Quote: Billy Bunter @ 4th January 2017, 10:07 PM

I believe that it actually alternates from one episode to the next. And that the closing credits are the opposite to what the opening credits were on each episode.. That way, clearly, neither actor had precedence over the other.

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That happened between Tony Curtis & Roger Moore, and Roger Moore & Tony Curtis in The Persuaders! (one of the best TV themes): -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99QQIXez4M

And there was also there was no love lost between Paul Newman and Steve McQueen as to who was the star of Towering Inferno.

One of my all time favourite comedy shows was the original series The Likely Lads. For me it was a must see, making a pleasant change to the run of the mill stuff we were subjected to.
Got the complete DVD box set as a present, and my disappointment is that there are so few of the original recordings still available.
Just watching one now Entente Cordiale, not watched it for a bit and great stuff.
Disappointed as anyone when the Beeb pulled the plug, but didn't join the thousands of other fans who inundated auntie with complaints for years before they decided to resurrect it.

Really enjoying the series so far, love how Terry has to adapt from coming back the army and see what's changed around him. I find it really good so far. The original black and white series is enjoyable so far. It was one of those sitcoms that I weren't bothered about watching and I'm glad I did watch it.

Apart from the good scripts and the great performances from all concerned, I think the series succeeded to a large extent because millions of viewers immediately identified with Bob or Terry or Thelma.

I mean I'm up to the birthday episode and while I do sympathise with Terry he has had opportunities to make his life better such as Bob offering the electrican's job. The film is good, one of the best sitcom movies of that era

Quote: Rood Eye @ 1st June 2019, 8:18 PM

Apart from the good scripts and the great performances from all concerned, I think the series succeeded to a large extent because millions of viewers immediately identified with Bob or Terry or Thelma.

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That, exactly that. But why are they so identifiable ?

Quote: Firkin @ 2nd June 2019, 9:47 AM

That, exactly that. But why are they so identifiable ?

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I think every male viewer could identify strongly with Bob and Terry simply because they were two lads doing what two lads do. Millions of viewers were in essentially the same situation as Bob and Terry and millions more had fond memories of being in that same situation.

Nothing draws a viewer more strongly to a TV character than watching the character and realising "That's me, that is!"

Later on, when Thelma became a regular character, the already powerful effect was magnified a great many times because now we had another situation in which almost every man and woman in Britain could identify: two good mates and one of them is engaged/married to a woman who doesn't approve of the other one. I'm convinced that almost everybody who watched the programme was living every single moment in Bob, Terry, or Thelma's skin.

Believe me, I know exactly what it's like to be Terry in that situation!

It drew audiences of 27 million and, when you consider that a significant proportion of the British public are babies, toddlers and kids at primary school, that figure is just about as high as a viewing figure can get.

We'll never see its like again.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 4th January 2017, 10:07 PM

I believe that it actually alternates from one episode to the next. And that the closing credits are the opposite to what the opening credits were on each episode.. That way, clearly, neither actor had precedence over the other.

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That's very interesting, I never knew or noticed that. Another reason to rewatch this amazingly rewatchable sitcom.

I also really love how the story continues in a order on how it mentions previous events in previous episodes. A great touch that, really like that

I recently found a 1967 paperback by Clement & La Frenais entitled "The Likely Lads".

It consists of novelisations of "Nine of the best and funniest episodes from the popular BBC tv series".

The episodes are:

Entente Cordiale
The Talk of the Town
Older Women are More Experienced
The Suitor
The Other Side of the Fence
Outward Bound
Love and Marriage
Brief Encounter
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Getting regular reruns now on a channel or two, and I just find it one of the most rewatchable sitcoms ever, not lol like Fawlty Towers but just as riveting in a much calmer more adult way.

The subtle scripts and good acting keep me glued to it for the umpteenth time, and the eps have very good proper sitcom endings, the writing duo were among the best ever for their episode finales.

I recently watched again the one where Terry is in court for fighting - with Bob looking on in dismay.
Later on, he's on a blind date with Thelma's workmate (who loves to hear about the fight) when Scaith (the protagonist) walks in.
The juxtaposition of Bob being scared and Terry brave in the face of danger is a delight to watch.
Fantastic episode.

Watched the first episode last night (being repeated on BBC 4) , "Strangers on a Train" - so beautifully written and so bloody hilarious.

Superb!

Yes has to be one of the finest Ep 1s of all time that one. Not quite the best of Series 1 though, there were some crackers in that (double length) series. I'm not sure what's happened to the run on That's TV though, Saturday's ep was a repeat of Friday's S2 e10 and last night it wasn't on, so it seems to have ended three eps short or 4 if you count the '74 Xmas special which is a classic in its own right.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 10th April 2023, 11:48 AM

I'm not sure what's happened to the run on That's TV though, Saturday's ep was a repeat of Friday's S2 e10 and last night it wasn't on, so it seems to have ended three eps short or 4 if you count the '74 Xmas special which is a classic in its own right.

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You'll need to contact That's TV and ask them whatever happened to the Likely Lads.