Only When I Laugh

Two years after the end of 'Doctor On The Go', I.T.V. came up with another hit medical sitcom, only this time the main characters were the patients, not the doctors.

'Only When I Laugh' was a screamingly funny show from 'Rising Damp' author Eric Chappell. Three patients from differing social backgrounds - trouble making lorry driver Roy Figgis ( James Bolam ), naive Norman Binns ( Christopher Strauli ), and rich hypochondriac Archie Glover ( Peter Bowles ) - share a hospital ward. Their 'nemesis' is the pompous Dr.Gordon Thorpe ( Richard Wilson in what was his best television role before 'One Foot In The Grave' ). The Indian male nurse Gupte ( Derrick Branche ) was well-meaning but incompetent, and this led to the series being branded 'racist' in some quarters. Gupte mysteriously vanished from the later episodes. Bolam's 'Figgis' wasn't far removed from 'Terry Collier' of 'Likely Lads' fame, while Bowles' 'Glover' was a try-out for his later series 'The Bounder'.

Although it stretched credibility somewhat that all three men should be confined to hospital for such an incredibly long time, this was one of I.T.V.'s best sitcoms of the late '70's/early '80's. Great theme tune, too!

The three hypochondriacs strike again. A good series must make one sit down from the beginning to the end, and this one certainly manages it!

The exploits of three long term patients, Figgis, Archie and Glover, three men from very different backgrounds, with very different life experiences and political leanings.

Three definite cases of hypochondria here, admittedly Figgis did have an operation, the other two though, they really did get away with swinging the lead.

It's a charming comedy, it has several moving moments, but the laughs come thick and fast, my favourite episode involves a mixup with an operation of a dog, it's side splitting.

The acting is phenomenal, all are excellent, there are moments where both James Bolam and Peter Bowles display moments of sheer brilliance, there are some excellent

You can definitely see the beginnings of Victor Meldrew here, Richard Wilson is a scream as Doctor Thorpe, you can definitely see where Victor came from.

Series one is excellent, series two is very good, series three sees a bit of a dip, and it picks back up for a good final run.

Some comedies they'd never get away with now, you'd certainly never be able to set a comedy in a hospital, it just wouldn't work.

A fine comedy.

8/10.

Brilliantly written well acted with each episode having you in stitches excuse the pun

I saw this series when it originally aired many years ago. It was something the folks watched that caught my eye at a young age & it wasn't until recently that I rediscovered this great series on the newly released DVD sets. The show, the cast, the writing, is as funny now as it was way back when. The basis of the series is three hypochondriacs who are under the care of an unsympathetic doctor. The cast couldn't be better & Peter Bowles is as great as always. I wish they could have crammed more than 6 episodes on a 2x DVD set. Seems a bit small.. Regardless, I am glad to get to enjoy this series all over again.