Comrade Dad

I remember this series chiefly for two things.

1. The Russian government got quite upset about them being likely to invade Britain in 1986. 2. Some lame punchline about asking for the wishbone of a chicken said by the young lad who had, in fact, never seen one before and wouldn't have known what it was.

The series wasn't funny, although it might have been in the 50s, had it been made thirty years earlier. Even the great George Cole couldn't save it and it was quickly shelved.

Apparently I haven't submitted enough lines (Preview) but there's nothing else to say. It's to my great regret that I actually remember this show and bothered to look it up.

Great Britain has been invaded by The USSR, and now stands as USSRGB, under the controlling eye of Comrade VS Hoskins. Only one man in the whole country seems happy with the regime, Reg.

First off, I had no idea of the existence of this show, when I discovered it, I sat and binge watched it all, so that must say something.

Never released on DVD, it you can see it, I'd recommend it, it captures the feelings and attitudes of many Brits towards the Russian regime in the 80's.

I can understand why it only lasted the one series, it's enjoyable, but it is limited, there are only so many jokes about beetroot that you can chuckle at, before they become tiresome.

Two episodes stood out for me, the finale, with the car on the beach, the other, where Reg stumbles across a rich person's party, both offered something different, both felt imaginative and well developed.

George Cole was great, the character, somewhat irritating, if well meaning. I adored Doris Hare as Grandma, she was lovely in it.

Worth seeing, 7/10.

.. the sun didnt have to shine, vimto cured thirst and all known illness. As I was thinking back 13 years ago my mind brought up and few grey images of a sitcom that i couldn't even name. Maybe because i was a scabbed knee and elbowed kid any jokes were funny but I use to love comrade dad. Maybe I'll get to see it one day again but I doubt it.

This series has kinda been drifting around in my head for years. i remember it from when i was much younger. i will never forget the scene (if i am recalling correctly) when George Cole was on the underground system, and they have frequent power outs, and as the train was plunged into darkness he began arguing with the other passengers. There is a moments silence, and we hear Cole make a "urgh" noise and say "who threw that?" to which, from somewhere else on the train we hear "no one threw it, I spat it!". Excellent. That will always stay with me:) I cannot believe that there are so few people out there that actually remember this. I know that it only ran for one series, but with such a star as George Cole in the lead, coming off of the back of Minder, you would have believed that it might have been remembered a little more than it actually is.

Sitcom set in a future Britain that's been invaded by the USSR and turned into a Communist country. God alone knows why there was only one series made. George Cole is great as ever as the Dad of the title, and his role is a great character, a true believer in or natural suck-up to the regime, forever scolding his family that all is for the best in spite of shortages, bureaucracy and repression, exalting the great leader Chairman Hoskins, and piously correcting any wrong thoughts that slip out with his eyes turned up to the spy satellites that may be listening. Almost a sort of soviet Uriah Heep, or a Micawber of the Five Year Plan, or a British version of some character out of Eastern European satire. In some ways he's awful, but he's not only a great comic turn but also invested with a certain pathos - he'll never get the party membership card he dreams of, he's too innocent to have the sense to know when to bribe people, he may be the only person left who believes in the system.

The exuberant invention and attention to detail in the world-building is truly excellent and puts many more serious alt-worlds to shame. The writing is informed by the absurd but awful truth of life in the Communist Bloc before the Berlin Wall fell. Alarmingly, there are bits that are relevant today. But only about half the jokes are satirical - a lot are more character-based and revolve around Cole's warm and likeable cockney family and their exasperated affection for him, or his more highly-sexed navvy wife's attempts to make him pay as much attention to her as to Chairman Hoskins - and there's malapropism and slapstick and downright silliness in the mix. I found it very entertaining and frequently laugh-out-loud. As a bonus for bookworms, Episode 3 is a tribute to 'Le Grand Meaulnes'. Really. At the time of writing there's no DVD available (sort it out, Beeb) but several episodes can be found online.