Quote: Tuumble @ December 10 2009, 12:20 PM GMT

A true test is to see if the performer can transcend their era. He died before I was born and I'm a massive fan. I can name five people straight off (not BCGers) who are under 50 who'd never have seen the original shows and own copies of HHH in some format or other.

OK, we all have our preferences but the general view is that the show still stands up and is enjoyed by people of pretty much any age.

How many other 50s sitcoms are still talked about?

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Well there's I Love Lucy, but that was American so doesn't count probably.

Quote: youngian @ December 10 2009, 1:12 PM GMT

Recently caught a 60s caper comedy called the Oblong Box which contains possibly one of Hancock's last film appearances. He has a cameo playing a policeman who forgets all his words and is very tragic and sad to watch.
The onset of his depression and alcoholism is also evident in Punch and Judy Man which shows him appearing so melancholic he looks oddly like Gordon Brown.

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I think you mean Gordon looks like Hancock, and I would agree with that, I can just see picture the PM in a Homburg hat and astrakhan coat.

Quote: peter gazzard @ December 10 2009, 5:02 PM GMT

I think you mean Gordon looks like Hancock, and I would agree with that, I can just see picture the PM in a Homburg hat and astrakhan coat

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Photoshop anyone?

On a related point, a reader in the latest issue of Private Eye has pointed out another resemblance...

Turin Shroud

Bruce Forsyth

There's no doubt Gordon Brown could play Hancock...

Not perfect Photoshopping but enough to get an idea.

It was worth the effort.

*Applauds Tuumbles effort*

Just watched Colin's Sandwich series one (thanks again Aaronski) and my God how like Hancock Mel Smith's character is? Returning back to the series really draws that fact into sharp focus. The show like Hancock has dated but also like Hancock some of it is God damn hilarious.

Quote: roscoff @ December 15 2009, 10:43 PM GMT

*Applauds Tuumbles effort*

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Many thanks

Just watched Colin's Sandwich series one (thanks again Aaronski) and my God how like Hancock Mel Smith's character is? Returning back to the series really draws that fact into sharp focus. The show like Hancock has dated but also like Hancock some of it is God damn hilarious.

I really liked that series - haven't seen it in years and never made the Hancock comparison. I can see what you mean though.

Yes Mel has that depressed bloodhound type look, as did the late Clement Freud. Saw an interview with Kevin McNally who was in Dad and Pirates Of The Caribbean and always thought he looked a lot like him. He said he wanted to play Hancock but obviously nothing came of it

Quote: Griff @ December 18 2009, 1:28 PM GMT

Listened to The Missing Page on the drive to work this morning. Lovely stuff. Interesting to notice that one of the characters lives in Oil Drum Lane, which would later be the setting of Steptoe and Son.

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Really? I'd never noticed that.

Quote: Tim Walker @ December 18 2009, 1:34 PM GMT

Really? I'd never noticed that.

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Oh yes. A Mr Proctor, W.

This was the previous reader of 'Lady don't fall backwards' and because there was thruppeny fine, they knew where he lived.

I guess that when G&S wrote the name of the road, Oil Drum Lane, they laughed and decided to revive it later. It certainly suits the Steptoes.

Interesting article here from an American site about hardboiled detective fiction, focussing on Johnny Oxford, the fictional PI in "Lady, Don't Fall Backwards" - both title and detective were invented by Garlton and Simpson, of course:

http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/oxford.html

Quote: Tuumble @ December 18 2009, 3:07 PM GMT

Oh yes. A Mr Proctor, W.

This was the previous reader of 'Lady don't fall backwards' and because there was thruppeny fine, they knew where he lived.

I guess that when G&S wrote the name of the road, Oil Drum Lane, they laughed and decided to revive it later. It certainly suits the Steptoes.

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Funny how he is reading 'Lady Don't Fall Backwards' in 'The Bedsitter' as well but the name of the author is different

Quote: Dave @ December 18 2009, 9:16 PM GMT

Interesting article here from an American site about hardboiled detective fiction, focussing on Johnny Oxford, the fictional PI in "Lady, Don't Fall Backwards" - both title and detective were invented by Garlton and Simpson, of course:

http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/oxford.html

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Good to see but a couple of wires crossed in there !

Quote: Oldrocker @ December 18 2009, 11:59 PM GMT

Good to see but a couple of wires crossed in there !

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To say the least!