STEVE HATCHER returns to some of those lesser-known sitcoms.

First broadcast on FAB RADIO INTERNATIONAL at 19:00 on October 6th 2024.

Earlier in the year, STEVE HATCHER started taking us on a guided tour of some of the more forgotten TV sitcoms from the 1960s, and we thought it was about time that we went back and picked up where we left off in taking a look at the not insubstantial list of ancient television rib-ticklers that he’s been studiously working his way through.

So, over the course of the next hour, we’ll touch briefly upon the ATV HANCOCK series that’s apparently finally been given an airing on REWIND TV, before investigating STEVE’S list and talking about CITIZEN JAMES, the BBC series written for SID JAMES after the acrimonious split with HANCOCK; BEGGAR MY NEIGHBOUR, a mid-sixties class and workplace comedy initially starring PETER JONES, with JUNE WHITFIELD, REG VARNEY, and PAT COOMBS; SAM AND JANET a “married with children” set up which featured JOHN JUNKIN and VIVIENNE MARTIN; NOT IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN, a terribly middle-class hit that launched WENDY CRAIG into playing similar roles for the next couple of decades; and MISTER DIGBY DARLING which again featured PETER JONES in a workplace sitcom alongside SHIELA HANCOCK (No relation).

We also have a bit of a natter about a few other things that the topic of the sitcom happens to prompt, whilst I wonder about the fact that several of these scenarios seemed to turn up time and again with slight twists on the recognised formula.

Incidentally, if afterwards you want to seek out our earlier discussion on almost forgotten sixties sitcoms, you can find that in the 188th episode of VISION ON SOUND if you are looking for it, which, like all of our previous episodes, can be found on spotify by typing VISION ON SOUND into the podcast search box.

PLEASE NOTE - For Copyright reasons, musical content sometimes has to be removed for the podcast edition. All the spoken word content remains (mostly) as it was in the broadcast version. Hopefully this won't spoil your enjoyment of the show.