My Carry On Christmas Wishlist

Christmas is upon us once again. Oh joy! While some of us may have other things to think about as it's only just the start of December, I'm launching right in there with my festive Carry On Christmas wish list. 

I've already seen some of the television scheduling for the 2017 festive season and to be frank it's not really retro enough for me so if any schedulers, executives or otherwise influential people are reading, here is my Christmas comedy wishlist:

There's nothing like a black and white film at Christmas...

I love black and white movies. There is something so very special and charming about them. They also have a lot of style and sophistication that colour films can lack. So let's have some wonderful black and white classics on the tellybox this Christmas. And no I don't mean Citizen Kane or It's A Wonderful Life, I mean something a little closer to home. I've always thought the original Norman Hudis black and white Carry Ons deserve more prominence in the schedules these days are they really are well written, beautifully acted and filmed comedies in their own right. So come on Channel 4 or BBC 2 - why not bung on Carry On Nurse over Christmas? Or maybe even my personal favourite, Carry On Cabby. It would make this fan very happy indeed. 

The glory days of the festive TV special

The Carry On team made four Christmas specials for Thames Television between 1969 and 1973. They were always a ragbag, cheap and cheerful concoction but featured casts of wonderful actors game for a laugh. Nearly all the regulars appeared, with the exception of Kenneth Williams, so there's plenty to enjoy. My own personal favourites are the original special shown in 1969 and featuring a barnstorming guest turn from Frankie Howerd and a joyous Carry On panto sketch which should have been feature length in its own right! I also love the much naughtier 1973 special, featuring Sid as a rather unorthodox department store Santa. Various sketches are introduced by Sid starring the likes of Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor and Peter Butterworth but it's one of the earliest scenes that lives long in the memory co-starring Joan and Barbara Windsor as a rather advanced school girl. They couldn't get away with that nowadays! Channel 5 showed some of these a few years back and I think it's high time they were given another broadcast.

Seventies Sitcom Christmas specials

They just don't make them like they used to. For me the seventies were the glory days of television domestic sitcoms and I'm afraid the likes of Mrs Brown's Boys really just doesn't cut it. I have a few classic sitcom episodes I wish they would show again. One of these is an episode of Sykes from Christmas 1975 which sees Eric and Hattie join Corky Turnbull for the festive season. There is a wonderful wordless cameo from the actress Sheila Steafel and I remember it being very funny indeed.

Although not strictly Carry On related I'd also love to see one of the Please Sir Christmas specials from the early 70s. Another rarely shown series these days but anything with Joan Sanderson in it must be good! And finally, we all know Terry and June but how about showing some festive episodes of its predecessor, Happy Ever After? This series starring Terry, June and Beryl Cooke, ran from 1974 until 1978.

What about a Carry On blockbuster on Christmas Day?

ITV seem to limit their Carry On output to ITV3 and while their commitment to this over the past few years has been admirable, how about showing one of the very best, classic Carry Ons on the main network channel on Christmas Day? An afternoon showing of Carry On Up The Khyber would be a wonderful addition to the schedules and the sight of Sid, Joan, Kenneth and Peter in all their glory would make me stick around for the Queen's message.  

So that's what would make this fan happy over the festive season, what would be on your wishlist?

 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Sykes - The Complete Series on DVD!

Those lovely people at Network Distributing will soon be releasing Sykes: The Complete Series on DVD! The set will be available from 26 June and it will contain every episode from the 1970s BBC relaunch of this wonderful comedy series.

Starring Eric Sykes (The Others, Harry Potter) and Hattie Jacques (Carry On films) as twins living and ever so slightly surreal life in this BBC comedy series. Eric and Hattie annoy their snobbish neighbor Mr Brown (Richard Wattis) and aggravate the local PC Corky Turnbull (Deryck Guyler) and generally make a nuisance of themselves in this long running BBC sitcom which aired between 1972 – 1979 and followed Sykes and Jacques previous collaborations Sykes and a… (1960-1965) and Sykes and a Big, Big Show. 

Showcasing Eric's whimsical, slightly anarchic sense of humour, Sykes saw Eric playing an alternate version of himself - just one step removed from normality! Sharing a house with his twin sister Hat, Eric has to suffer the slings and arrows of everyday life, something he invariably does with bad grace and obstinacy. With snobbish neighbour Mr Brown and nosey local PC "Corky" Turnbull always on hand to help turn a drama into a crisis, it's no wonder Eric spends half his time fantasising and the other half coping with catastrophe!

