn8eBbopYAM

Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 November 2017 18:51 (six years ago) link

I don't think Bolam has spoken to him since the 70's after falling out with him, even after his wife died a couple of years back. That is one long falling out.

― calzino, Tuesday, November 21, 2017 10:48 AM (one minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i was just thinking this.

and tom otm. i don't think I've ever seen him in anything else

-_- (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 21 November 2017 18:51 (six years ago) link

i was just thinking about this show the other day, specifically terry’s immortal line ‘i’d offer you a beer but i’ve only got six’

what a great show this was, really need to watch it again at some point

It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes. (bizarro gazzara), Tuesday, 21 November 2017 19:13 (six years ago) link

It's being repeated on Yesterday on Fridays at the moment, although it looks like the evening repeat isn't on this Friday for some reason, only the 5:20pm one is on. I watched it last Friday night.

Odd that Bolam is the one moaning about being typecast by it, when he had the more successful career afterwards. Seems like a bit of dick tbh.

Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 22 November 2017 12:54 (six years ago) link

predates WHttLL? (and tLL too) but rodders was in BILLY LIAAAR! RIP

conrad, Wednesday, 22 November 2017 13:10 (six years ago) link

Bolam comes across as an...interesting...character but I love him to bits, maybe When the Boat Comes In even more than the Likely Lads.

faked potato (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 13:47 (six years ago) link

Have never seen this series but have long appreciated the theme tune:

Acquaint yourself with Rodney's Hendrix story...

Thomas Gabriel Fischer does not endorse (aldo), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 14:04 (six years ago) link

James Bolam would be a good fit thesedays for "Bargain Hunt" and so on, but he's immensely private it seems.

He's notably absent from the tributes, but then I doubt he's on Twitter and so on.

Mark G, Wednesday, 22 November 2017 14:08 (six years ago) link

So, not *that* theme tune (clue: No guitar on it), but.

Mark G, Wednesday, 22 November 2017 14:12 (six years ago) link

hendrix played the sax on ‘baker street’ iirc

It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes. (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 14:14 (six years ago) link

and bob holness played kazoo on ‘crosstown traffic’

It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes. (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 22 November 2017 14:15 (six years ago) link


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