In the mid-80's, there was a televised debate on the way ethnic minorities were portrayed in the media. Amongst the speakers was B.B.C.-1 Controller Michael Grade, who boasted he had, during his time at London Weekend Television, axed the hit sitcom 'Mind Your Language', describing it as 'thirty minutes of racial slurs'. He did not point out that this was only after the programme had notched up its third season. On the ball, wasn't he?
The penultimate episode of Season 1 is a remake of an edition of 'Two In Clover' - Episode 5 Season 1 to be exact. In that, Sid Turner ( Sid James ) of Clover Farm learnt who his parents ( J.G. Devlin and Hazel Coppen ) were, and was thoroughly ashamed of them. They were not even legally wed.
Here English teacher Jeremy Brown ( Barry Evans ) makes the same discovery concerning Sid the caretaker ( Tommy Godfrey ) and his battle axe of a wife Lil ( Rita Webb ). He graciously offers to pay for their wedding, but then finds out the child they left on the doorstep of the orphanage in Jeremy Street all those years ago was a girl!
This must have been a difficult script for Evans to perform, given that he was a foundling ( a baby abandoned by its parents ) in real life. George Layton revealed the fact in 2008 on I.T.V.'s 'Comedy Classics' documentary about 'Doctor In The House'.
Deirdre Costello, who plays sexy barmaid 'Mavis', was 'Linda Preston' in Peter Tinniswood's delightful 'I Didn't Know You Cared'.
Funniest moment - Brown imagining what life might have been like had he not been abandoned. We see him - wearing a grotty leather jacket and talking like a hard case - and Sid drinking pints in a smoke-filled pub. Very 'Billy Liar'-ish and very unusual for this show.
The penultimate episode of Season 1 is a remake of an edition of 'Two In Clover' - Episode 5 Season 1 to be exact. In that, Sid Turner ( Sid James ) of Clover Farm learnt who his parents ( J.G. Devlin and Hazel Coppen ) were, and was thoroughly ashamed of them. They were not even legally wed.
Here English teacher Jeremy Brown ( Barry Evans ) makes the same discovery concerning Sid the caretaker ( Tommy Godfrey ) and his battle axe of a wife Lil ( Rita Webb ). He graciously offers to pay for their wedding, but then finds out the child they left on the doorstep of the orphanage in Jeremy Street all those years ago was a girl!
This must have been a difficult script for Evans to perform, given that he was a foundling ( a baby abandoned by its parents ) in real life. George Layton revealed the fact in 2008 on I.T.V.'s 'Comedy Classics' documentary about 'Doctor In The House'.
Deirdre Costello, who plays sexy barmaid 'Mavis', was 'Linda Preston' in Peter Tinniswood's delightful 'I Didn't Know You Cared'.
Funniest moment - Brown imagining what life might have been like had he not been abandoned. We see him - wearing a grotty leather jacket and talking like a hard case - and Sid drinking pints in a smoke-filled pub. Very 'Billy Liar'-ish and very unusual for this show.
