After two years inside, Billy returns home to his wife Mary and three children. Two years is a long time, and things have changed, his wife has turned closer to god and his kids are growing up, all pose a challenge.
When I think of famous comedies set in Liverpool, the obvious one is Bread, which seems to be fondly remembered; the same cannot be said of The Wackers. It's long since forgotten, and it only ever seems to get mentions in 'worst sitcom' videos. In my opinion, it's not great, but I have seen worse.
When you think of the shows that writer Vince Powell was either responsible for or partly responsible for, this just doesn't have the laughs. The characters lack warmth and depth, and to be honest, I can't believe that they're a family unit; they feel like a group of strangers under one roof.
Vince tried to show how tough life was for a family, surviving just about the bread line, I just think the population of Liverpool would have seen it as a personal dig.
Ken Jones is pretty decent; most of the laughs come from him. Sheila Fay's character just irritated me more than anything. Steadman and Chegwin were okay, but all were up against it with the scripts.
It seems as though it was axed just after episode 6 was transmitted, meaning people didn't get to see the finale, Billy's efforts to get a derby day ticket, it's a funny episode.
6/10.
