Sitcoms Reference Guide The Early Years

[williammcgregor]

Wonder if we can come up with a list of 100 for 1955-1968 to fill in the gaps?.

[Peter Stirling]

A bit of a tall order William as many were never seen again.


Anyway here goes for a few with more episodes than the others

Before your very eyes 52-58

Life with the Lyons circa 56-61

Alfred Marks Time circa 58 -61

Tony Hancock on ITV 57-58

Dick and the Duchess 57- 58 (not sure if it actually was a sitcom)

[Pete Morris]

Making a list is fairly trivial.

Here's a search from IMDB, on comedy + tv series + UK + 1955-1968. It returns 386 shows. Some of them are sketch or stand-up comedy, anthology shows, and comedy-dramas but there should be at least 100 sitcoms there.

www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=tv_series&release_date=1955-01-01,1968-12-31&genres=comedy&countries=gb

Why do you require such a list? What is your purpose? Why that specific date range? Why not 1954 or 1969?

[John Green]

Jan 16, 2022 16:16:32 GMT Peter Stirling said:

Dick and the Duchess 57- 58 (not sure if it actually was a sitcom)

It had to be a sitcom or a Very British Scandal. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSFFhA-Z1fo Only one episode still missing, I believe.

[John Green]

Jan 16, 2022 16:40:13 GMT Pete Morris said:

Making a list is fairly trivial.

Here's a search from IMDB, on comedy + tv series + UK + 1955-1968. It returns 386 shows. Some of them are sketch or stand-up comedy, anthology shows, and comedy-dramas but there should be at least 100 sitcoms there.

www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=tv_series&release_date=1955-01-01,1968-12-31&genres=comedy&countries=gb

Why do you require such a list? What is your purpose? Why that specific date range? Why not 1954 or 1969?

I think it's a good way of getting us thinking about them, and getting a conversation going. 99% of these shows wouldn't come up on the M.E. radar in the course of a year, normally.

[stephenconnett]

Life With The Lyons was cryptically referenced by John Lennon on the title of his solo album project 'Life With The Lions'

[williammcgregor]

Jan 16, 2022 16:16:32 GMT Peter Stirling said:

A bit of a tall order William as many were never seen again.


Anyway here goes for a few with more episodes than the others

Before your very eyes 52-58

Life with the Lyons circa 56-61

Alfred Marks Time circa 58 -61

Tony Hancock on ITV 57-58

Dick and the Duchess 57- 58 (not sure if it actually was a sitcom)

More to add to Peter Stirling's 5 above

A few have a brief synopsis, most need one please!

BTS is BBC Television Service and A-R is Associated-Rediffusion


1956
01 Double Cross BTS Jimmy Jewell Ben Warriss Jill Day
02 My Sister And I ABC Dinah Lee, Jane Taylor, Jack Howarth (yes Albert Tatlock)
03 Those Kids ABC P Butterworth Christopher Sandford
04 My Wife's Sister GRANADA Dora Bryan Eleanor Summerfield Colin Baker
05 Joan and Leslie ATV L Randall and Joan Reynolds Harry Towb

1957
06 Nathaniel Titlark BTS Bernard Miles Megs Jenkins
07 Three 'Tough' Guys ATV Warren Mitchell, Harry Green, Peter Welch
08 Scott Free BTS Terry Scott, Norman Vaughan, Wallas Eaton
09 Sheep's Clothing BTS Digby Wolfe, Ronnie Corbett
10 Highland Fling A-R Richard Hearne James Hayter Jean Bayless

1958
11 Educated Evans BTS Charlie Chester Jack Melford
12 Time Out For Peggy ABC Billie Whitelaw, Diana King
13 The Randall Touch ATV L Randall J Reynolds H Towb
14 Jennings At School BTS Mitch Mitchell Derek Needs
15 Educating Archie A-R Peter Brough Dick Emery Irene Handl
16 The Sky Larks BTS Anton Rodgers William Mervyn Misadventures of a Naval Helicopter Crew