The series features appearances from a whole host of British comedy talent including Peter Sellers, Joan Sims, Roy Kinnear, John Le Mesurier, Bernard Bresslaw, Joan Hickson and Bill Pertwee. 

Now, for the first time this new DVD set contains all seven series, 68 episodes in total.

You can find out more here: www.networkonair.com 

With thanks to Tom at Blue Dolphin PR. For now I'll leave you with the wonderful intro from the series...

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

My Review of Sykes: The Complete Series

 

As I've previously blogged, Network On Air will be releasing the Complete Sykes on DVD, tomorrow 26 June! Sykes has always been one of my very favourite classic comedy series and I was thrilled when offered the chance of a sneak preview of the new DVD set. The set comprises all 68 episodes of the colour series broadcast on the BBC between 1972 and 1979. The first colour series from 1972 was issued on DVD some years back however this is the first time every episode from the relaunched programme has been available for fans to own.

Sykes is a glorious semi-surreal domestic sitcom which at the heart is all about the joyous chemistry between long time collaborators Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques. As twins Eric and Hat, life at Sebastopol Terrace, East Acton, was always full of surprises. While the series features a host of well-known, colourful guest stars, for me it's all about Sykes and Jacques. Sykes, who also wrote all the episodes, is playing the slightly pompous arrogant little man, finding himself in a host of tricky situations. Jacques meanwhile steps away from the bombastic Matron persona of the Carry Ons to play a softer character who is normally the voice of reason when her brother gets above himself. I always loved Sykes for the fact the writing very very rarely touched upon Hattie's size, something which could sometimes dominate in the Carry Ons. Sykes features by far some of my favourite performances from Hattie, surely one of our all-time greatest comic actresses.

 

For me the first series from 1972 features the best quality scripts and stories. Many of them are simply remade from the original 1960s black and white Sykes and A ... which ran from 1960 to 1965. That doesn't matter - if they feel at all familiar it's only in a comforting sense. My all-time favourite episode has to be the one featuring Peter Sellers as the escaped convict Tommy Grando. This episode, "Stranger" features a rare television performance from Sellers, who obviously goes back a long way with Eric. The chemistry between the three lead actors is superb and it's clear they can hardly keep a straight face throughout. The studio audience reaction is catching and the whole episode a complete joy.

Sykes also features other regular characters. The peerless Richard Wattis plays the snooty, snobbish next door neighbour Mr Brown, very much Eric's nemesis. The pair work brilliantly against each other. Such a shame that Wattis passed away during the run - his absence from the later series is keenly felt. Also along for the entire run is Please Sir! favourite Deryck Guyler as P.C Corky Turnbull. Corky is probably the world's most incompetent police constable but Guyler brings along a breezy sense of comedy and easy going charm and is a vital part of the series' success. Making several appearances throughout the run is Carry On favourite and Hattie's best friend, the wonderful Joan Sims. As bakery owner Madge Kettlewell, Joan is Eric's love interest and very nearly marries him at one stage! Joan is great as Madge and there are some fantastic bloopers included of Joan cracking up on set with Eric and Hattie which show Sims' tremendous sense of fun. It's just a shame she didn't feature more often in the show.

 

A host of other brilliant, well-known talent features in the series. The likes of Bernard Bresslaw, Roy Kinnear, John Le Mesurier, Joan Hickson, Dinah Sheridan, Sheila Steafel, Michael Ripper, Derek Francis, Les Dawson, Chic Murray, Hugh Paddick and Bill Maynard all appear throughout the run. The quality of the writing and the performances from all these wonderful talents really does make Sykes a cut above many other comedy series of the time.

The DVD set isn't cheap however it contains pristine versions of all 68 episodes, totaling nearly 2000 minutes of classic BBC comedy, of the kind they just don't make any more. The set has some interesting extras. They include a special interview with the late, great Eric Sykes; a special Spotlight programme on the comedian; behind the scenes footage from the studio as the series was filmed and an extensive booklet of extra information on the series written by television historian Andrew Pixley. 

 

The chance to own a complete set of this classic comedy is just too good an opportunity to miss. I grew up catching repeats of this series on BBC2 and sadly it appears yet another one of those shows that is just never broadcast on the television any more. This newly presented DVD box set is the perfect opportunity to relive some classic comedy and see some of our favourite comedy stars doing what they do best!

