Robert Gillespie

But despite his lunacy, we take Dudley for granted, and that's a testament to the skills of Robert Gillespie. In the 1970s, he memorably played a small supporting role in just one episode of both The Good Life and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, and more than held his own against the like of Bolam, Bewes and Briers. So he certainly deserved a lead role, but the scripts of Keep it in the Family aren't really up to much. Sitcom cliches that were clapped out even by 1980 are shamelessly reused.