"Don't tell him Pike!"

[CliffH]

For me it was Round the Horne and The Navy Lark listened to after Sunday lunch in hall over a game of bridge. I remember the Goons and ITMA on the radio but even I was a bit young to be over influenced by them.

It was Spike Milligan in later life who said that he did not enjoy sitcoms because "he knew all the jokes". The thought was that Laurel and Hardy had done all the jokes and everybody following them just repeated them in their own style. I think he had a point so I'm guessing that a bit of age comes in here - the older you are, the older the favourites because that is where you first saw the jokes.

PS... Anybody else remember ITMA - and its theme tune?

For me it was Round the Horne and The Navy Lark listened to after Sunday lunch in hall over a game of bridge. I remember the Goons and ITMA on the radio but even I was a bit young to be over influenced by them.

It was Spike Milligan in later life who said that he did not enjoy sitcoms because "he knew all the jokes". The thought was that Laurel and Hardy had done all the jokes and everybody following them just repeated them in their own style. I think he had a point so I'm guessing that a bit of age comes in here - the older you are, the older the favourites because that is where you first saw the jokes.

PS... Anybody else remember ITMA - and its theme tune?

I'm a massive Laurel & Hardy fan and I agree that really they originated the sitcom. Stan Laurel's so under-appreciated: Chaplin and Keaton were better directors but I think that Laurel was much better at creating characters and situations that the audience really cared about.

 

[nonethewiser]

Loved Dads Army @CliffH

So many good & not so good suggestions already, Laurel & Hardy is so funny, equally good were Abbott & Costello also Harold Lloyd, wasn't around to watch them first time around but they were shown on a Saturday morning when we were kids, something about those old comedies which made them so special.

Loved Open all Hours, Barker & Jason were terrific combination, not seen any modern day comedy shows but going back 20 years Early Doors is a classic & so funny, sadly it hardly ever gets mentioned, was also big fan of Cheers & watched them few times over.

 

[CliffH]

Loved Dads Army @CliffH

So many good & not so good suggestions already, Laurel & Hardy is so funny, equally good were Abbott & Costello also Harold Lloyd, wasn't around to watch them first time around but they were shown on a Saturday morning when we were kids, something about those old comedies which made them so special.

Loved Open all Hours, Barker & Jason were terrific combination, not seen any modern day comedy shows but going back 20 years Early Doors is a classic & so funny, sadly it hardly ever gets mentioned, was also big fan of Cheers & watched them few times over.

I never liked the 'smart aleck' humour of Abbott & Costello - although I do like The Marx Brothers. I quite like Harold Lloyd, although he doesn't have the inventiveness of Stan Laurel. I agree about Open All Hours: very much 'Stan & Ollie' characters!

It's a shame how underrated Ronnie Barker continues to be: he was so shy and modest that it wasn't until after his death that people realised fully how much comedy material he'd written himself under pseudonyms. Also, he tended to be overshadowed by the brashness of Ronnie Corbett.

 

[trophywench]

Bentine - anyone else read his books? - very interesting about his childhood, the people who came to see his dad late at night building up to the 2nd world war, bearing in mind what the boys/men in the family were talented at, followed by the ironic knowledge that he was interned/threatened with internment during the War as a foreign national - in his words, 'the only Peruvian born in Watford!'

Differently - Spike's book set in rural Ireland entitled 'Puckoon'. Published 1963, read by me approx 1968. The line "Caw said the crow" still has me in fits of giggles cos I also remember the words that followed!

David Niven's books were funny too.

Nearly forgot, fave OFAH sketch has to be Del leaning on the bar counter. Too many in OAH to pick one, same from Porridge - though I mourn the passing of 'Godber' far too young, but his daughter's doing well.

Still can't think of George Cole without also St Trinian's and Flash Harry. A real shock to the system to see him act, at first.

 

[Docb]

Differently - Spike's book set in rural Ireland entitled 'Puckoon'. Published 1963, read by me approx 1968. The line "Caw said the crow" still has me in fits of giggles cos I also remember the words that followed!

Whenever I hear a crow crawing, Milligan's response always comes immediately to mind.

