Topic: Comedies that you can only remember one line/moment from.

[Jockice]

Christ! That is eerie. I immediately thought of this sitcom. The only thing I remember was the ritual the girls would perform when they all sat down for dinner. They'd each grab their cutlery with both hands, bang them several times on the table, then tossed the knives and forks over their shoulders and ate feverishly with their hands. This was very appealing to a six-year-old me and I only once recreated it.

Because you managed to kill both your parents due to stab wounds while doing it? Well, these things happen, don't they?

New page careless memories.

[Ignatius_S]

I think this might've been more a CITV comedy rather than a grown-ups comedy, but a sort of Mr Bean-esque sitcom from around late 80s/early 90s called Bradley, starring Paul Bradley. There's barely anything I can find out about it online - certainly no clips - and the only memory I have of it is from a scene of its recurring gimmick where the main character, Bradley, talks to himself in a full length dress mirror, with his reflection talking back to him in a two-way conversation.

I can't even remember what's said. All I can remember is the setting, which from memory was an almost completely dark set, with the only things being lit were the main character and the mirror which talks back to him.

It was a CITV show and a very solid one. You’re right about the mirror - Bradley’s mirror reflection was the opposite to Bradley; the former despaired of the latter’s scruffy demeanour and laidback likeable demeanour.

It wasn’t a dark set, though. The only episode I recall is Bradley, after being nagged to do so by the mirror, goes to get his haircut… with unexpected consequences (i.e. accidentally causes chaos).

Re: Mr Bean - didn’t get that vibe with Bradley, David Schneider’s Uncle Max series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Max) on the other hand… going from memory, some nice bits of business but rather patchy.

[Ignatius_S]

Been thinking about this off-and-on for about 20 years, and it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title

It's a pretty catchy song.

The show is available on DVD, but it's a shame that it hasn't been repeated on TV.

Going back to the Anarchy/Anna Key episode, the song was written by Hugo, a recurring friend of the daughters, played by David Neville.

Neville memorably threatens Basil in the Basil the Rat episode of Fawlty Towers and his fiancee is played by Sabrina Franklyn, who played one of the daughters in Keep it in the Family (I think two actors played that role, but she was in the Anna Key episode).

[Ignatius_S]

When I was a small child I'm sure my favourite sitcom, or at least the one that was on every week, was William Gaunt vehicle No Place Like Home which I'm sure ran for several years, but all I can remember is the bit in the titles where there was a sign saying "No Place Like Home" that fell off the wall (accompanied by terrible tinkly piano music that I'm not sure if it was a well-known tune of the day). No idea about any of the characters or plots or situations.

The theme song was a rendition (out of tune as you say) of No Place Like Home.

The show's set-up was that the grown-up children returning to live at home, much to the chagrin of the parents. Early role for Martin Clunes, as one of the children. Daniel Hill played an incredibly annoying son-in-law, who becomes a traffic warden.

Repeated a few years ago on GOLD and in previous discussions, quite well regarded here.

[Captain Z]

I can only remember one moment from Absolutely Fabulous. They're just leaving the house to go off on holiday and the exchange goes something like:

"Sure you've got everything?"
"Yes, of course"
*closes door*
...
*Saunders bursts back in*
"Money, tickets, passport! Money, tickets, passport!"

I'm sure more would come back if I rewatched it.

[Thosworth]

Dear John. Can't remember a single thing happening in any episode other than the woman running the singles club asking every new member "Were there any ... sexual problems?"

[icehaven]

I remember one single moment from Shelley, in which Shelley pulls a suitcase out from under a bed. That's literally all I remember about the whole programme (apart from the feem toon of course.)

[jobotic]

Dear John. Can't remember a single thing happening in any episode other than the woman running the singles club asking every new member "Were there any ... sexual problems?"

Not Green Door?

Beyond that and the set of the evening class centre and the landing at John's bedsit all i can really remember is the sexual problems.

And Kirk calling Belinda Lang "frigid".

[jobotic]

Was Budgie a comedy? I'd have been a toddler when it was first on but it must have been shown again in the late eighties or something.

I remember what it looked like but that's it.

[Jockice]

I remember one single moment from Shelley, in which Shelley pulls a suitcase out from under a bed. That's literally all I remember about the whole programme (apart from the feem toon of course.)

That's more than I can remember. Although there was a bloke who went to one of my local pubs who looked a bit like Hywel Bennett, so everyone called him Shelley. I haven't the slightest idea what his real name is or indeed if he actually had one.

[Ignatius_S]

Was Budgie a comedy? I'd have been a toddler when it was first on but it must have been shown again in the late eighties or something.

I remember what it looked like but that's it.

More a drama - could say it's a comedy-drama. Think it was C4 that repeated it in the 1980s - Talking Pictures have been showing it very recently.

[jobotic]

Just think, there'll be a thread like this in thirty years time about all your favourites. If we are still alive as a species.

[icehaven]

Just think, there'll be a thread like this in thirty years time about all your favourites.

A lot of CaB comedy favourites already are nearly 30 years old!

[Gulftastic]

Two spring to mind.

Whiz Kids, an early 80s show about computer savvy youngsters in that there America. I know I watched it, but the only thing I can remember is a comment when one of the kids' family became a 'Neilson family', and realising they could hack the box that recorded their viewing habits with the comment 'If we had this last year we could have made 'Square Pegs' the number one show!'

Best Of The West, a sitcom set in the wild west. All I can remember is them celebrating some good news related to a railroad (possibly that the line was going to come through their town) and dancing round the town saloon with a wooden chair turned upside down so that the back slightly resembled a steam train's cow catcher.

