Where were the children???

[Compo]

Sometimes I think that Roy Clarke had a thing about not wanting children in the show. All the couples were childless except for Edie but her daughter was not a child.. What do you think the reason is??? I always felt that a child would come out of the past like what happened with Compo after he died...

 

[George]

I think the trio were the only kids the show needed

 

[Compo]

Yes that's true.... LOL

 

[Hector]

There were a couple of episodes that had kids such as "The Frozen Turkey Man" and "Small Tune on a Penny Wassail".Im sure there are a few more but as George said,the trio were the only kids the show needed. ;D

Hector.

 

[C W Northrop]

Chip's children featured in Pate And Chips

 

[Compo]

But I meant from the regulars. Even so one offs don't count...

 

[sir coffalot]

;D NO GOOD MENTIONING THE 20 OR SO THAT TRAMPLED LOLLIPOP MAN SMILER THEN?? :

 

[C W Northrop]

or the kids who sang with Compo in Extra! Extra!

 

[cciaffone]

;D NO GOOD MENTIONING THE 20 OR SO THAT TRAMPLED LOLLIPOP MAN SMILER THEN?? :

Or the young girls who were on the steps behind the
church in the early years???

 

[C W Northrop]

or the kids laughing at the photo being taken in A Merry Heatwave

 

[Compo]

I hope I wasn't misunderstood, but like I said the Regulars like Nora, Ivy, Glenda, Billy, Entwistle, Truly, Roz, Pearl, Auntie Wainwright and Nellie.. There was never a mention of them having children. The other children you mentioned were extras.. There must have been been a reason. But like someone said the three men were children in their own right.

 

[C W Northrop]

Kids didnt feature in Open All Hours or Keeping Up Appearances either

 

[codfanglers]

Kids didnt feature in Open All Hours or Keeping Up Appearances either

The topic of the lack of kids in Clarke's shows were covered in the old forum. I also brought up the lack of children in other shows. It just wasn't part of Clarke's comic style. However, with this in mind I find it odd that one of the very first ever scenes from the show's opener, "Of Funerals and Fish", show Blamire talking to a boy.

 

[Compo]

Yes CW, Open all Hours and other shows did not include children as regulars.. But never the less all Roy's shows were great and good for him to include Ronnie Barker.

 

[Chuffer Enwright]

I hope I wasn't misunderstood, but like I said the Regulars like Nora, Ivy, Glenda, Billy, Entwistle, Truly, Roz, Pearl, Auntie Wainwright and Nellie.. There was never a mention of them having children. The other children you mentioned were extras.. There must have been been a reason. But like someone said the three men were children in their own right.

Do you not think the fact that it was a sitcom that was designed, commissioned and written to exclusively be about old people and that virtually every character that ever appeared in the show was over 60 might have something to do with the lack of children?

 

[Compo]

Well children could have been mentioned. For instance living abroad or dead etc. It just sounded weird that none had any..

 

[C W Northrop]

still surprised a woman wanted to be that close to Compo for Tom to be conceived ;D.Was Tom's mother Compo's wife then?

 

[Compo]

Not sure about that. Compo was a womanizer so it could have been a woman in passing and stopped for a cuppa.. LOL. Hence Tom was conceived...

 

[C W Northrop]

I always thought Clegg would have made a good father...

 

[wstol]

Most sitcoms don't have children in them regularly. Unless they are sitcoms about young families.

In fact, the best sitcoms don't seem to have children.

Even well established sitcoms have started without children, then introduced them, then kept their appearances to an absolute minimum. Examples of this include Till Death Us Do Part, Love Thy Neighbour and Only Fools and Horses.

Children in sitcoms are generally not funny and difficult to write for. The exception being Outnumbered; part of it's success is the casting, and the semi-improvised dialogue.