Also the fireman's response when after a long struggle with everything going wrong and each hurdle overcome he finally gets his hose to the fire and is about to turn it on when the mad axeman chops it up. Very useful in many situations that one.

 

[CliffH]

Bentine - anyone else read his books? - very interesting about his childhood, the people who came to see his dad late at night building up to the 2nd world war, bearing in mind what the boys/men in the family were talented at, followed by the ironic knowledge that he was interned/threatened with internment during the War as a foreign national - in his words, 'the only Peruvian born in Watford!'

Differently - Spike's book set in rural Ireland entitled 'Puckoon'. Published 1963, read by me approx 1968. The line "Caw said the crow" still has me in fits of giggles cos I also remember the words that followed!

David Niven's books were funny too.

Nearly forgot, fave OFAH sketch has to be Del leaning on the bar counter. Too many in OAH to pick one, same from Porridge - though I mourn the passing of 'Godber' far too young, but his daughter's doing well.

Still can't think of George Cole without also St Trinian's and Flash Harry. A real shock to the system to see him act, at first.

I remember Bentine's Potty Time but I haven't read his books. I like Spike Milligan's poetry - and drawings! I keep meaning to read 'The Moon's a Balloon'.

Of course, falling through the bar! Comic timing worthy of Chaplin - and Trigger's such a good 'Stan' character in that sketch, as in so many others.

Yes, I was shocked when Richard Beckinsale died: as a Londoner, to me he was just 'someone with a funny accent' - until I moved to the West Midlands. A quick Google just now though reveals that in fact he was from Nottinghamshire. Similarly it was a shock to me when James Beck (Private Walker in Dad's Army) died suddenly at a young age.

Yes, George Cole stole the St Trinians films, didn't he? He was a protege of Alistair Sim and has a tiny (albeit very funny) role in 'The Happiest Days of Your Life': the proto-St Trinians film that's one of my favourite films of all 🙂.

 

[silver minion]

Loved watching MASH, cried at the last episode. Also Drop the Dead Donkey, Red Dwarf and Allo Allo.
A German friend of ours watched Allo Allo and couldn't understand why people laughed. Like many UK or US programmes shown on German TV, it was dubbed into regular spoken German. We bought him a DVD in English with original accents. He and his wife laughed till their ribs ached.

 

[trophywench]

Whenever I hear a crow crawing, Milligan's response always comes immediately to mind.

Also the fireman's response when after a long struggle with everything going wrong and each hurdle overcome he finally gets his hose to the fire and is about to turn it on when the mad axeman chops it up. Very useful in many situations that one.

We just quote 'Caw said the crow' to each other very quietly when we both think someone is spouting what Milligan said to the crow, when we're in company and do not wish to utter that expression! - we do usually keep polite company although we're happy to say the words out loud when we're by ourselves and not in anyone elses hearing.

I forget how young some of you are ..... I remember Bentine's 'The Bumblies' which was on BBC TV in the early 50s! (They of course slept on the ceiling and got about by flying but I don't think they went ever so far)

 

[CliffH]

Bentine - anyone else read his books? - very interesting about his childhood, the people who came to see his dad late at night building up to the 2nd world war, bearing in mind what the boys/men in the family were talented at, followed by the ironic knowledge that he was interned/threatened with internment during the War as a foreign national - in his words, 'the only Peruvian born in Watford!'

Differently - Spike's book set in rural Ireland entitled 'Puckoon'. Published 1963, read by me approx 1968. The line "Caw said the crow" still has me in fits of giggles cos I also remember the words that followed!

David Niven's books were funny too.

Nearly forgot, fave OFAH sketch has to be Del leaning on the bar counter. Too many in OAH to pick one, same from Porridge - though I mourn the passing of 'Godber' far too young, but his daughter's doing well.

Still can't think of George Cole without also St Trinian's and Flash Harry. A real shock to the system to see him act, at first.

George Cole was very funny playing a supercilious bank manager in the 'Royal Command Performance' special episode of 'The Good Life'. It's particularly funny nowadays to hear his incredulity (in 1978) that a house in Surbiton might ever be worth as much as £100,000 .