[Gurke and Hare]

I remember one moment from Shelley - he was doing his driving test, and he started the car by hotwiring it.

And Hardware wasn't shit, it was good.

[paruses]

I remember one moment from Shelley - him opening the door to his bedsit. Does anyone remember more of Shelsley? I do remember when ITV brought it back and few peolple were going on like it was a lost masterpiece.

[JamesTC]

For some reason a topical BBC Three show from around 15 years ago has one sketch stuck in my mind. It was something like "Things that rhyme with Bird Flu" and one of the suggestions was "flird blu". No idea why I remember it.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

"I want you to bang me til it comes out my ears"

From the "previously on.." bit at the start of some sitcom with Sheridan Smith. Made it through about 3 minutes of the episode

[poodlefaker]

A sitcom from the late 70s or early 80s a bit like Shelley - it might even have been Shelley - where the main character was down on his luck and ended up living in strange places (eg a shipping container) and the opening shot was him putting his empty milk bottle outside.

[I.D. Smith]

It was a CITV show and a very solid one. You’re right about the mirror - Bradley’s mirror reflection was the opposite to Bradley; the former despaired of the latter’s scruffy demeanour and laidback likeable demeanour.

It wasn’t a dark set, though. The only episode I recall is Bradley, after being nagged to do so by the mirror, goes to get his haircut… with unexpected consequences (i.e. accidentally causes chaos).

Re: Mr Bean - didn’t get that vibe with Bradley, David Schneider’s Uncle Max series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Max) on the other hand… going from memory, some nice bits of business but rather patchy.

I'm just really happy someone else remembers it, so thank you! It's been a memory that's been buried in my brain for 30 years, and although I know the show definitely existed (it's listed on Paul Bradley's IMDB) there's nothing else I can find online about it. No clips, screengrabs, references to it on 80s UK nostalgia blogs, nowt.

I think the Mr Bean thing came from my memory of the main character being a bit of an immature loner in a suit, and I guess my child brain lumped him together with Mr Bean at the time (although checking now it looks like Mr Bean was first broadcast the year after Bradley). Also, I seem to remember a strain of poignancy running through it, as if you were meant to feel a little sorry for this lone man who talks to his reflection, but again that could be just my child brain deciding to attach that vibe to the show. Thanks for the info anyway!

[Aleister Growley]

I half-remember a scene from Dear John with Tosh Lines from The Bill in it. He wasa  faded glam-rock star.
He sung a song that went "You know that I love you/ I think the world of you/ But don't break my heart this way/ Not on my birthday."
 I hope this was real. Though if it was not then I am a songwriting genius.

[Small Potatoes]

A sitcom from the late 70s or early 80s a bit like Shelley - it might even have been Shelley - where the main character was down on his luck and ended up living in strange places (eg a shipping container) and the opening shot was him putting his empty milk bottle outside.

Christ, this rings a bell and it’s going to bug me until someone tells me what is was. I don’t think it was Shelley - not sure he was ever actually homeless, was he?

[Gulftastic]

I half-remember a scene from Dear John with Tosh Lines from The Bill in it. He wasa  faded glam-rock star.
He sung a song that went "You know that I love you/ I think the world of you/ But don't break my heart this way/ Not on my birthday."
 I hope this was real. Though if it was not then I am a songwriting genius.

Ricky Fortune! Still gets sung on drunken birthday nights out.

[jobotic]

I'm sorry but the first three seconds of this just made me laugh out loud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnRqgxdnU14

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

I half-remember a scene from Dear John with Tosh Lines from The Bill in it. He wasa  faded glam-rock star.
He sung a song that went "You know that I love you/ I think the world of you/ But don't break my heart this way/ Not on my birthday."
 I hope this was real. Though if it was not then I am a songwriting genius.

This episode was refilmed with exactly the same script for the American version ( with Judd Hirsch as John, already referenced in this thread). Trevor Eve Friday at 9:00 on BBC 2
, putting on an American accent, played  the faded glam rock- star role.

[Menu]

It was Hardware. I sometimes think about it, because it was around the time that Freeman and Serafinowicz were known enough to be given middle of the road shit like this, but not yet famous enough to not have to do middle of the road shit like this. It's the very definition of a stepping stone career move.

I really liked it but it fell foul of the perennial problem of ITV not having a fucking clue what to do with sitcoms. It was on Sunday nights at about 1030 to begin with but then floated around all over the place. My memory says it had two seasons but that may be wrong. I think it may have been the inspiration for the crap sitcom in Extras but, if so, that's very unfair and probably based solely on Morley's gurning. It was written by Simon Nye btw, who has probably created more unfairly cancelled sitcoms than any other writer. I think there may be a dvd. If so, get it. Ironically, it's funnier than Extras.

[Menu]

I'm sorry but the first three seconds of this just made me laugh out loud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnRqgxdnU14

Who's the woman in the US version. She looks very familiar?

[Menu]

Christ, this rings a bell and it’s going to bug me until someone tells me what is was. I don’t think it was Shelley - not sure he was ever actually homeless, was he?

Rings a bell for me too. Perhaps a kids show?

[Psmith]

Piff Paff Poff! I want to have it off 'till I cough!

I remember that from The High Life but nothing else.I did regularly  watch it though so it must have amused me at the time

[Gulftastic]

Who's the woman in the US version. She looks very familiar?

I thought so too, so I looked her up. The only thing she's in that I am very familiar with is one if the Austin Powers films. She is in one of the 'penis' montages, specifically the 'Pecker!' bit.