Quote: sootyj @ July 1 2008, 9:22 PM BSTWhat did he ever do top you?
I think there was a good chance that if he caught you in his back garden, he'd have a pop at you with his air rifle.
Love Thy Neighbour Page 6
Let's face it 'Love Thy Neighbour' was crap then and it's still crap now. I always found the argument that because the insults were equally shared it somehow made it worthwhile, fatuous. It was racist and it wasn't even funny. Strange really because Powell and Driver were capable writers who could exhibit real depth in their comedy; Spring and Autumn and For the Love of Ada being prime examples. This show was a pitiful waste of two really talented actors, Rudolph Walker and Jack Smethurst. But shows like these for some sad reason always have a longer shelf life than they deserve, mainly because of their shock value. Let's move on and forget this inexcusable drivel and stop justifying it with some spurious historical significance it doesn't deserve.
But it is funny. So there. 
Rudolph Walker was on the TV yesterday evening and he commented on Love Thy Neighbour as being "ground breaking".
Quote: garyd @ September 12 2012, 1:52 PM BSTRudolph Walker was on the TV yesterday evening and he commented on Love Thy Neighbour as being "ground breaking".
Well in the words of Mandy Rice Davies he would say that wouldn't he.
Quote: Pingl @ September 12 2012, 5:09 PM BSTWell in the words of Mandy Rice Davies he would say that wouldn't he.
Why's that, 'cos you know him to be a dis-honourable man, or maybe he's an 'Uncle Tom'.
Okay, for what ever reason you don't like it but please may I ask that you don't assert your opinion as if it's fact.
Quote: garyd @ September 12 2012, 9:02 PM BSTWhy's that, 'cos you know him to be a dis-honourable man, or maybe he's an 'Uncle Tom'.
Okay, for what ever reason you don't like it but please may I ask that you don't assert your opinion as if it's fact.
Rudolph Walker is hugely talented actor. But I still maintain that justifying Love Thy Neighbour as some groundbreaking comedy is ridiculous. Mr Walker I'm sure is an honourable man, but I don't think his opinion is widely shared. Simply saying the famous quote 'he would say that', you may not know who Mandy Rice Davies was (Profumo), is not asserting my opinion as fact it is asserting my opinion.
'Groundbreaking' may be a stretch in some regards, but there should be no doubt that Love Thy Neighbour was an important programme.
I don't see how Love Thy Neighbour could be called important; in any other regard than that it put an end to this kind of drivel. The Fosters was important, Desmond's was important. I really do think any kind of retrospective glorification of this programme simply allows it the oxygen of publicity. I do not really understand why anyone would want to watch such a mind numbingly racist and clumsy comedy. Of course if people want to watch it than it's a free country, but I don't think it can have any justification except as an historical document of how low we once sank.
Because it's not "such a mind numbingly racist comedy". 
Clumsy, well, perhaps - depends on your personal tastes.
How can it not be considered racist. Surley a catalogue of racist abuse aimed at both central characters can't be described as anything else. Simply ensuring that both parties insult each other equally cannot mitigate the fact that the main tenant of the programme is racial abuse.
Quote: Pingl @ September 12 2012, 9:17 PM BSTRudolph Walker is hugely talented actor. But I still maintain that justifying Love Thy Neighbour as some groundbreaking comedy is ridiculous. Mr Walker I'm sure is an honourable man, but I don't think his opinion is widely shared. Simply saying the famous quote 'he would say that', you may not know who Mandy Rice Davies was (Profumo), is not asserting my opinion as fact it is asserting my opinion.
Yes, I know who Mandy Rice-Davies is.
It's not her misquoted quote I refer to but previous posts.
And also "...but I don't think his opinion is widely shared", which is supposition, all be it sweetened with "I don't think".
Apologies if I'm appearing confrontational but we're here giving opinions, usually our own, whereas you seem to be speaking for the masses, so to speak.
Quote: Pingl @ September 12 2012, 9:35 PM BSTHow can it not be considered racist. Surley a catalogue of racist abuse aimed at both central characters can't be described as anything else. Simply ensuring that both parties insult each other equally cannot mitigate the fact that the main tenant of the programme is racial abuse.
I didn't say it wasn't racist. I said it wasn't mind-numbingly racist. There are racial elements clearly; the programme builds around the racial tension between the two main characters. But there is far more to the programme than "nig nog!" and "honky!" retorts, and when the racial elements are played on, they both give as good as they get, and are both shown to be equally capable of being lovely human beings, and utter arseholes.
Society has ensured that it's only remembered for the slurs made against the black characters, but actually sit down, watch it, and ignore what 30 years of legend and 'received wisdom' claim about the show, and a far different picture begins to emerge - not least that half of the hatred Eddie pours on Bill is that he votes Conservative, not Labour.
Love Thy Neighbour doesn't patronise black people by showing them to be helpless victims of white bigotry. It shows them to be equally fallible, capable of love, hate and prejudice: human.
I am not speaking for the masses, I am as Mr Walker was, stating an opinion. I don't, however, think many people would consider 'Love Thy Neighbour' groundbreaking, if I am wrong, this saddens me, and will happily join the minority who think this programme was drivel. I don't mind a bit of confrontation by the way, we are all entitled to our opinions.
Love Thy Neighbour doesn't patronise black people by showing them to be helpless victims of white bigotry. It shows them to be equally fallible, capable of love, hate and prejudice: human.[/quote]
No it doesn't.I remember watching it myself, even sadly, seeing the film, my Father loved it. But even at the time I thought it was hard to justify a catalogue of abuse as anything else but abuse. I think to give it some Alf Garnett like depth is almost impossible, Even the subtelty of Speight's writing wasn't always successful. People read into this kind of comedy what they want, and the nuances of script and acting can't overcome the sledgehammer of racist dialogue. Don't get me wrong I am in no way calling for a ban on the availability of this programme, I just can't see any reason why, and this is a personal opinion, would want to watch it. I remember how common these terms were and I don't think programmes like this did anything else but fan the fire. Simply making them opposites in political aspect doesn't, again in my opinion, give it any more depth.
I just remember kids at school parroting the racial insults. We only had one black kid in my year, poor bastard.