Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?

Of course, The Likely Lads deserves to be shown again, but the partnership was only at its best in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads, when Bob had become middle-class, Terry had inexplicably acquired a Geordie accent, the horrendous Thelma had appeared, and the ingredients were finally in place for a serious comedy about class and sex.

In a script by Clement and La Frenais there is no question of the playing being ahead of the writing. The lines would get laughs ead cold, so anything the actors contribute is sheer gain. There are no miracles of timing in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads, but the personalities are cast to a nicety. Bob's moon face is all hope: Terry's grapefruit-sized head is all disillusion.

Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? (BBC1) is repeating its last series. In our house we are watching it all over again.

I'd like to say, and who shall stop me, how pleasureable the series Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (BBC1) has been. How funny and true. In spite of Keats, funny is the truth and truth is funny and that is all script writers need to know. Or nearly.

But it's the writing that stars: Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais are plainly having a wonderful time raiding their own memories. Rilke once said that no true poet minds going to jail, since it leaves him alone to plunder his treasure-house. Writing this series must be the next best thing to being slung in the chokey.