Alf Garnett is a working-class bigot whose only loyalties are to the Queen, the Conservative Party and West Ham United FC. He is constantly at war with his "silly old moo" of a wife, his daughter and his son-in-law, the "Scouse git".

Our Review: Highly controversial ground-breaking comedy that was immediately popular with the general public. The comedy was derived from the politics of life and family with the ageing Alf forever in conflict with his son-in-law, Mike. Almost every subject was covered and the scripts were full of topical news stories that have, inevitably, dated the show.

It was not quite so popular with the "Clean-Up TV" brigade led by housewife and busy-body Mary Whitehouse, however, who took exception to the graphic language used by the characters. The effect of all the adverse campaigning by the moral minority caused writer Johnny Speight to temporarily abandon the show after the third series before reviving it in glorious colour for a 1970s audience.


Many thanks go to Mark Ward for his excellent book A Family At War, which was helpful for the synopses of the first three series, recording info and audience viewing data.