Sykes: The Complete Series is available from tomorrow, Monday 26 June.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

Sykes - The Complete Series on DVD

 

Those lovely people at Network Distributing will soon be releasing Sykes: The Complete Series on DVD! The set will be available from 26 June and it will contain every episode from the 1970s BBC relaunch of this wonderful comedy series.

Starring Eric Sykes (The Others, Harry Potter) and Hattie Jacques (Carry On films) as twins living and ever so slightly surreal life in this BBC comedy series. Eric and Hattie annoy their snobbish neighbor Mr Brown (Richard Wattis) and aggravate the local PC Cork Turnbull (Deryck Guyler) and generally make a nuisance of themselves in this long running BBC sitcom which aired between 1972 – 1979 and followed Sykes and Jacques previous collaborations Sykes and a… (1960-1965) and Sykes and a Big, Big Show. 

 

Showcasing Eric's whimsical, slightly anarchic sense of humour, Sykes saw Eric playing an alternate version of himself - just one step removed from normality! Sharing a house with his twin sister Hat, Eric has to suffer the slings and arrows of everyday life, something he invariably does with bad grace and obstinacy. With snobbish neighbour Mr Brown and nosey local PC "Corky" Turnbull always on hand to help turn a drama into a crisis, it's no wonder Eric spends half his time fantasising and the other half coping with catastrophe!

The series features appearances from a whole host of British comedy talent including Peter Sellers, Joan Sims, Roy Kinnear, John Le Mesurier, Bernard Bresslaw, Joan Hickson and Bill Pertwee. 

Now, for the first time this new DVD set contains all seven series, 68 episodes in total.

You can find out more here: www.networkonair.com 

I have just taken delivery of the DVD set and will be blogging a review of the series soon, so watch out for that!

With thanks to Tom at Blue Dolphin PR. For now I'll leave you with the wonderful intro from the series...

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

Life after the Carry Ons: Hattie Jacques

 

This is a new occasional series of blogs in which I will look at the careers of each of the main Carry On team players once they left the series. Some would go on to appear in many other productions over the years while others would sadly not be so fortunate. Today I am looking at the later career of Hattie Jacques.

Hattie's career had come to be dominated by the Carry On films. She made fourteen over the course of sixteen years, many of her performances relying on the popular Matron persona. While Hattie was always superb and flawless in these comedy parts, we can't help but assume she began to feel rather limited and constrained by the series and the lack of more dramatic parts that was the ultimate result. After a run of six early films in the series, Hattie took a break before returning for Carry On Doctor in 1967. She then appeared regularly until Carry On Dick in 1974.

I'm not sure if was intended as her last role in the series, but sadly Hattie would not make further Carry On appearances. I understand that due to Hattie's ongoing health problems Peter Rogers even struggled to provide the neccessary insurance to have Hattie on set for Carry On Dick. So what happened with the rest of Hattie's career?

 

  
Hattie did make one final Carry On-related appearance. She took part in one episode of the ATV Carry On Laughing television series, broadcast during 1975. Hattie was glorious as Elizabeth I in the episode "Orgy and Bess" bringing her back to work with familiar and muc-loved old colleagues Sid James, Kenneth Connor and Barbara Windsor. Much of the rest of Hattie's career focused on her continued involvement with long-term colleague Eric Sykes.

Eric and Hattie had played siblings in the original sitcom Sykes And A ... for the BBC between 1960 and 1965. The series returned in colour in 1972 and a series was made each year up to and including 1979. This would form the backbone of Hattie's working life towards the end of her career. The professional relationship with Sykes was equally fruitful on stage. Their show entitled A Hatful of Sykes toured provincial theatres in the UK for much of the latter half of the 1970s as well as venturing overseas. The show also featured Deryck Guyler, Corky in the series Sykes. Hattie continued to tour as late as 1979, despite burgeoning health problems. 

 

Hattie also made brief screen appearances in two commericals for television in the late 1970s. The first was in 1976 for British Rail and featured her in competition to reach her destination by train faster than racing driver Jackie Stewart. Hattie won of course. In 1979 she also starred in an advert for the supermarket chain Asda. Sadly, other than her work with Sykes, very little other acting work came her way at this time.

Hattie did keep busy though, despite her professional fortunes and health concerns. A devoted charity worker throughout her adult life, this activity only intensified as she grew older. Hattie was immensely generous both with her time and her money and cared deeply about a number of charities. She spent a great deal of her time fundraising, making public appearances and opening fetes, all for good causes. 

