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Bless This House movie (film) Vs TV series

Started by sheddyian, August 29, 2020, 07:30:32 PM

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sheddyian

Following on from the Are You Being served film discussion, I happened upon Bless This House film on Talking Pictures TV today.

I've watched it a few times over the years, and it's always made me chuckle at its daftness. It's very Carry-On (in all but name, really, even the writer as well as a lot of the cast) but not innuendo filled. More farce really. Mistaken intentions, daft slapstick etc.

After watching it some years back, I sought ought the TV series to watch, and was deeply disappointed. The film is great fun , the series is .. meh.

Anyone else agree?, and are there other examples of the film version of a UK TV series being better than the series?

Gulftastic

Please Sir!

The film seemed to be on lots when I was a kid and I always enjoyed it. John Alderton is brilliant.

Years later I saw some of the series. Bloody awful.

Quote from: sheddyian on August 29, 2020, 07:30:32 PM
Following on from the Are You Being served film discussion, I happened upon Bless This House film on Talking Pictures TV today.

I've watched it a few times over the years, and it's always made me chuckle at its daftness. It's very Carry-On (in all but name, really, even the writer as well as a lot of the cast) but not innuendo filled. More farce really. Mistaken intentions, daft slapstick etc.

After watching it some years back, I sought ought the TV series to watch, and was deeply disappointed. The film is great fun , the series is .. meh.

Anyone else agree?, and are there other examples of the film version of a UK TV series being better than the series?

There are some good episodes in there - I caught the one with the flashback to when they met recently, enjoyed that a lot.


Autopsy Turvey

The series was an early* adopter of the US approach to farming off different episodes to different writers, so they can vary enormously, but the film has the special attraction of Terry & June moving in next door, which to 70s comedy buffs is like what Alien vs Predator or a 'Marvel team-up' is to sci fi action buffs. Taking nothing away from Patsy Rowlands and Fred Mumford.

*although not that early, The Army Game was doing it in the 1950s

Dusty Substance

Quote from: sheddyian on August 29, 2020, 07:30:32 PM

Anyone else agree?, and are there other examples of the film version of a UK TV series being better than the series?

Holiday On The Buses is so much funnier and enjoyable than the original TV series - Bonus points for Wilfred Brambell.


Brundle-Fly

What I find noticeable about Bless This House the TV series is how Sid James channels Tony Hancock in his performance. He has the same world-weariness and his vocal delivery often has the same staccato rhythms as the lad himself. Not to say that Sid isn't brilliant in anything he takes on. Underrated actor.


Harry H Corbett as Harold Steptoe also channels Hancock IMHO.

Carla Lane wrote 25 episodes of Bless This House. Sally Geeson seems to have quit acting quite young. Patsy Rowlands was in 'The Squirrels', which I remember being in the 5.15 pm slot.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071057/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_57

Diana Coupland was married to Monty Norman and dubbed the singing part of Dr. No.

Jittlebags

Quote from: Dusty Substance on August 30, 2020, 07:53:19 PM
Holiday On The Buses is so much funnier and enjoyable than the original TV series - Bonus points for Wilfred Brambell.

+Queeny Watts and Arthur 'Yus' Mullard. Although he was a twat apparently. Painting the chalet scenes classic.

Tony Tony Tony

Reckon there are very few movies where the film surpassed, or even equalled, the TV comedy series. Probably because the writers weren't used to the long form possibilities offered by a ninety minute or so episode. Possible exceptions, where the movie is just about as good as the series, being What ever Happened to the Likely Lads and Porridge.

At the other end of the spectrum are Dad's Army and Rising Damp where the film adaptations were simply woeful (especially the Dads Army movie remake).   

gilbertharding

Quote from: Satchmo Distel on August 30, 2020, 11:24:37 PM
Carla Lane wrote 25 episodes of Bless This House.

It's great fun to watch the depictions of Young People in all of these sixventies sitcoms. Always *far* to old (eg Robin Asquith*). Hair all wrong, clothes too whacky, if they have cars, they're decorated with flowers... Central Casting hippies (I think there was an episode of The Saint where he was mixing it with Beatniks, about 5 years too late). Carla Lane has terrific form with this - the kids in Butterflies.

Similarly, the casting/wardrobe people do a weird thing with homosexuals, where they all have neckerchiefs and smoke pipes.

There has to be a thesis in this somewhere: Depictions of Otherness in ITV Sitcoms.


*Robin Asquith was in his mid 20s in the the mid-70s. His hair was in its mid-20s, but his face was in its 40s. Like a collapsed blancmange.

Jake Thingray

Quote from: Satchmo Distel on August 30, 2020, 11:24:37 PM
Diana Coupland was married to Monty Norman and dubbed the singing part of Dr. No.

Rather good obituary of her in the Guardian, still on their website.

Dr Rock

It's called 'Blester's House.' Sid James is Blester. That's what I used to think anyway.