Grandad or Uncle Albert? Page 2

Uncle Albert was a better character on the whole, but the series which Grandad was in were generally superior.

Uncle Albert was the better character, Buster was the better actor of the two in my book. Not to take anything away from Leonard Pearce who was fantastic at times.

Quote: Mike Dan-Carter @ July 21 2009, 10:37 PM BST

Uncle Albert was the better character, Buster was the better actor of the two in my book. Not to take anything away from Leonard Pearce who was fantastic at times.

Lennard.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 20 2009, 12:52 PM BST

In the earliest episodes Grandad was actually a fairly unpleasant and unsympathetic character ...

Really? How?

I think they were just finding his feet, between being lazy and a poor old man-type thing.

Just as an aside, I didn't know this . .

http://www.movietome.com/people/160526/eva-mottley/bio.html

(Corrine in 'Who's a pretty boy then?')

Quote: Dave @ July 21 2009, 11:22 PM BST

Really? How?

He was more the grumpy sort of miserable old git, rather than the dopey sort of miserable old git. It was really only an issue for the first series.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 21 2009, 11:59 PM BST

He was more the grumpy sort of miserable old git, rather than the dopey sort of miserable old git. It was really only an issue for the first series.

I'm just now watching these and I can't believe the change in the character. Was he revamped because he had become too extreme?

OFAH was not a ratings success by any means when it first started. But this was back in the days when the BBC gave a show a chance to develop on air. I think the change in Grandad and certain other aspects of the tone of the show were worked on by the writer, producers and actors before series 2. I remember some critics considered OFAH in dangerous territory in the early days, because Del Boy was effectively a "dodgy geezer" selling stolen goods (or so it was implied). Not exactly a role model for a family audience. What they perhaps didn't realise is that us Brits love a good-natured rogue.

We never get a chance to see what can happen if a show doesn't quite have "it" right away. It gets canned and disappears.

Quote: Mike Dan-Carter @ July 21 2009, 10:37 PM BST

Uncle Albert was the better character, Buster was the better actor of the two in my book. Not to take anything away from Leonard Pearce who was fantastic at times.

Sorry!
Couldn't disagree more.
Buster overacted apallingly - that thing he did thrusting his head forward in an exaggerated manner, gurning madly - very Carry On.

I like both. But I must say I prefer Uncle Albert.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 21 2009, 11:59 PM BST

He was more the grumpy sort of miserable old git, rather than the dopey sort of miserable old git. It was really only an issue for the first series.

I suppose in hindsight you have a point, but even from the first series eps I always thought Grandad had the sort of dozey quality that was my earlier point about Lennard Pearce's charm; he made the character seem very innocent. I must say I am shocked at people saying they preferred Albert. I grew up rewatching OFAH millions of times, and although I've never had this discussion before I thought it was generally understood that Lennard Pearce was far supperior to Buster.

Lennard was certainly involved in more of the classic moments and episodes, such as the "chandelier" episode and 'Freddie The Frog'.

I'd go with Uncle Albert, but I'd be thinking of Grandad.

(Apologies for paraphrasing the best lines from Red Dwarf there).