Men behaving badly are a staple of the Britcom, and I think that The Likely Lads was definitely one of the first shows to tap into this idea. Now, if you know about this show, you'll also probably know that a lot of it doesn't actually exist. See, the BBC wiped a lot of their series from this time, so only eight episodes of The Likely Lads actually exist, with the rest of them being lost. This may make talking about it as little bit difficult, but it's still a quintessential sitcom, so I'm still going to cover it.
Basically, it's about the friendship between two working class men in Newcastle, and the various shenanigans they get up to. And while that is a typically simple premise, honestly it's not one that stands out for me very much. I mean it's definitely a classic, and it's got it's funny moments, but it just doesn't have anything exemplary going for it. Don't get me wrong, it's overall a very fun show, but compared to other sitcoms from that period, it just doesn't stand out all that much for me.
So why am I talking about it? Well, it's an essential Britcom for sure, being the first major example of men behaving badly, and it's also a pretty nice time capsule for 60s culture too. It's also a noteworthy example of how the wiping policy affected shows, and I think that it's partial destruction is part of the reason it doesn't stand out all that much. Yeah Britcoms typically don't have too many episodes anyway, but that's usually by design. With this show, it feels like there's more to be said, because there evidently is. Look, it's a really fun show, and it's undoubtedly harmless, but if you're looking for the funniest, best written and most overall memorable Britcom, look elsewhere
No comments:
Post a Comment