Wondered if anybody else had seen this show either recently or when it was first broadcast. It now screams 1970s at you throughout but still funny and entertaining. Not up to the standard of the book or film though obviously.
Billy Liar
I'm far too young to have seen it, I'm afraid. In fact, only heard of it a few weeks back when researching upcoming DVDs. Worth buying?
Depends what you are looking for from a sitcom I suppose. It is funny and entertaining as I said and I suppose that those are the 2 most important criteria. It was also innovative as a lot of the humour comes from Billy fantasising in a similar way to how Homer Simpson does today.
The only drawback comes from how sitcom-ish it is. The book and the film were both genuinely moving which the sitcom is not but if you aren't familiar with any of them then it shouldn't bother you.
All in all, definitely worth a look.
Can't say I am, so may very well investigate, thanks. 
I remember the programme and it was just as funny as any other at the time. Not neccessarily outstanding but as far as I recall it was OK in a 1970's sort of way. Not a patch on the film and I'd probably give the DVD a miss if it were available.
Just bought the box-set of Billy Liar, which now joins my disc rotation, and watched the first episode tonight - very good and funny!
George A. Cooper as his dad is perfect in the part, and it also had in it, Mollie Sugden and Kathy Staff, with one of Billy's love interests (he had three he was engaged to in this episode). Brenda Cavendish I recognised as the girl who worked in the antique shop in Public Eye, which is still running on TPTV at 4 o'clock in the morning Fridays.
I've read the novel but haven't seen either the film or sitcom. But it's a pretty good book.
Who played Billy?
The film is magnificent, a landmark sixties comedy, bittersweet.
Quote: Chappers @ 1st October 2021, 5:56 PMWho played Billy?
Or Tom Courtney.
Finished the first series, and the cracker for me was "Billy and the Freudian Slip", with belly laughs all the way through from all the cast, and especially the elderly 82 year old May Warden who plays Grandma, and is proving a revelation! 
Guest actor Roy Kinnear as the psychiatrist, was very funny too.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 8th October 2021, 7:57 AMFinished the first series, and the cracker for me was "Billy and the Freudian Slip", with belly laughs all the way through from all the cast, and especially the elderly 82 year old May Warden who plays Grandma, and is proving a revelation!
Guest actor Roy Kinnear as the psychiatrist, was very funny too.
Just finished the 2nd disc/series and still very good/funny with George A Cooper being his usual very grumpy persona as Billy's dad.
ALSO, in a general search I found out that May Warden (who is absolutely superb in this!!) was the old lady in Freddie Frinton's "Dinner for One"..................not a lotta people know that.
**EDIT
AND found that the surviving episode of Our Kid (see new review), was tacked on the end of this DVD
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 22nd January 2022, 3:43 PMGeorge A Cooper being his usual very grumpy persona as Billy's dad.
In a spin-off from 'Where do I know him/her from?' my brother and I always used to chirp up "It's Billy Liar's dad" when he appeared in other programmes ;-)
Quote: fasty @ 22nd January 2022, 4:00 PMIn a spin-off from 'Where do I know him/her from?' my brother and I always used to chirp up "It's Billy Liar's dad" when he appeared in other programmes ;-)
He always seemed to play a grumpy man.
My actor spotting consists mostly of espying Sam Kydd, who appeared in an enormous amount of films - I the last count was about 240.