Comedy’s Golden Era
By the 1970′s television was well established and whilst in 2012 we all want the latest 3D, HD widescreen TV’s and you can buy them for under £200, in the 1970′s colour was the must have thing in TV and a colour TV was an expensive item at around £300 (this was a significant sum of money at the time)
With so many good comedies to choose from we’ve picked three sitcoms with Royal themed episodes.
Dad’s Army – The Royal Train – 1973
By the time this episode went out The Queen had been on the throne twenty years. Dad’s Army started in 1968 and ran until Silver Jubilee year in 1977.
Summary
The platoon are selected to provide a guard of honour when King George VI is set to pass through Walmington by train. However a mix-up between sleeping pills and saccharine knocks out the drivers of a preceding train. The platoon must move the train to clear the line.
Clip
Starring
Arthur Lowe
John Le Messurier
Clive Dunn
John Laurie
James Beck
Arnold Ridley
Ian Lavender
Bill Pertwee
Frank Williams
Edward Sinclair
Colin Bean
Details
Channel: BBC1
Written By: David Croft and Jimmy Perry
Original Transmission Date: 29th June 1973
Last Of The Summer Wine – Jubilee
To date Last Of The Summer Wine was Britain’s longest running sitcom. Again it started life as an episode of Comedy Playhouse in 1973, twenty years after the Queen’s Coronation had kick started the upsurge in demand for television sets. Constantly re- inventing itself, it began to run out of steam after the death of it’s star Bill Owen. As the remaining stars aged attempts to breath new life into it couldn’t save it from cancellation in 2010.
Summary
In this episode ,Foggy ropes Compo and Clegg into participating in a parade at the local church to commemorate the Queen’s silver jubilee.
Clip
Starring
Bill Owen
Peter Sallis
Brian Wilde
Details
Channel: BBC1
Written By: Roy clarke
Originally Transmitted: 23rd November 1977
The Good Life – When I’m Sixty Five – 1978
This popular ground breaking sitcom gave us a glimpse into the future with it’s green themed issues. When I’m Sixty Five was the final episode filmed before Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke Of Edinburgh. It was broadcast as part of the 1978 Royal Variety Performance. By the time this final episode was filmed the series had attracted twenty million viewers.
The episode was originally broadcast in a 45-minute slot with footage either side of the 30-minute episode showing the Royal Party entering and exiting.
Summary
Jerry is having a medical so he can take out yet another pension policy, as he and Margo are determined to enjoy their retirement. This makes Tom realise that he has no pension plans at all, so goes to his bank manager Mr Downs (George Cole) to propose that he get a pension from the bank and in return they get his house when he and Barbara are dead. This idea is now called equity release, however on Tom’s figures Mr Downs calls it “fantasy”. Jerry, frightened by the results of his medical, buys a load of exercise equipment and takes up jogging; so Tom challenges him to a race to prove who is fitter.
Clips
Starring
Richard Briers
Felicity Kendal
Paul Eddington
Penelope Keith
George Cole
Details
Channel: BBC1
Written By: John Esmonde and Bob Larbey
Originally Transmitted: 10th June 1978
