Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

UK TV is in forever love with repeats of "classic comedies" to the extent that on Christmas Day, the BBC found room on the schedules for an ancient episode of "Dad's Army" and gave whole themed evenings to the likes of Ronnie Corbett and "The Good Life", all of which are as about as funny as a hip-transplant. But tucked away on Channel 5 was the Christmas Special from 1974 of the best situation comedy ever to grace the BBC, the superb "Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads", starring Rodney Bewes and James Bolam, written by genre-masters Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais ("Porridge", "Auf Weiderschien Pet").

While this Christmas edition is exceptionally funny and what actually prompted me to post this, I well remember that the standard of writing and acting was almost as strong spread over the two or three series they hung around for.

Unlike so many of the other so-called classic sit-coms, some of which I've mentioned above, the eponymous "Likely Lads" are wholly grounded in real-life, dealing with everyday situations, talking in everyday language. Thus there's no need to insert the cartoony outrageous characters so beloved of the Perry/Croft or Esmond and Larbey teams. These were two blokes that you could relate to who could be sat just a few seats up from you in the pub or at the football. The humour is less about the situation than the priceless dialogue, so sharp, barely a word wasted.

There's no artificiality in the setting, very obviously a run-down, depressed Newcastle or in the accents they employ. More than this though, they represent the working-class everyman muddling through life, dealing with the mundane, occasionally falling out with one another but being mates, always falling back in again.

The acting is superb, Bewes never better as the middle-class, socially upward aspirant Bob, Bolam in the only role in which I can watch him, as the down-at-heel feckless Terry and Brigit Forsyth a perfect foil for both as Bob's hoity-toity wife who comes between them.

But it really is more about the writing and time after time Clement and LaFrenais showed a winning empathy with character and the ability to get laughs out of the depiction of ordinary situations. "Porridge" and "Auf Wiederschien" are great too but this is their finest creation and in this Christmas episode, very possibly their best ever hour. Great, nostalgic theme-tune too, co-written by LaFrenais - a record of it even made the lower reaches of the pop-charts at the time

I gave it 9 out of 10 because i've enjoyed "Men Behaving Badly" a lot more in study for my media studies exam next month. I like the way Terry is always undermining the 1970s ideas of the 'modern man' He is backward looking, disinterested in social climbing, success, buying a brand new house and is labelled a 'knocker' by his sister Audrey, who exemplifies the ideological position of the era. The women in the early 70s is stereotypically portrayed as the domestic housewife figure who is weaker than the male society. The comedic representation of Bob and Terry challenges this ideology by exposing an underlying character which is boyish, immature, sex-minded qualities and this produces the comic moments

Very few sitcom sequels are better than the first series, and the first series of this was great, but this one is. Bob's social climbing and Terry's determination to stay working class has plenty of comedy opportunities in it and all three main characters are very well cast.

The theme tune is brilliant as are the starting and ending sequences. Bob and Thelma's house is still standing and I wonder if any fans hang about outside and take pics of it.

One of the best ever UK TV sitcoms which cannot be recommended highly enough. It's a comedy must watch, being repeated on TV now, on "that'sTV", 150 on Virgin.

One of my favourites from the golden age of comedy.

I cringe at the outside shots of Newcastle because everywhere looks likes a building site. Rows of partly demolished terraced houses and countless rubble filled fields. I can assure you that living through the seventies it certainly didn't look like that all the time. Great to see them order two pints of beer, two bags of crisps, hand over a pound note and still receive change !

As other people have said, there really isn't a poor episode, just some are better than others.....outstanding ones include No Hiding Place and the Great Race.

With regard to the alleged issues they had working together.......this has been totally exaggerated. You can tell by watching that they had great chemistry and the subtle smiles and laughs when certain lines were delivered.

James Bolam has stated in his book that they got on really well and that it was a pleasure to work with Rodney. He was very saddened that Rodney was spreading the story that they parted under a cloud.

James stated that if he had an issue with Bewes then why would he agree to doing the updated series and also the second series.

James Bolam has said on several occasions that he enjoyed working with Bewes but after the series ended, they went their separate ways to do other jobs. He added that as an actor, you worked with people for a few weeks or months and really enjoyed their company, but then moved on to work with an entirely different cast. There was never any bad blood between him and Bewes and he was a little saddened that it had been reported that there was.

You just have to watch carefully to see that extra special chemistry.

I will end with a slight gripe I have. Considering it's a north east comedy, the only genuine actor from that area is Bolam himself. Most other actors put on this strange random northern accent which sounds more Yorkshire than Geordie.

Cleverly observed, impeccably cast, brilliantly written and refreshingly un PC, this timeless classic is not only my all time favourite sitcom but probably the best ever comedy sequel, especially when compared with the dire Still Open All Hours.

What elevates this above its predecessor The Likely Lads is the presence of Thelma (played to perfection by Bridget Forsyth), and the entire show revolves around Bob's emotional tug of war between commitment to his socially aspirational wife and loyalty to his unashamedly unreformed old drinking buddy Terry Collier. The best episodes are bursting with wit and intelligent social comment, therefore i just hate it when people mention Men Behaving Badly in the same breath as Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? - to me it's a bit like comparing brass and gold, and the two idiots in that show aren't fit to lace Bob & Terry's Watney specials. In fact, the chemistry between James Bolam and Rodney Bewes was as good as anything ever seen in a sitcom in my opinion, which made it all the more sad that they fell out so spectacularly in 1976 and never made up - this and Bolam's reluctance to talk about the the show could explain why WHTTLL doesn't get quite the same kudos and recognition as other sitcoms that frankly couldn't hold a candle to it.

Everything about WHTTLL approaches perfection including a superb supporting cast, the bleak North East locations, right down to a classic theme song penned by Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann fame. It's a world away from the crassness and crude innuendo that passes as comedy today.