1959
17 Tell It To The Marines A-R Alan White Ronald Hines National Service rivalry between RN and Marines
18 Don't Tell Father A-R Colin Gordon Julia Lockwood Screenwriter and daughter live on a Thames barge

1960
19 The Trouble With Harry H Worth, Paddi Edwards Misadventures of a mild and meek author, aunt and maid
20 A Life of Bliss BTS George Cole as David Bliss, Hugh Sinclair
21 The Rolling Stones ABC B Braden B Kelly Kim Braden
22 Don't Do It, Dempsey! BTS Brain Reece, Adrienne Corri
23 The Love of Mike A-R Michael Medwin Brian Wilde
24 Mess Mates GRANADA Archie Duncan Sam Kydd Ronald Hines
25 Fred Emney Picks A Pop BTS Pat Coombs
On Saturday 8/10/60 BTS became BBC tv
26 Bonehead BBC tv Colin Douglas Ian Gardiner Paul Whitsun-Jones

1961
27 Leave It To Pastry BBC tv R Hearne Margot Boyd
28 Three Lives Wires A-R M Medwin Bernard Fox George Roderick Misadventures of a Sales and TV Repair Shop
29 Winning Widows ATV Peggy Mount Avice Landone
30 Colonel Trumper's Private War GRANADA Dennis Price Warren Mitchell William Gaunt

1962
31 Brothers In Law BBC tv Richard Briers Colin Gordon
32 Bulldog Breed GRANADA Donald Churchill Amanda Barrie P Butterworth
33 It's A Living A-R Jimmy Jewell Ben Warriss Lance Percival Johnny Briggs

1963
34 Mr. Justice Duncannon BBC tv A Cruickshank Edwin Apps
35 Best of Friends ABC C Hawtrey Hylda Baker Cafe Proprietress helps next door insurance man
36 The Handy Gang A-R Reginald Marsh Johnny Hutch
37 Dial RIX BBC tv B Rix Elspet Gray
38 Bud ATV B Flanagan Jerry Desmonde
39 Tin Pan Alice GRANADA Athene Seyler Warren Mitchell
40 Yes, But Seriously BBC tv Tony Tanner Barbara Young

`1964
41 Just Jimmy ABC J Clitheroe Mollie Sugden
42 Room At The Bottom ABC Lionel Jeffries Wendy Craig
43 Foreign Affairs GRANADA Alfie Bass Bill Fraser Nicholas Phipps
44 A Little Big Business GRANADA David Kossoff Francis Matthews
45 Bold As Brass BBC tv Jimmy Edwards Beryl Reid
Monday 6 April A-R became Rediffusion London
Monday 20 April BBC tv became BBC1 and BBC 2
46 The Valiant Varneys BBC 1 Reg Varney Keith Buckley Children's sitcom
47 H.M.S. Paradise Rediffusion Frank Thornton Robin Hunter Richard Caldicot
48 A World Of His Own BBC 1 Roy Kinnear Anne Cunningham
49 Lance At Large BBC 1 Lance Percival Suzy Kendall
50 The Big Noise BBC 1 Bob Monkhouse Norman Rossington
51 Dave's Kingdom ATV Dave King Victor Maddern

1965
52 A Slight Case Of... BBC 2 Roy Kinnear Joe Melia Alfie Bass
53 The Airbase BBC 1 David Healy Alan Gifford Mitzi Rogers
54 The Bed-Sit Girl BBC 1 Sheila Hancock Derek Nimmo Dilys Laye

1966
55 The Vital Spark BBC 1 John Grieve Roddy Macmillan
56 Three Rousing Tinkles BBC 2 Pauline Devaney Edwin Apps
57 Foreign Affairs BBC 1 Leslie Phillips Ronnie Barker Relationship between Britain and the Russian Embassy