Hattie's last professional engagement took her back to work with Eric Sykes once more. In April 1980 she filmed a brief cameo in Sykes' silent film Rhubarb, Rhubarb. Hattie played a nanny in a cast which featured the likes of Roy Kinnear, Beryl Reid and Jimmy Edwards. Sadly by the autumn of 1980, Hattie's health had deteriorated further, not helped by incessant smoking. The death of her mother, to whom she was devoted, rocked her personally and this only added to her poor health. 

 

Hattie died at the age of just 58 on 6 October 1980. We lost one of our most talented and most loved comedy actresses. Hattie was a supreme actress with so much to give. It will also be sad that we lost her at such a young age and that she was often stuck behind the role of Matron, however we still have so many wonderful performances to enjoy. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook

 

Whatever Happened to ... Richard Wattis?

I have been selecting blog posts from my growing Carry On Blogging archive this week. I wanted to share this one again as I think the wonderful character actor Richard Wattis deserves to be remembered for his countless appearances on television and film.

Amazingly, Richard Wattis only appeared in one Carry On. He was one of those actors who seemed to pop up just about everywhere. He filmed a supporting role in Carry On Spying alongside Eric Barker in less than a week. Strangely, despite this successful appearance he wasn't asked back to do another film in the series.

Today Richard Wattis is probably best remembered for two roles. First of all, as the snobbish, insufferable neighbour Mr Brown in the BBC situation comedy series Sykes alongside Eric Sykes, Hattie Jacques and Deryck Guyler. Wattis appeared in both the original 1960s black and white series and the return, in colour, in 1972. Wattis also starred in several of the St Trinian's comedy films in the 1950s and 1960s. He always played the suited, cowardly man from the Ministry of Education, usually alongside the likes of Eric Barker again.

Richard Wattis played supporting roles in a wide variety of British films during the 1950s and 1960s, although his acting career dates back to 1938. Among his many screen credits are Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Monte Carlo Or Bust; Hobson's Choice; Dentist On The Job; Very Important Person; Confessions Of A Window Cleaner; The Longest Day; The Colditz Story and perhaps most famously, in The Prince and The Showgirl opposite Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe.

On television, apart from his long running role in Sykes, Richard Wattis appeared with Kenneth Williams in Dick and The Duchess and cropped up in the likes of Father, Dear Father; The Goodies; Danger Man and The Prisoner. Interestingly, Wattis did return to the Carry On fold in 1975. He filmed a short cameo role in the episode Orgy and Bess, part of the ATV television series Carry On Laughing. Unfortunately his role, along with that of the actor Simon Callow, was cut from the final screened episode.

Richard Wattis was born in Staffordshire in 1912. He began his working life in the family's electrical engineering film before turning to acting in the 1930s. His first screen appearance came in the film A Yank At Oxford, released in 1938. Wattis was widely known within the acting profession as being gay, at a time when being open about such things was difficult. He frequently appears in the pages of Kenneth Williams diaries during the 1960s and 1970s, often meeting Kenneth at parties. Richard, always known as Dickie to his friends, is given rather a hard time by Williams in the diaries, often described as being lonely and fond of a tipple or two. As always, one can take aspects of Kenneth's diaries with a large pinch of salt.

When researching this post, it came as rather a shock to realise that Richard Wattis passed away more than forty years ago. So many of his appearances on film and television are still very recognisable that it seems weird that he has been gone for so long. He died of a heart attack in a London restaurant on 1st February 1975 at the age of just 62. Kenneth Williams recorded the news in his diary:

When I went in to see Louie at 11.45 she said "It's been on the radio that Richard Wattis is dead!"  and we had a v subdued lunch in consequence. The BBC rang and asked me to talk about him. I went round to B.H and recalled his kindness to me, beginning with Dick and Duchess.

The Kenneth Williams Diaries,  p, 487

Richard Wattis was yet another one of that band of regular faces; reliable character actors who would turn up in film after film for years without ever truly becoming a star. They were the backbone of our film and television industry for decades.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan 

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The Wonderful World of Sebastopol Terrace

In the first of a series of blogging re-posts this week, here is a blog from earlier in the Summer where I sing the praises of Eric Sykes' classic 1960s and 70s television situation comedy, Sykes.

I would like to begin a series of blogs looking at the long running sitcom roles taken on by some of our favourite Carry On actors. Many of the Carry On team were incredibly prolific television comedy actors and managed to fit in series on television with their annual trips to Pinewood to rejoin the Carry On team.

