Nearest And Dearest. Image shows from L to R: Nellie Pledge (Hylda Baker), Eli Pledge (Jimmy Jewel). Copyright: Granada Television
Nearest And Dearest

Nearest And Dearest

  • TV sitcom
  • ITV1
  • 1968 - 1973
  • 45 episodes (7 series)

Sitcom about brother and sister, Eli and Nellie Pledge, forced to run a pickle factory together. Stars Hylda Baker, Jimmy Jewel, Joe Gladwin, Madge Hindle, Edward Malin and Bert Palmer

Episode menu

Series 5, Episode 2 - Compliments Of The Season

It's Christmas Eve and the Pledges have booked a table at the Hotel Metropolis for their Christmas dinner. But then the snow starts. Deep and crisp and even... even up to the top of the door-'ole! And the Pledges are prisoners...

Further details

It's Christmas Eve! Eli's full of the Christmas spirit and Nellie has to tell Lily and Walter they can't come for Christmas dinner as they are going out for theirs: "We've booked a table at the Hotel Metrollops".

Stan and Grenville turn up with a bottle of the hard stuff and soon the house is ringing out with Christmas cheer. Outside the snow is falling, and falling, and it continues to fall throughout the night - enough to block everyone in on Christmas morning. It looks like the Hotel Metrollops' turkey and trimmings will have to wait!

There's no food in the house because the drunken party ate it the night before, so all they have is a jar of jubilee gherkins and a tin of sardines with no key. All is solved though, when Nellie finds a bottle of ginger wine hidden in the piano.

Walter had better watch it though, because "He hasn't been"!

Notes

Due to strike action, this episode was filmed only in black and white.

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 24th December 1970
Time
7pm
Channel
ITV1
Length
30 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Hylda Baker Nellie Pledge
Jimmy Jewel Eli Pledge
Joe Gladwin Stan Hardman
Madge Hindle Lily Tattershall
Edward Malin Walter Tattershall
Guest cast
Freddie Rayner Grenville
Writing team
John Stevenson Writer
Lew Schwarz Script Editor
Production team
Bill Podmore Director
Bill Podmore Producer
Eric Deakins Production Designer
Derek Hilton Composer

Share this page