1967
58 Mr. Aitch Rediffusion Harry H Corbett Norman Chappell Gordon Gostelow
59 Four Tall Tinkles BBC 2 Pauline Devaney Edwin Apps
60 The Whitehall Worrier BBC 1 Robert Coote Moira Lister
61 Who Is Sylvia? ATV Kathleen Byron Charlie Drake
62 My Man Joe ATV Joe Baker Francis Matthews Geraldine Newman
63 Room At The Bottom BBC 1 Kenneth Connor Deryck Guyler Gordon Rollings Kenny Lynch
64 Vacant Lot ABC Bill Fraser Alfie Bass
65 The Reluctant Romeo BBC 1 Leslie Crowther Amanda Barrie
66 Sam and Janet ATV John Junkin Vivienne Martin Joan Sims
67 Sorry I'm Single BBC 1 Derek Nimmo Gwendolyn Watts
68 Baker's Half-Dozen ATV Joe Baker Toni Palmer Brian Murphy
69 A Series of Birds BBC 1 John Bird John Fortune
70 No - That's Me Over Here! Rediffusion Ronnie Corbett Rosemary Leach
71 The Very Merry Widow BBC 1 Moira Lister Donald Hewlett Sally Thomsett

1968
72 Mum's Boys BBC 1 Irene Handl Bernard Bresslaw Pete Murray
73 With Bird Will Travel ATV John Bird Carmen Munroe

[John Green]

Bonehead (1957-1962) is one of the earliest TV shows I can remember. (I had a nightmare because of the series' title) Remarkably for a BBC kids' show of the period, a few episodes survive.

BONEHEAD
Series 1
01.10.1960 Forging Ahead (missing)
08.10.1960 Smugglers' Unrest (missing)
15.10.1960 Smash and Grab (missing)
22.10.1960 Rogues' Gallery (missing)
Series 2
29.07.1961 Monkey Business (missing)
05.08.1961 Musical Squares (missing)
12.08.1961 An Inside Job (missing)
26.08.1961 Wot a Knight! (missing)
Series 3
21.07.1962 Something About a Soldier (missing)
28.07.1962 My Old Mother (missing)
04.08.1962 Christmas Crackers (missing)
11.08.1962 A Happy Birthday (missing)
BONEHEAD
12.03.1957 Episode No. 1 (missing). www.tvbrain.info/tv-archive?showname=bonehead&type=lostshow

IMDB describes the 1957 show as the pilot.

Survivors are:

29.10.1960 Going Straight. 19/08/1961. Wot a Knight! 14/07/1962 Let's Pretend.

The premise was similar, I believe to a comic strip in the Beezer.

Ah. Wiki agrees: The comic strip seems to have been based on the very low budget TV series "Bonehead" running from 1957 to 1962. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Badd_Lads. For the show itself "The artwork behind the titles was drawn by Tony Hart. It consisted of still cartoons of the three characters in situations from that week's episode."

[Richard Marple]

Bonehead was created by Shaun Sutton, later to get some high up positions at the BBC.

[brianfretwell]

Possibly due to other nightmares I have also heard it referred to as "Bonehead and his Gang", which sounds "softer". However at the time I only knew it as Bonehead.

[williammcgregor]

Ton up!

BTS is again BBC Television Service and A-R is Associated Rediffusion

1955
74 Curtains For Harry A-R Bobby Howes Joan Sims Sydney Tafler A former music-hall star is recruited as lookout on a jewel robbery 20/10/55
75 Love And Kisses A-R Arthur Askey Lally Bowers Anthea Askey 4/11/55

1956
76 Abigail and Roger BTS Julie Webb David Drummond A young engaged couple who explore life in the city of London area.
77 The Most Likely Girl ATV Beryl Reid Noele Gordon Barbara Couper
78 I'm Not Bothered A-R J Hylton Productions Betty Marsden Glenn Melvyn Danny Rose The exploits of milkman Alf Hall and
his stuttering mate Wally Binns

1958
79 Captain Moonlight - Man of Mystery BTS Jeremy White Lorraine Peters Anthony Bate An actor who plays an adventure hero on the radio finds himself involved in real life adventures.
80 East End - West End A-R Sid James Miriam Karlin Alfie Bass Sid will do anything to make a bit of money.
81 Caxton's Tales BTS Wilfred Pickles Mabel Pickles Wilfred first sitcom as a printer who specialises in greetings cards.
82 My Wife And I A-R Mia Zetterling Rex Garner Joan Benham
83 All Aboard ABC Susan Shaw Avril Angers Arthur Lowe as a Steward