One of my all time favourite British situation comedy is the BBC series Sykes, which starred the wonderful and much-missed comedy genius Eric Sykes. Playing his twin sister in the series was Carry On regular Hattie Jacques. Eric and Hattie enjoyed a wonderful working relationship and had superb shared chemistry and comic timing. Sykes ran first of all from 1960 until 1965 and then returned, in colour, from 1972 until 1979. No doubt the series would have continued had it not been for Hattie's sad death in October 1980.

The premise of Sykes was quite simple. It was all about the lives of Eric and Hat, who lived at Sebastopol Terrace in Acton, London. On the surface it was just another domestic sitcom, however the writing frequently surreal and fairly wacky and the unexpected often happened! Eric was always the outlandish, stubborn, accident prone character the action and plot tended to focus on while Hattie was the sensible, patient, clever sister who smoothed things over.

Eric and Hattie were joined for many of the episodes by some regular co-stars. Richard Wattis, a wonderful light comedy actor, played their snobbish neighbour, Mr Brown, while Please Sir favourite Deryck Guyler played local policeman Corky. Joan Sims also made several appearances as Eric's love interest Madge, who ran the local bakery and kept Eric in constant supply of doughnuts!

Interestingly, and probably unlike many other comedy series, over forty of the episodes produced when the show returned in the 1970s were remakes of scripts broadcast during the original run of the series in the early 1960s! It didn't really matter though as so many of Eric's legendary scripts were instant classics and audiences loved them.

Sykes featured many wonderful supporting actors during the years. Peter Sellers appeared as an escaped convict in the classic 1972 episode Stranger. Other guest stars included Hattie's ex-husband John Le Mesurier, Roy Kinnear, Bernard Bresslaw, Sheila Steafel, Jimmy Edwards, Les Dawson, Dinah Sheridan, Joan Hickson, Chic Murray and Graham Stark.

What I loved most of all about Sykes was that the scripts hardly ever focused on Hattie's weight. In Sykes, Hattie was graceful, funny, warm and supportive. The shows frequently showcased Hattie's abilities as a wonderfully talented comic actress. Eric and Hattie enjoyed a wonderful partnership on stage and screen lasting many years and you could tell they got on well together. Eric often told the story of when he first saw Hattie, performing at The Players Theatre in London. She was delivering a typically robust music hall number and at the end of the routine she went into the splits and earned a huge round of applause. Apparently Eric was dumbstruck and new he had to meet and work with her. And who can blame him?

I loved so many of the classic Sykes episodes. The scenarios have often been repeated since, but they were the masters. Whether it be Eric, with his big toe stuck in the bath tap, Hattie and her ongoing conversations with Peter, who lived in the cuckoo clock or Eric's ongoing arguments with pompous Mr Brown, the series presented many surreal situations which allowed the combined genius of Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques to flourish. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan 

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going.

Whatever Happened To ... Richard Wattis?

Amazingly, Richard Wattis only appeared in one Carry On. He was one of those actors who seemed to pop up just about everywhere. He filmed a supporting role in Carry On Spying alongside Eric Barker in less than a week. Strangely, despite this successful appearance he wasn't asked back to do another film in the series.

Today Richard Wattis is probably best remembered for two roles. First of all, as the snobbish, insufferable neighbour Mr Brown in the BBC situation comedy series Sykes alongside Eric Sykes, Hattie Jacques and Deryck Guyler. Wattis appeared in both the original 1960s black and white series and the return, in colour, in 1972. Wattis also starred in several of the St Trinian's comedy films in the 1950s and 1960s. He always played the suited, cowardly man from the Ministry of Education, usually alongside the likes of Eric Barker again.

Richard Wattis played supporting roles in a wide variety of British films during the 1950s and 1960s, although his acting career dates back to 1938. Among his many screen credits are Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Monte Carlo Or Bust; Hobson's Choice; Dentist On The Job; Very Important Person; Confessions Of A Window Cleaner; The Longest Day; The Colditz Story and perhaps most famously, in The Prince and The Showgirl opposite Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe.

On television, apart from his long running role in Sykes, Richard Wattis appeared with Kenneth Williams in Dick and The Duchess and cropped up in the likes of Father, Dear Father; The Goodies; Danger Man and The Prisoner. Interestingly, Wattis did return to the Carry On fold in 1975. He filmed a short cameo role in the episode Orgy and Bess, part of the ATV television series Carry On Laughing. Unfortunately his role, along with that of the actor Simon Callow, was cut from the final screened episode.

