Early Channel 4 sitcoms Page 2

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ September 20 2012, 9:15 PM BST

I remember Father's Day (and the theme tune surprisingly).
Was it based on or written by Hunter Davis?

He created it, yes.

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ September 20 2012, 9:15 PM BST

I remember Fathers Day ( And the theme tune surprisingly )
Was it based on or written by Hunter Davis?

Yes it was based on hunter davies, I remember buying the book. I can only vaguely remember the tune, but it was a bit like No Honestly if I'm thinking straight, a bit Lyndsey de Paul without being her. If you know what I mean, because I don't.

I remember a sitcom called Countdown
It was set on a cheap gameshow, I can't remember much about it, there was an oldish lady called Carol who did the numbers game & a younger lady called Cathy who did the letters, I think Carol wanted to do both jobs herself, I can't remember what happened.

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ September 20 2012, 9:30 PM BST

I remember a sitcom called Countdown
It was set on a cheap gameshow, I can't remember much about it, there was an oldish lady called Carol who did the numbers game & a younger lady called Cathy who did the letters, I think Carol wanted to do both jobs herself, I can't remember what happened.

I remember that, there was a Richard but everybody called him Dick.

Been looking for that theme tune to Father's Day, really bugging me, can't find it. Did it go 'Father's days blues...'?

Quote: Pingl @ September 20 2012, 6:44 PM BST

I know it's not strictly a sitcom but a Channel 4 movie, but does anyone remember Yang Kipperbang P'Tang? That was an early highlight.

Lovely little film. I believe it's repeated on Film4 on odd occasions.

Yes me and my wife caught it accidently the other day. We sat misty eyed with nostalgia

I think the theme to Father's Day was:

Father's day blues, father's day blues
One with an ear ache, one with a cough
One with a doll who looks a bit lost.

Yes that sounds like it. I've looked everywhere, just no sign. I guess this series will never see the light of day, it's hardly even mentioned on Channel 4's own site.

Quote: youngian @ September 19 2012, 11:27 PM BST

Chance In A Million - Was this a spoof of a slapstick comedy setting Simon Callow up for silly pratfalls?

Chance in a Million was an ITV sitcom. It wasn't a spoof, there was some slapstick-type moments but the main premise was Callow's character Tom Chance was always involved in incidents of incredible coincidence.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ September 21 2012, 1:52 PM BST

Chance in a Million was an ITV sitcom. It wasn't a spoof, there was some slapstick-type moments but the main premise was Callow's character Tom Chance was always involved in incidents of incredible coincidence.

I thought that but having checked it out, it was a Thames/Channel Four Co production. I think it started on Four and moved to ITV

Chance In A Million was a Thames production and only ever aired on Channel 4.

Oh well there you go then.

This according to Wikipedia:

Chance in a Million was a British sitcom broadcast between 1984 and 1986, produced by Thames Television for Channel 4.

The series was co-written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen and starred Simon Callow and Brenda Blethyn.

And according to TV Heaven:

One of the very earliest situation comedy successes for the fledgling Channel 4, 'Chance in a Million' chronicled the misadventures of one Tom Chance, a slightly eccentric, but decent ordinary man saddled since birth with the anything but natural ability to warp probability to ludicrous proportions.

But I must admit I could have sworn it was shown on ITV.

Did Elvis Costello appear in Scully as a teacher or magician or something. Or am I thinking of GBH or the music video for 'You Little Fool'. I'm sure he appeared in something by Bleasedale

Quote: Pingl @ September 21 2012, 2:14 PM BST

But I must admit I could have sworn it was shown on ITV.

Weirdly I also always thought I remembered watching it on ITV when it was broadcast.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ September 21 2012, 5:57 PM BST

Weirdly I also always thought I remembered watching it on ITV when it was broadcast.

I know what you mean. I remember watching an episode at home, it suprises me because my dad didn't do Channel 4, too way out for him.