1959
84 The Dithering Detective BTS-North Harry Worth
85 The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull, BTS Alexander Gauge Valerie Singleton Donald Hewlett The Brigadier in trying to come to terms with civilian life gets into all...
86 Gert And Daisy A-R J Hylton Productions Elsie and Doris Waters Hugh Paddick Two ex-show business women decide to pool their savings and set up a theatrical boarding house
87 Something In The City A-R J Hylton Productions Eric Barker Joan Benham Pearl Hackney Based on Jack Benny's The Commuters.
88 The Artful Dodger BTS Dave Morris Gretchen Franklin Joe Gladwin Dave is a work-shy Northerner aided and abetted by his long suffering wife Sylvia and his pal Cedric.
89 Para Handy - Master Mariner BTS Duncan McCrae John Grieve Angus Lennie Jameson Clark

1960
90 Meet The Champ BTS Bernard Bresslaw Jimmy James Vilma Ann Leslie Peter Butterworth A gormless boxer has to duck and dive between his girlfriend who wants him to give up the ring and become a park attendant and his manager who believes he is potential champion material.

1962
91 The Adventures of Francie and Josie STV Rikki Fulton Jack Milroy

1963
92 Taxi! BBC tv Sid James Ray Brooks Bill Owen
1965
93 Pet Pals BBC 1 Jim Dale Richard Caldicot Sydney Bromley
94 Hudd BBC 1 Roy Hudd Charlie Bird Leila Forde Improbable stories from the chaotic world of a man called Hudd

1966
95 Barney Is My Darling BBC 1 Bill Fraser Irene Handl Pat Coombs

1967
96 Beggar My Neighbour BBC 1 June Whitfield Reg Varney Pat Coombs Gerald is an underpaid junior executive, while Harry is a well-paid fitter.
97 (A.P. Herbert's) Misleading Cases BBC 1 Alistair Sim Roy Dotrice Avice Landon
98 Over To Una STV Una McLean Glen Michael Effie Morrison

1968
99 According To Dora BBC 1 Dora Bryan Terence Brady Diana King
100 Ooh La La! BBC 2 Patrick Cargill Amanda Barrie Fenella Fielding
101 John Brown's Body ATV 1968 Peggy Mount.
102 Never a Cross Word LWT 1968 Nyree Dawn Porter

[Peter Stirling]

Another couple for you William.

John Brown's Body ATV 1968 Peggy Mount.
Never a Cross Word LWT 1968 Nyree Dawn Porter

[John Green]

Feb 11, 2022 22:37:26 GMT Peter Stirling said:

Another couple for you William.

John Brown's Body ATV 1968 Peggy Mount.
Never a Cross Word LWT 1968 Nyree Dawn Porter

Is the episode of Never a Cross Word carried over to the Network Please Sir!/Fenn Street Gang jumbo set? It's the one where NDP agrees, under duress, to do a Full Monty striptease for car-repair man Sam Kydd.

[williammcgregor]

Feb 11, 2022 22:37:26 GMT Peter Stirling said:

Another couple for you William.

John Brown's Body ATV 1968 Peggy Mount.
Never a Cross Word LWT 1968 Nyree Dawn Porter

Thank you Peter ... I've added them to the list

[Peter Stirling]

Feb 11, 2022 23:05:47 GMT John Green said:

Feb 11, 2022 22:37:26 GMT Peter Stirling said:

Another couple for you William.

John Brown's Body ATV 1968 Peggy Mount.
Never a Cross Word LWT 1968 Nyree Dawn Porter

Is the episode of Never a Cross Word carried over to the Network Please Sir!/Fenn Street Gang jumbo set? It's the one where NDP agrees, under duress, to do a Full Monty striptease for car-repair man Sam Kydd.

It probably was, what was your opinion of it? was it good/funny? as it did not last long

but was apparently a savior during the Aug 1968 technician union action as gaps in the schedule (where no programs had been made due to strikes)were filled with Never a Cross Word.