Richard Wattis was born in Staffordshire in 1912. He began his working life in the family's electrical engineering film before turning to acting in the 1930s. His first screen appearance came in the film A Yank At Oxford, released in 1938. Wattis was widely known within the acting profession as being gay, at a time when being open about such things was difficult. He frequently appears in the pages of Kenneth Williams diaries during the 1960s and 1970s, often meeting Kenneth at parties. Richard, always known as Dickie to his friends, is given rather a hard time by Williams in the diaries, often described as being lonely and fond of a tipple or two. As always, one can take aspects of Kenneth's diaries with a large pinch of salt.

When researching this post, it came as rather a shock to realise that Richard Wattis passed away more than forty years ago. So many of his appearances on film and television are still very recognisable that it seems weird that he has been gone for so long. He died of a heart attack in a London restaurant on 1st February 1975 at the age of just 62. Kenneth Williams recorded the news in his diary:

When I went in to see Louie at 11.45 she said "It's been on the radio that Richard Wattis is dead!"  and we had a v subdued lunch in consequence. The BBC rang and asked me to talk about him. I went round to B.H and recalled his kindness to me, beginning with Dick and Duchess.

The Kenneth Williams Diaries,  p, 487

Richard Wattis was yet another one of that band of regular faces; reliable character actors who would turn up in film after film for years without ever truly becoming a star. They were the backbone of our film and television industry for decades.

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going

The wonderful world of Sebastopol Terrace

I would like to begin a series of blogs looking at the long running sitcom roles taken on by some of our favourite Carry On actors. Many of the Carry On team were incredibly prolific television comedy actors and managed to fit in series on television with their annual trips to Pinewood to rejoin the Carry On team.

One of my all time favourite British situation comedy is the BBC series Sykes, which starred the wonderful and much-missed comedy genius Eric Sykes. Playing his twin sister in the series was Carry On regular Hattie Jacques. Eric and Hattie enjoyed a wonderful working relationship and had superb shared chemistry and comic timing. Sykes ran first of all from 1960 until 1965 and then returned, in colour, from 1972 until 1979. No doubt the series would have continued had it not been for Hattie's sad death in October 1980.

The premise of Sykes was quite simple. It was all about the lives of Eric and Hat, who lived at Sebastopol Terrace in Acton, London. On the surface it was just another domestic sitcom, however the writing frequently surreal and fairly wacky and the unexpected often happened! Eric was always the outlandish, stubborn, accident prone character the action and plot tended to focus on while Hattie was the sensible, patient, clever sister who smoothed things over.

Eric and Hattie were joined for many of the episodes by some regular co-stars. Richard Wattis, a wonderful light comedy actor, played their snobbish neighbour, Mr Brown, while Please Sir favourite Deryck Guyler played local policeman Corky. Joan Sims also made several appearances as Eric's love interest Madge, who ran the local bakery and kept Eric in constant supply of doughnuts!

Interestingly, and probably unlike many other comedy series, over forty of the episodes produced when the show returned in the 1970s were remakes of scripts broadcast during the original run of the series in the early 1960s! It didn't really matter though as so many of Eric's legendary scripts were instant classics and audiences loved them.

Sykes featured many wonderful supporting actors during the years. Peter Sellers appeared as an escaped convict in the classic 1972 episode Stranger. Other guest stars included Hattie's ex-husband John Le Mesurier, Roy Kinnear, Bernard Bresslaw, Sheila Steafel, Jimmy Edwards, Les Dawson, Dinah Sheridan, Joan Hickson, Chic Murray and Graham Stark.

What I loved most of all about Sykes was that the scripts hardly ever focused on Hattie's weight. In Sykes, Hattie was graceful, funny, warm and supportive. The shows frequently showcased Hattie's abilities as a wonderfully talented comic actress. Eric and Hattie enjoyed a wonderful partnership on stage and screen lasting many years and you could tell they got on well together. Eric often told the story of when he first saw Hattie, performing at The Players Theatre in London. She was delivering a typically robust music hall number and at the end of the routine she went into the splits and earned a huge round of applause. Apparently Eric was dumbstruck and new he had to meet and work with her. And who can blame him?

I loved so many of the classic Sykes episodes. The scenarios have often been repeated since, but they were the masters. Whether it be Eric, with his big toe stuck in the bath tap, Hattie and her ongoing conversations with Peter, who lived in the cuckoo clock or Eric's ongoing arguments with pompous Mr Brown, the series presented many surreal situations which allowed the combined genius of Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques to flourish. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going.