Thelma Ferris is one of THE great comedy wives IMO.
The Likely Lads Page 6
I love The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?. I thought the film was bloody brillant too.
Have been watching ' Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads' quite alot recently on GOLD. It was never one of my favourite sitcoms but it's really starting to grow on me. So this has increased my interest seeing 'The Likely Lads' on DVD. Never seen it before, hope I won't be too disappointed.
Clement and La Frenais wanted to revive the show in the late eighties, Rodney Bewes was keen but James Bolam refused point blank. The writers even wrote an outline of the characters lives since the end of the last series for the Radio Times. Bolam and Bewes had a big fall out after the film was made, something Bewes said in an interview that the intensely private Bolam took offence to.
I thought "Whatever happened..." was better than the original series.
The added poignancy of the different way their lives had turned out and the yearning for lost youth added a whole new depth, which I think better suited Clement & La Frenais's writing style.
Quote: Lazzard @ September 12 2012, 12:40 PM BSTI thought "Whatever happened..." was better than the original series.
The added poignancy of the different way their lives had turned out and the yearning for lost youth added a whole new depth, which I think better suited Clement & La Frenais's writing style.
So, you like the "sequel" more than the original. Would you then advice me to watch only "Whatever..." or is it in your opinion mandatory to watch the original series as well?
I love "Whatever Happened To..." but I'm going to play devil's advocate here: don't you think too many of the episode "pay-offs" revolve around some coincidence?
Like, Bob will chat someone up and then discover it's Thelma's sister - etc.
I'm just not sure that's terribly clever. Still think "Only Fools..." is better, though I realise this thread isn't about comparisons.
Just think it's a smidgeon overrated, as is "Porridge". Just a smidgeon though, there's still great. But not THE BEST, which "Porridge" usually gets the label of.
Quote: Dene Kernohan @ September 12 2012, 1:28 PM BSTJust think it's a smidgeon overrated, as is "Porridge". Just a smidgeon though, there's still great. But not THE BEST, which "Porridge" usually gets the label of.
Porridge is simply one of the greatest sitcoms ever produced. The scripts, acting and production are pitch perfect. There may be sitcoms as good but there are none better.
Quote: Lazzard @ September 12 2012, 12:40 PM BSTI thought "Whatever happened..." was better than the original series.
The added poignancy of the different way their lives had turned out and the yearning for lost youth added a whole new depth, which I think better suited Clement & La Frenais's writing style.
Quote: Gordon Bennett @ September 12 2012, 1:26 PM BSTSo, you like the "sequel" more than the original. Would you then advice me to watch only "Whatever..." or is it in your opinion mandatory to watch the original series as well?
I think the pretty widely held view is that Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads is superior to The Likely Lads - in fact I don't recall ever hearing any other opinion expressed.
Whether one needs to watch the earlier programme or not is hard to say, however. I don't think it's necessarily required, but it would certainly help to explain the characters and their backgrounds properly, for full enjoyment of the superior sequel series.
Quote: Pingl @ September 12 2012, 2:19 PM BSTPorridge is simply one of the greatest sitcoms ever produced. The scripts, acting and production are pitch perfect. There may be sitcoms as good but there are none better.
Fawlty Towers is better than Porridge, IMO. Better constructed plots.
Quote: Aaron @ September 12 2012, 3:34 PM BSTbut it would certainly help to explain the characters and their backgrounds properly, for full enjoyment of the superior sequel series.
Good point, and this being one of the reasons why I want to give the original series a try.
I found TLL to be quite a drag in places, so do beware you're unlikely to find it nearly as amusing as WHTTLL - but will be interested to hear your thoughts on watching in reverse.
Quote: Aaron @ September 12 2012, 3:34 PM BSTI think the pretty widely held view is that Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads is superior to The Likely Lads - in fact I don't recall ever hearing any other opinion expressed.
Whether one needs to watch the earlier programme or not is hard to say, however. I don't think it's necessarily required, but it would certainly help to explain the characters and their backgrounds properly, for full enjoyment of the superior sequel series.
Thanks for your reply. Being the "perfectionist" I am I'll certainly watch the earlier show as well. If you catch on with a show you have to know everything of it anyway.
I watched Whatever... first and you get a good feel about what the characters are about from the first episode, so I don't think it's necessary to watch The Likely Lads first.
I've got the complete Likely Lads boxset and have only watched a few of The Likely Lads episodes as I didn't think they were that great. The sequel, however, is very good and helped by the more apparent contrasts between Bob and Terry.
Quote: Ben @ September 12 2012, 4:23 PM BSTI watched Whatever... first and you get a good feel about what the characters are about from the first episode, so I don't think it's necessary to watch The Likely Lads first.
I've got the complete Likely Lads boxset and have only watched a few of The Likely Lads episodes as I didn't think they were that great. The sequel, however, is very good and helped by the more apparent contrasts between Bob and Terry.
As long as you don't say the original show is a complete waste of time my curiosity will probably win over better advice or my tightfistedness (although I could imagine that a complete boxset is cheaper than the individual sets these days). Anyway, my next encounter with "British Comedy History" has to be "Dad's Army". So, there's enough time for me to think this through.