Gentle Comedies
- Thread starter Barrychuckle
- Start date
Adanor
Dedicated Member
I think that I heard that she actually knew Agatha Christie.
Peripheral
Dedicated Member
I am surprised that as yet, unless my eyes are so bad, that no one seems to have mentioned 'YES MINISTER'. Such a marvellous collection of political verbal claptrap. Pity Brexit wasn't around at the time. 
and7barton
Dedicated Member
Yes, Not mentioned often, I thought that Heartburn Hotel was under-rated. Not anywhere near the quality of LOSW though.
Nobody has mentioned "All Along the Watchtower". It only ran for two series (I think). It was definitely a "Gentle" comedy, with some romance interest in it too.
Some wonderful suggestions keeps rolling in! Another which no one has mentioned is Keeping Up Appearances, I would actually put this on a par with LOTSW. I appreciate that is controversial but it was Roy Clarke at his inimitable best, the episode on the QE2 is absolutely hilarious.
Another great comedy Miranda hasn't been mentioned, gentle, silly and wonderfully acted and written.
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
One of the many books I have bought and I am reading at present shows some locations of where things are filmed . I know there are fans of Keeping up Appearances so thought you might like to see " The Bouquet Residence" as it is today , actually filmed near Coventry , the Bungalow hasn't changed that much imagine you get a lot of people visiting and driving past . When the location director knocked on the doors of the adjacent properties the people thought it was a scam and joke but eventually agreed to film at 117 and 119 Heather Road.
imitation700mb
Dedicated Member
I've also been getting into "Man About the House" on ITV3.
I'm a big fan of this wonderful series, I've been past the house a few times, it's in Binley Woods which is a semi affluent area south of the city. Elizabeth & Emmets home sold a few months ago as you can see!
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captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
I suppose like last year when Terry [Maltrab] posted that Nora's House was up for sale there is a temptation to buy into to that little bit of fame and live in a house that has been used is a show but with Nora's if you were hoping for a "quiet life" to wallow in the atmosphere of this iconic home then that would never happen because of the visitors and all wanting photographs taken outside. Do people visit Heather Road in their droves , probably not but thanks to books like I am reading these locations are identified and perhaps generate interest in people beating a path to the locations to see and photograph all of which would perhaps put you off buying.
It's a very interesting subject CC, there certainly wasn't anyone looking at the house when I've been there. I suppose it's not quite the same though, firstly LOTSW ran for much longer (albeit with slightly lower viewing figures than KUA at the time) and also the house is in the centre of a town whereas Hyacinth & Elizabeths house are on a housing estate. I also suppose Nora's house was iconic as so much was filmed outside on the steps whereas Heather Road wasn't a focal point so much.
I suspect the visitors to Holmfirth are dissipating year on year, as the series fades into memory, I know that's certainly the case in Goathland having visited there many times.
I was also thinking, perhaps you could name a few of the real locations from your book and we could all see if can guess the TV landmark you're referring to?
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captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
Well I was in Goathland last year on a National Holidays trip I thinks it a really nice place but as you say although Heartbeat is still showing how many people watch it and how many remember it . I will always remember it and our driver certainly will . It appears there are two roads into Goathland and he ended up getting the Police to close off the approach roads temporarily . Having taken the wrong downhill Z bend road we ended up in a small Hamlet , which had a really wonderful bridge out you might just get a car across if you are lucky but a bus !!! No Chance.
Where the Bridge was there was a very nice Cottage adjacent to it , had the driver attempted to cross the bridge the Cottage would have been demolished a fact not wasted on the occupants who both appeared initially in shock and then very angry . One by one the occupants of each house came out to see the anomaly we could not go forward , we could reverse but there was nowhere to turn the bus around plus to reverse the driver had to negotiate passing the cottage owner's cars who had them parked in a row to the left side of this very narrow road.
The Hamlet residents were up in arms which got people nowhere . If it had been me I would have been putting up signs toilets 50p , cracked on making as many sandwiches I could and selling them to us alongside Tea and Coffee . After about 30 minutes the Police turned up , sadly not in the Ford Anglia from Heartbeat, and closed the approach road we had come down and the driver having negotiated the cars unscathed proceeded to reverse gingerly up the z bend hilly road we had come down until he could reverse into a slip road to turn around ,go back up to the main road and then onward to Goathland. The smell of a burning clutch lingered until we reached Goathland.
Aside from that , it was a great trip loved Goathland and we stayed in the Bay Royal Hotel in Whitby so Fish and Chips at the Magpie Cafe was always a dead cert and they were delicious.
Adanor
Dedicated Member
I like to watch Escape to the Country just to see where these houses are and how they're decorated. The couples shopping for houses rarely buy one of the houses that they are taken to, but it's interesting to see these houses.I'm a big fan of this wonderful series, I've been past the house a few times, it's in Binley Woods which is a semi affluent area south of the city. Elizabeth & Emmets home sold a few months ago as you can see!
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captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
Another gentle and ground breaking comedy you may remember was called Bread written by Carla Lane . Whilst there were some questionable "deals" done in the show to put money in the pot and food on the table it promoted a message that was lost. Thanks to Covid it will hopefully continue to return and become a popular ethos for life , which I personally think had long disappeared from our Country . The message is Family is everything, the Mother always made the meals and they all ensured they were all there around the table regardless to eat as a family, which is making a comeback thanks to Covid essentially. There were of course many other messages that show promoted but I think Family is all was the key one.
The sons and daughter in the show showed due reverence to their Matriarch and they totally to a person were devoted to the Grandad who lived next door and made sure he had everything he needed .We are all too aware of the crisis we have with social care and the elderly . Anyway here's a picture of the two houses they lived in . Its Elswick Street in Liverpool the Boswell family lived in no 30 which is to the left as you are looking at it and the Grandad number 28 to the right.
The sons and daughter in the show showed due reverence to their Matriarch and they totally to a person were devoted to the Grandad who lived next door and made sure he had everything he needed .We are all too aware of the crisis we have with social care and the elderly . Anyway here's a picture of the two houses they lived in . Its Elswick Street in Liverpool the Boswell family lived in no 30 which is to the left as you are looking at it and the Grandad number 28 to the right.
Peripheral
Dedicated Member
One channel here in the UK has them on every BH and over Christmas
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
..................and at weekends Camel and Don't Lose your head were on this weekend. ITV did a three part Carry on Forever which I recorded twice a while back and have now lost twice after my TIVO box failed twice and had to be replaced but that series is quite good because you get background to the making of the films as is the Carry on Companion book which I have owned for a number of years.
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