"Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?" No Hiding Place (TV Episode 1973) Poster

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10/10
"You'll never stick it out!"
ShadeGrenade2 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Bob takes Terry to a trendy hairdresser's, where his friend is shocked to see men working alongside women. He jumps to the wrong conclusion about their sexuality.

As they prepare to have their hair washed and restyled, an old friend ( enemy? ) called Brian Flint strides in, and, removing his cap, reveals himself to be nearly bald.

Bob and Terry are looking forward to a soccer match between England and Romania, due to be played that afternoon, but televised late in the evening. Flint tries to spoil it by blabbing the result. They flee to the nearest pub, but he follows. Actually, Flint knows nothing, because the match has only just started. He bets them a fiver each they cannot go through the day without hearing the outcome. They accept the challenge...

A strong candidate for the title of 'Best Ever Episode of W.H.T.T.L.L.', this was trotted out by the B.B.C. regularly for many years afterwards as a prelude to big football matches. You would think that it would be easy to avoid one man in a place like Newcastle, but Flint is cleverer than he appears, and like a bloodhound tracks them wherever they go, firstly to Audrey's home ( which he phones ), then a church, and finally to Bob's new house.

We never quite find out who 'Brian Flint' is; is he an old work colleague, drinking buddy, or what? He comes across as a big-headed and unpleasant person who delights in making others uncomfortable. The role is superbly played by the late, much-missed Brian Glover, who went on to play the dimwitted 'Heslop' in Clement and La Frenais's other classic sitcom 'Porridge'. 'Flint' was never seen again after this, which is a shame.

Bob and Terry's fear at discovering the result of the match is palpable, emphasising the importance of football in their lives. No Thelma I'm afraid, but Audrey is very good here, especially when she fantasises about her West Indian lover - a limbo dancer. "He's upstairs, lowering his pole!", she says, in a sexy manner that would have done credit to Mae West.

The scene in the hairdressers makes me cringe whenever I see it now. Flared trousers! Long sideburns! Garish shirts! Oh no! One of the stylists is Drina Pavlovic, who two years earlier had been in the fourth series of 'Please Sir!' as the sexy Celia.

Funniest moment - the look on the face of the one-legged news vendor as he sees a car with no driver speed past!

Later remade ( rather badly ) by I.T.V., starring Ant & Dec.
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9/10
No Hiding Place
Prismark1027 January 2023
One of the best known episodes of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? It was later remade by ITV with Ant and Dec.

Strangely this could never be made today. As there is so much live football. It worked back in the 1970s though.

Terry and Bob are looking forward to watching highlights of the England versus Bulgaria match. They want to go through the day without knowing the results until the match is shown on television later in the evening.

Unfortunately they bet a man called Flint (Brian Glover) £10 that they cannot go through the day without finding out the results.

Flint is determined to spoil it for them and win the bet. Even finding the boys in Church as they try to get away from Flint.

I still remember the lines from this episodes, when Terry tells Bob that he caught a glimpse of a newspaper banner headline.

Very funny and a comedy classic. Although the scenes at the hairdressers are really of its time.
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9/10
One of the best episodes.
tonygarraway20093 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
England are playing an international match away from home and the highlights are due to be broadcast on TV late in the evening. Bob and Terry love their football but do not want to know the result. This is due to the fact that they are looking forward to watching the highlights at the end of the day. They have a bet with a character called Flint (played brilliantly by Brian Glover) .He thinks that Bob and Terry will be unable to survive the day without finding out the match result.

Without doubt this is one of the most memorable episodes of the Likely Lads. The whole episode revolves around the duo's struggle to avoid knowing the result of the match. They even seek refuge in the local church. The final outcome (the fact that the match was postponed after all) just adds to a great episode.

I rate this 9/10.
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9/10
A classic episode.
Sleepin_Dragon15 June 2023
England are playing an early match out in Bulgaria, and the boys want to watch the match later on, and make an evening of it, they are bet £10 by old mate Flint, that they'll learn the result.

Classic episode, best episode of the first series, a classic scenario, with great one liners, funny visuals, and a very relatable theme for sports fans.

Brian Glover was quite prolific, he was very funny as Flint, an unmistakable voice.

Terry is quite a progressive guy, his attitude is very different to Bob's, people assume that every football fan in the 1970's displayed every conceivable phobia, perhaps people were a bit more reasonable.

The scenario was perfectly conceivable, several years back Wales played Ireland for the grand slam, and I managed to get home from Cardiff, into my home town, without knowing the score, I got home, two hours after the match, and an elderly lady shouted out 'magical result' so I understand.

9/10.
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