Love Thy Neighbour

This is far from being racist and I remember this series as an adolescent in Sydney Australia. It was such a popular show it was discussed in school and role plays created.

I would love to see something like this now with a typical Muslim family and white Christian family. Something that is in your face and not politically correct. This type of shows destroys the myths that keep people apart in the first place.

Look at the problems around the world now because people are afraid of what they do not understand.

This was a great show and a great message.

Most of these PC fools are worse than Nazis.

Watching this for the first time on DVD. Updating as I'm getting through them. I had only watched the movie back in the early eighties as the show was never repeated on TV.

So, yes it's very racist, but also misunderstood by many critics. Did it promote racism or mock the bigotry? Depends on your point of view. Both sides seems valid. My view is both, but any promotion of it was unintentional, and unforeseen at the time due to less culture awareness during the 1970's. These days, racism is far worse than it ever was back then (and not due to this show). Besides, both Rudolph Walker (who still defends the show) and Nina Baden-Semper would never have taken part otherwise. Who'd think they'd be naive enough to? Personal view over.

This show reverses political sides from "Til' Death Us Do Part". Alf Garnett is a right wing Tory whilst Eddie Booth is a left wing socialist. It showed that anyone can be racist. What's even more interesting is that Bill is a tory. For back then that is progressive which shows that nobody is politically pigeonholed.

Although Bill is black, he only ever retaliated with racist remarks back at Eddie after he is pushed to by him. Bill's wife understands his frustration but reminds him that his racist slurs back are unacceptable too. Why stoop to Eddie's level as Bill clearly isn't a racist she is really saying. Onto a brief review of each series.

Series 1-3: Starts off strong. It has plenty of great comedic moments. Few duff episodes towards the end of series 3 with some overly silly moments.

The movie adaption was released between series 3 & 4. Worth a watch.

Series 4-5: Apart from the racial slurs from Eddie they then tamed it right down turning it into a more mild conventional ITV comedy sitcom, moving the focus more away from Bill & Eddie onto other characters, and then just making them all completely bonkers making less sense. They even broke the fourth wall right at the end of series 4. I'll say no more on that. Series 5 was marginally better.

It becomes too repetitive with weaker storylines and jokes and doesn't get any better as it goes on. They made Eddie more a clueless gullible buffoon than before. Stories become a bit too ridiculously silly. Bill also becomes way too soft on Eddie's racism, and that's apart from Bill still often threatening to give him "a bunch of black fives" in anger and never does. Gets old quickly by then. Why does he still try so hard to be friends with someone so continuously unbearable? His own added gullibilities and foolishness helps kill these seasons. He should remain the more sensible if the two.

Series 6 & 7: Better storylines. Making it more fun to watch again. Eddie is still gullible as ever. Fewer duff moments, particularly a silly medieval dream scene. Haven't gotten around to watching the final eighth series yet, so will update again in due course.

Barbie is is very likeable but also a bit too sweet, she should have been just as cutting as Joan (who's hilarious). The original Joan in the unaired episode was too nice for Eddie, so good switch. They both put up with cheating hubbies though. I'm more dismayed by the wive's attitudes of only mildly chastising their husbands for whenever being caught cheating, like they were just being late home from the club. This kind of further tarnished their characters a little for me too. I feel this aspect is more dated today rather than anything else. Eddie always seems like a fool for anything though.

Jacko & Arthur are great extras though. Particularly "I'll have half" Jacko. Always perplexing Eddie. "...Pardon?". Arthur on the other hand often cracks funny jokes about his mostly unseen overbearing wife. The original landlord was more background. The new meaner landlord who is more hostile towards Eddie plays a bigger role, but his character quickly gets toned down into someone more likeable.

I feel that they missed a big opportunity in not making the racist slurs cut both ways equally towards each other. Eddie's slurs are continuous whilst Bill's remain too few and far between. Perhaps more people might have understood the shows intentions better if they had not these few issues. This is worth watching at least once or twice anyway. It has never been aired on TV since its original run but is available in a complete DVD boxset.

This show has to be taken and viewed in the context it was written in.

As a black man born in the early 70's, this show is funny for all the people of my parents age I mentioned it to. 'Political Correctness' is more about white people feeling comfortable with what other white people say in their presence, than making black people feel comfortable about whats said to them by white people. Eddie Booth takes the brunt of nearly every episode as his ignorance shows him to be the fool so often. His bigoted ways always showed him up to be the narrow minded, unintelligent idiot he is and regularly needed his wife's help to set him straight.

Fair enough, its not everyones cup of tea, but it is funny and to think it got shelved from being re-run because of our over protective PC fanatics thought it would re-ignite racism in our streets is a shame. News is that racism hasn't gone and will never go and considering racism is a learnt behaviour, if parents want to educate their young children to be racist, they will just get the DVDs at home and let them watch it that way. ted00043 from Australia just doesn't get the show. Its like a die-hard Columbo viewer watching Bablyon 5; it messes with their head.

If your going to do it, do it properly. Ban it all together (from our shelves, TV and archives) or let it be seen by everyone, everywhere.

A controversial, yet classic sitcom from the 70's. Based around the lives of Eddie (the proud British unionist), his wife Joan, Bill (the proud black ethnic tory)and his lovely wife Barbie. Often stereotyped by those who have never really watched the series as 'racist', Love Thy Neighbour was far removed from such a stereotype. Looking at the lighter side of the attitudes at the time, Eddie's and Bill's disagreements were perfectly balanced with friendship (who could forget the episode when Eddie drags Bill out on the town?!).

Eddie and Bill's characters are presented as equals, and both have different views on life (whether it'd be labour, tory, or black power!) but more often than not, when they argue and bicker, both come out looking as bad as each other.

Anybody faulting Love Thy Neigbhour for it's views should take a closer look at the series first. A show that positioned Bill (Rudolph Walker) in such a prominant powerful role, and presented him as such a strong upstanding character was way ahead of it's time (when other shows were still presenting ethnic minorities as 'comedy' characters).

Remembering this as a kid, I seem to recall finding it very funny with strong characters and a memorable them tune. From an age when situation comedy was far funnier than its modern counterparts.

Listening to people talking about it today, you would think it was racist - the main complaint that you laughed with Eddie Booth rather than at him. However, i always remember his black neighbour coming out on top most of the time. So I'm not so sure it really did reinforce those stereotypes. At least it was a depiction of how some white working class people felt at the time.

Maybe it was a little over the top and certainly wouldn't be shown in our present PC times. But you've got to take it as a period piece. For me it was very memorable and at least broke one mould for me in having the first black actress I fancied in the shape of Nina- Bade Semper - She was gorgeous.

It would be interesting to see a couple of episodes again to see if it really was that offensive and perhaps to gauge how we have moved on as regards to race relations.