Lost Sitcoms: Till Death Us Do Part

The audience certainly didn't seem to overly appreciate the come-back.

I thought Simon Day did quite a good job, but the quality of acting by the others and the unconvincing set did not do his performance much justice. He sounded quite like him at times.

Why oh why did the Beeb think Simon Day did not need to wear a moustache and to not even cast Mike with blond hair - he was nicknamed 'Shirley Temple' after all. Bloody BBC! The moustache is Alf's identity practically!

Anyway, I don't think the show was that great and the script was a bit weak - based only around Alf and his dinner. I know that was a common theme but other episodes contained a lot of dialogue between Mike and Alf over political debates.

I fear this episode was purposely wiped.

I thought it was very interesting if not massively funny. I have been impressed with the intelligent and imaginative approaches in this season of re-makes. A lot could be said but I will probably discuss it in sporadic brief comments. In this one, what was especially notable was the way in which they did it as if it was a theatre production.

Reasons?

I too felt that the "Theatre" type setting let it down plus I missed Alf's moustache. Also I didn't think the tone or Day's voice was right. Also the hair switch of the two younger characters was a bit weird.

I'd much rather have seen the original again.

Quote: Chappers @ 1st September 2016, 10:56 PM

I'd much rather have seen the original again.

View original

Wasn't that the point of this though? You physically can't see the original again, not of that episode anyway, it's wiped, so thus a recreation is all we can do.

Quote: Chappers @ 1st September 2016, 10:56 PM

I too felt that the "Theatre" type setting let it down plus I missed Alf's moustache. Also I didn't think the tone or Day's voice was right. Also the hair switch of the two younger characters was a bit weird.

I'd much rather have seen the original again.

View original

I didn't spot the hair switch and weirdly didn't think about the moustache.

My main criticism of Day who I thought did well was that his volume was a bit too loud compared with the voices of the other characters.

In a way, some of these re-runs are a measure or a testing of attitudes in 2016 following the popularity of UKIP/Brexit and the loss of the Labour Party to many.

It is reasonably brave in that there is no way the BBC would have tackled remakes of this or Are You Being Served? a few years ago. I suppose it's playing with the idea of being Post Alternative and trying to shape it.

Clearly they have felt it easier to go into areas of male attitudes to women (and in a modern way the start of Our Ex-Wife was not dissimilar) and gay/camp stereotypes than into race.

I think I am right in saying that there is still a refusal to broadcast the original It Ain't Half Hot Mum which hopefully in time may be reviewed.

The five minute programme about Garnett after the programme was just right - probably necessary to set the context and not too long to dwell on it.

One of the funniest things was seeing Day in that programme almost saying that he sympathised with Alf before pausing and thinking of how to word what he was saying differently.

I was thrilled to see Trix Worrell in that programme having mentioned him only in the last few days and describing him as a bit mysterious.

Quote: Sitcomfan64 @ 1st September 2016, 11:07 PM

Wasn't that the point of this though? You physically can't see the original again, not of that episode anyway, it's wiped, so thus a recreation is all we can do.

View original

What I'm saying is that I'd rather they hadn't f**ked about with it.

What was the point?

Well I loved it, and even though I'd seen it before, found myself watching again. I found both Simon Day and Lizzie Roper to be quite superb, and didn't notice the lack of a moustache on Alf.

I would have preferred it to be a full-on production with properly recreated set rather than this "ghost" angle, but it still worked, and as has been said, felt quite theatrical. Johnny Speight's writing still shines.

I've only watched the first 5 minutes, and as stupid as it sounds, I found myself Googling how tall Simon Day is (6' 2") and how tall Warren Mitchell was (5' 8"). I know this shouldn't make a difference but it alters Alf's outer character. Or am I being a dick?

Felt like a Fast Show spoof to me, lots of gurning. Else was awful, Dandy Nichols's timing and expressions were impeccable, a true master of reaction comedy. Plus the well known antagonism that was genuinely held by the two leads added frisson to the performances, sadly lacking here. If we could turn the clock back, and have these remakes with some of the other actors considered for the Alf Garnett role performing the part, that would have been far more interesting. To see Lionel Jeffries's interpretation, or Leo McKern, but a straight impression seems pointless. And as others have said where was the moustache, and why the stage setting which was distracting, and to be honest it didn't take much to get distracted.

I think they said it was the actual original script.

Alas I found it too tedious.

Quote: Aaron @ 1st September 2016, 11:45 PM

Johnny Speight's writing still shines.

View original

That was the main thing I took from this. I had forgotten how good Speight was in his prime. I need to go back to the originals/ I am also thinking I should check out The Arthur Haynes Show.

As with other programmes in this strand, this suffered from actors impersonating the original performer rather than inhabiting the character. Simon Day did okay as Alf, but it made you realise just how good Warren Mitchell was. Lizzie Roper also did okay, the two youngsters rather less so.

It was just ok for me, I never really noticed he didn't have a moustache until I saw the bit after the show.

Quote: Chappers @ 1st September 2016, 11:24 PM

What was the point?

View original

I meant the point is that you can't see the original of this particular episode being that it's wiped, so this is the nearest we can get.

If you just meant watch the original show generally, then fair enough, that will always be the preferable option.

It did seem a bit of a cop out, really. Maybe it was more offensive...?

I think anyone taking on a character as iconic as Alf, is on a hiding to nothing. It was like watching The Spice Girls cover The Rolling Stones.