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Steptoe & Son
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We are catching up on all the episodes of this wonderful comedy programme , how completely un pc yet funny it is. Does anything come close these days ?
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Steptoe and Son was one of the greatest UK comedies of all time.
The writers (Galton / Simpson) made it as "real" and gritty as possible, so there were times it was like "Play for Today" with laughs. The two main characters were both actors not comedians, which made the drama parts more like a real drama.
In many ways it was a very sad program, with the father / son trapped in a relationship with each other, but out of that sadness came laughs (in the same way "Only fools and horses" mixes sadness and comedy).
Steptoe probably went on a couple of series too long, and some of the later episode were a bit "silly".
Plus poor old Harry H Corbett got type cast and found it hard to get any work that was not Steptoe.
In fact before Steptoe Harry H Corbett was a great stage actor and had done Shakespeare and other serious drama. He was far posher than the Steptoe character, but could never shake off that part.
It is a pity the shows are so old so they dont attract a "new" audience. It would be great of they could remake them with new actors (if they could find two actors just as good) to grab a new audience.
The writers (Galton / Simpson) made it as "real" and gritty as possible, so there were times it was like "Play for Today" with laughs. The two main characters were both actors not comedians, which made the drama parts more like a real drama.
In many ways it was a very sad program, with the father / son trapped in a relationship with each other, but out of that sadness came laughs (in the same way "Only fools and horses" mixes sadness and comedy).
Steptoe probably went on a couple of series too long, and some of the later episode were a bit "silly".
Plus poor old Harry H Corbett got type cast and found it hard to get any work that was not Steptoe.
In fact before Steptoe Harry H Corbett was a great stage actor and had done Shakespeare and other serious drama. He was far posher than the Steptoe character, but could never shake off that part.
It is a pity the shows are so old so they dont attract a "new" audience. It would be great of they could remake them with new actors (if they could find two actors just as good) to grab a new audience.
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What was un-pc about it?
A study of a father and son who were dependent on one another, well-written and played by two fine actors; Wilfred Brambell was an Abbey Theatre player, Harry H Corbett was a Shakespearean one. At the time, this was a departure in itself. The practice had been to cast comedians or comic actors in comedies.
A study of a father and son who were dependent on one another, well-written and played by two fine actors; Wilfred Brambell was an Abbey Theatre player, Harry H Corbett was a Shakespearean one. At the time, this was a departure in itself. The practice had been to cast comedians or comic actors in comedies.
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As VHG points out, it is the 'trapped' ethos that sets up the comedy, and is always a factor in a great comedy.
Think about Fawlty, Hancock, Meldrew, Brent, Perrin, all people who are trapped and railing against their situation.
The poignancy of the Steptoes is their mutual loathing / dependence, with Wilfred Brambell's wonderfully mobile face, some of his pathos would not be out of place in Brecht or Pinter.
I rememebr watching one b & w episode and realising after that it had all benn shot in one room, on one camera, with no edits, so it was in effect a one-act theatre play. That was the genius of the form, and the players, so now, I don't think it will come again because audience tastes have moved on.
It was not 'un-PC' because such concepts did not exist at that time - and tv comedy was better for that.
Think about Fawlty, Hancock, Meldrew, Brent, Perrin, all people who are trapped and railing against their situation.
The poignancy of the Steptoes is their mutual loathing / dependence, with Wilfred Brambell's wonderfully mobile face, some of his pathos would not be out of place in Brecht or Pinter.
I rememebr watching one b & w episode and realising after that it had all benn shot in one room, on one camera, with no edits, so it was in effect a one-act theatre play. That was the genius of the form, and the players, so now, I don't think it will come again because audience tastes have moved on.
It was not 'un-PC' because such concepts did not exist at that time - and tv comedy was better for that.
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