Bless This House

"Bless This House" was never going to be the sort of sitcom where there would be any depth to the writing or any attention to characterization. It is Sid James who makes this comedy worth seeing as he does his usual. He plays a rather harassed husband and father to a wife and two children who usually know how to worm their way into his good books. The result being that Sid is financially worse off! In most episodes, he is being nagged about this, that and other and after having a hard day at work. The series lasted from 1971 until 1976. The best episodes are from '71 up to '73. There wasn't much location shooting and the sets were fairly basic.

This is one of the best ITV comedies such that its episodes, should be made available on the ITV Hub so we can still enjoy them.

It does crop up on the box though strangely not via ITV sources, it's available on the CCXTV Channel. Number 23 on my Freeview television selection, which is where I have just seen it.

Sid James is a well known and yes loved actor to British audiences on film and TV, mostly through comedy performances.

He certainly deserved his own TV Comedy show and this is it, it's really tailored around him and it certainly fits him like the proverbial glove.

The Abbott's are an atypical TV Comedy family though thankfully, not the same 'Type' as became all too familiar on our tellies. That of the frankly all too twee more middle class type sit coms, the Abbott family is much less than that. Thanks that is to the character of father Sid, the Abbott's appear at any rate somewhat more working class.

Mum Jean Abbott is aptly played by Diana Coupland with just the right touch, to fit perfectly as Sid Abbott's better half.

The Abbott kids Sally and Mike are both well played, by Sally Geeson and Robin Stewart.

The neighbours Betty and Trevor Lewis are personified by good comedy performers, Patsy Rowlands and Anthony Jackson.

In Bless this House we have not just 1 but 2 typical British Happy Families, for the price of 1 excellent TV Comedy show.

With Sid James(of Carry on fame) as the dad of this household you are guaranteed to get a laugh from this tv series. If you in any way like any of the old programmes like On the buses,George & Mildred,Love thy neighbour and lots more about at approx the same time then you will certainly like this show......

Just an update from my previous comment. Season 5 and 6 are actually just as good as previous seasons, I just rewatched them and I've now changed my mind.

Sid James just seems a little flat in some episodes, that's the only real difference I can see from the first four seasons.

Typical 70s sitcom here...the ones of which todays comedians look down on...The modern so called comedy...Not Going Out,,,In Betweeners...etc...should watch this and see how it's done.

Sid James is the sun here with everybody else in his comedy gravity. Nobody could have kept this show fresh for 5 years and had it not been for his untimely death we would have seen a lot more...even the spin off movie was great.

ITV cannot do sitcom anymore..but this along with Man About The House..George and Mildred..Nearest and Dearest shows that they could in their day.

Such a shame that he never got the Knighthood he deserved...this was his show , he made it his as he did with the Carry On genre.

All the crew understood he was the cog and worked around him perfectly. much missed and a true comedy genius.