Bad BBC sitcoms from the late '80s?

I can vaguely remember the comedy series Wyatt's Watchdogs, No Frills and The River from around 1988. I didn't take much notice of them, Wyatt's Watchdogs and No Frills especially didn't seem exciting, but I remember that they only lasted one series each.

I remember reading a few years later in the Telly Addicts book that the three series were "some of the naffest sitcoms ever" and they said that Wyatt's Watchdogs "was so lame it couldn't even walk". Are these comments too harsh, or were these short-lived stitcoms really that bad?

No Frills (https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/no_frills/) is a bit dull, but it's not all bad - there are definitely a few laughs, but it was a pretty dry affair on the whole. I seem to recall that there were a couple of interesting characters so wouldn't have highlighted it above others as one of the "naffest sitcoms ever", but it's certainly not great.

Never heard of Wyatt's Watchdogs but it looks a promising premise and never seen Trevor Bannister in a non-Mr Lucas role. Does The River feature David Essex as a Romany in a neckerchief?

Quote: youngian @ March 8 2011, 12:51 PM GMT

Does The River feature David Essex as a Romany in a neckerchief?

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That's the one!

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I think I used to watch that when I was very little.

That series led my sister to develop a crush on David Essex, only fifteen years after every other teenage girl in the country.

Of those three, The River was the only one I'd seen anything of. It was sort of ambling, if I remember, about as fast moving as a canal, never mind a river. I did however find it pleasant to look at. No, this wasn't because of David Essex, thank you, please.

But I'll counter those with two more from that time, the aptly named Lame Ducks and the mysteriously popular but godawful Watching, one oF the most painful sitcoms I've had to endure.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ March 8 2011, 5:54 PM GMT

But I'll counter those with two more from that time, the aptly named Lame Ducks and the mysteriously popular but godawful Watching, one oF the most painful sitcoms I've had to endure.

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I never could stand Watching - the way all the episode titles ended in "-ing" was always irritated me, but the most irritating aspect had to be the theme music and the way it was sung (or rather screeched!)

I like Watching!

A lot of people did, and I watched it sometimes all the way through but all three of the characters really grated on me, the bloke was a sap, both women were loud and screechy, she would never have been with him so it didn't look real, the funny lines were predictable but most of all, partly down to its Sunday evening scheduling, if I recall, it had a really depressing air of melanchololy about it, no doubt also partly due to him and her never really getting it on even though they were a couple! Their daft passionless relationship just seemed to drag on like the series did. And it reminded me of most of my relationships with women.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ March 8 2011, 5:54 PM GMT

But I'll counter those with two more from that time, the aptly named Lame Ducks and the mysteriously popular but godawful Watching, one oF the most painful sitcoms I've had to endure.

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I liked Lame Ducks! My tolerance threshold is quite low.

Lame Ducks, yeah with Brian Murphy and Lorraine Chase. I thought it was ok. Unlike Solo and The Misfits

Oh I'd forgotten about Solo, that one series flop I believe? from Carla Lane, with that perky bottomed Felicity Kendall doing a hard done by woman who'd had enough of relationships. I only caught a couple of episodes I think, but I have to say I liked it! Even though it was very Carla Laney, not very funny and was largely a monologue while she wandered around leafy lanes trying to find herself, and observing couples who looked happy or unhappy, that sort of thing. Like I say, very Carla Laney.

Two series. 13 episodes. Not a massive show, but not quite a flop.

Hate Carla Lane.