Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Dec 21, 2021 19:01:47 GMT
L for Lester. Brian Murphy from George and Mildred was in it, it was about a driving school I think it was late 81 or 82, and it wasn't very good. A few faces in it, John Forgeham, Amanda Barrie and James Cossins (the bloke Basil thought was a hotel inspector)
Only one series and never been repeated
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jan 3, 2022 20:39:51 GMT
I've seen some of L For Lester on youtube, I was surprised to read that it was shown on BBC2 as it feels like an ITV sitcom of the 80's.
I find Brian Murphy's character quite irritating, not helped by the syrup he's wearing. There are certainly far more forgettable sitcoms than good ones & this is one.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Mar 24, 2022 20:04:00 GMT
'Trouble In Mind' is a sitcom you might vaguely remember from 1990 currently showing on Forces TV. It stars Richard O'Sullivan as a psychiatrist & Susan Penhaligon as his wife & lasted for 9 episodes. Six of the episodes were written by 2 actors, Tony Millan who is best known for playing Tucker in 'Citizen Smith' & Mike Walling who played Jacko's brother in 'Brush Strokes'. If you needed any proof that sitcom actors don't make for good sitcom writers then this show is it, it is dismally unfunny.
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Mar 25, 2022 12:11:32 GMT
Tony Millan who is best known for playing Tucker in 'Citizen Smith' & Mike Walling who played Jacko's brother in 'Brush Strokes'. If you needed any proof that sitcom actors don't make for good sitcom writers then this show is it, it is dismally unfunny. I vaguely remember Mike Walling started out on New Faces as one half of a comedy act with Mike Carline, known as Carline and Walling. The act centred around them being inept and they would end their act with the line, if we both sneak off stage quietly, no-one will notice... which summed up their act really. I think Mike Walling's comedy partner died and he took up acting. I think you're right about the results of sitcom actors wanting a shot at writing a few episodes. The only exception being the Doctor series where Chapman, Cleese, Bill Oddie and Graham Garden wrote some decent scripts.
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Palmer
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Post by Palmer on Mar 25, 2022 12:42:10 GMT
'Trouble In Mind' is a sitcom you might vaguely remember from 1990 currently showing on Forces TV. It stars Richard O'Sullivan as a psychiatrist & Susan Penhaligon as his wife & lasted for 9 episodes. Six of the episodes were written by 2 actors, Tony Millan who is best known for playing Tucker in 'Citizen Smith' & Mike Walling who played Jacko's brother in 'Brush Strokes'. If you needed any proof that sitcom actors don't make for good sitcom writers then this show is it, it is dismally unfunny. I imagine this must have been one of Richards last starring television roles...?!
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Palmer
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Post by Palmer on Mar 25, 2022 12:47:07 GMT
I love this thread... So many great shows to remember!
Can any of you help with a television show I am desperately trying to remember (don't worry if you can't)?!?!
I recall seeing this television show during the day (can't beat a school sick day for discovering good/bland telly!!!) and it was about a local country vet.
The one thing I vividly recall is is that he drove a Volvo Amazon estate until it expired and some friends and/or locals clubbed together to buy him a Range Rover that he then used...
I must have seen the show in the late(ish) 1980's but it looked and felt like it was from the late 1970's or early 1980's.
I know this isn't much to go on but does it ring any bells (or even a small, singular bell!) with any of you good folk??!!
???
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Mar 25, 2022 13:41:38 GMT
I love this thread... So many great shows to remember! Can any of you help with a television show I am desperately trying to remember (don't worry if you can't)?!?! I recall seeing this television show during the day (can't beat a school sick day for discovering good/bland telly!!!) and it was about a local country vet. The one thing I vividly recall is is that he drove a Volvo Amazon estate until it expired and some friends and/or locals clubbed together to buy him a Range Rover that he then used... It wasn't the series based on David Taylor's Zoo Vet books, was it ? I think it was called One By One - mid 80s.
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Palmer
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Post by Palmer on Mar 25, 2022 14:23:24 GMT
Thank you for that, that might well be just the show.
It is really hard to say as I remember so very little of that specific program (I was ever so young)!!!
All I remember is the Volvo Amazon Estate and the Range Rover!
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Mar 25, 2022 19:20:45 GMT
Yes, I think I remember "One by One", we used to watch it as a family. Looking it up, it starred Rob Heyland as the main vet character and James Ellis was also in the regular cast as his colleague.
It was meant to be a period series, set in the 60's and early 70's as the series went on, - yep I remember the Volvo Amazon estate too! The series were first transmitted between 1984 to 1987.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Mar 25, 2022 23:23:22 GMT
Yes looks like 'Trouble In Mind' was Richard O'Sullivan's last acting role apart from a short film though he was in the promo video for 'I Was Born On Christmas Day' by the band St.Etienne in 1993. Speaking of actors who wrote sitcoms it seems his last tv appearance was on George Layton's 'This Is Your Life' in 1999 according to imdb. I have the dvd of 'Carry On Teacher' & O'Sullivan is on the commentary track with a couple of other fellow actors but from memory he barely spoke, just the odd murmur. Possibly his speech was affected by his stroke. In the 90's my brother helped organise a charity cricket match as part of his job, one of the players was O'Sullivan, he mentioned that he was quiet but I think my brother did speak to him, something like 'I love your shows' & he said 'very kind, thank you' or similar. Kenny Lynch was one of the other players. George Layton & Jonathan Lynn, both actors, aren't bad sitcom writers, though I read that one of the reasons why Reg Varney left 'On The Buses' was he thought their scripts were 'crude', though Bob Grant & Stephen Lewis wrote 12 episodes of OTB towards the end. Watched another couple of episodes of 'Trouble In Mind', there was a slow motion bedroom sequence in it that was Even the opening title sequence of the show is one of the worst I've seen. O'Sullivan wrote the theme, it's probably a nice little tune but unlike the 'Robin's Nest' theme which I think still sounds good, this one sounds terrible.
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