The Likely Lads Blu-ray review

Although it breaks no new ground, and feels like two episodes of a situation comedy stretched out and filmed on a higher budget, The Likely Lads raises enough laughs to endear it to anyone who already enjoys the original sitcoms.

The Likely Lads forty-year feud

Of all the memorable TV sitcom theme songs over the years, it was the most melancholy, its words the most haunting: 'Oh, what happened to you, whatever happened to me? What became of the people we used to be?' Rodney Bewes, one half of the hit BBC show Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads, who died yesterday aged 79, asked himself those questions every day of his life for 40 years. His acclaimed double act with co-star James Bolam had ended in an acrimonious telephone call in 1976, after an ill-judged joke sparked an almighty row between them.

Likely Lads: Melancholy masterpiece of a TV theme tune

Rodney Bewes, who died this week, will forever be remembered for the sitcom which captured the mood of the 70s - as did La Frenais and Hugg's evocative intro music.

BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals 2016

An all-star line-up of top comedy, arts, writing and music - as well showcases for new fresh talent - will be at the heart of the BBC's Edinburgh Festivals coverage across TV, radio and online.

The Likely Lads turns 50

Geordie sitcom The Likely Lads turns 50 next month. Ahead of the landmark, the show's creators Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have been speaking to the Express newspaper about the series' longevity, the failed 1996 revival of the sitcom, the long-time fued between stars Rodney Bewes and James Bolam and more.

On Radio 4, we heard from another grumpy and financially unsuccessful writer. I speak of the fictional Ed Reardon, author of episode 29 of Tenko ("I still use Burt Kwouk's risotto recipe"), a play called Educating Peter and [o]John Kettley's Big Book of Weather[/i]. Reardon, named for Edwin Reardon in Gissing's novel New Grub Street, is my hero, the only man worth listening to - I exclude even the sainted Eddie Mair in this instance - after a bad day at the keyboard.

An Audience With Ed Reardon came to us "live" from Edinburgh, where some 12-year-old BBC commissioning editor had provided our hero (played by one of his creators, Christopher Douglas) with readers for his jottings in the form of a couple of actors from a fringe production of Titus Andronicus. Poor Ed. He'd wanted Rodney Bewes, who starred in the film of Ed's awful novel, Who Would Fardels Bear? "Rodney Bewes would have nailed it!" he shouted when they fluffed a bit from Educating Peter. I laughed out loud at this, though I do see - how to put this? - that one must be of a certain age and sensibility to get this gag. Ditto the moment when he yelled: "I'll do the Trimphone!" Oh, Ed. If only you were real, I'd pop over to Berkhamsted and buy you lunch.