Comrade Dad

.. 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.

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.

I'm surprised very few people have commented/remember this sitcom. Starring George Cole of "Minder" fame, the programme had quite a good premise. It takes place in Britain however there is a twist in the britain of the programme, the russians had invaded and turned England into a communist state.

It only ran for one series, back in the mid 80's. I can vaguely remember it. Although there was one really good gag where Comerade Dad decides to buy a "new" car, Of course with it being communist Britain he ends up buying a Skrover (Half a Skoda welded to half a Rover). Anyway by the end of the progamme the only thing he has left is a shell, everything else gets nicked.

To sum up, as a kid I remember enjoying this series. No one else seems to have seen it though.

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.

Got to see this for the first time in about 1989. A friend had recorded 6 episodes on video. I still have them, but would dearly love to see the two missing ones, but especially the one about the Skrover car.

Perhaps it is my age and silly sense of humour, but I loved the jokes about beetroot, listening satellites, Albanians etc.

So politically incorrect for showing again on television I guess.

My favourite episode is the one where Reg takes an overdose of pep pills which make him feel randy - much to the delight of his wife who is always trying to get him into bed at the same time as herself (she works nights on the railways!)