the old thames tv title card that appeared on so many classic itv shows

Platinum Jubilee Comedy, ITV’s 1970’s

Platinum Jubilee Comedy, 1970’s, Part Two – ITV

ITV so often seemed to be forgotten when talking about comedy classics with a few exceptions.  However during the 1970’s they produced some classics.  Again this post is merely a reminder of some of those classics and like the others in the series serves to give a quick insight into how comedy has changed over the decades.

In the 1960’s BBC had caused outrage with it’s sitcom Till Death Us Do Part which of course returned in the 1970’s.  Not to be outdone ITV had whipped up a storm in the late 1960’s with it’s first colour sitcom Curry and Chips.

In the 1970’s ITV just kept those race related sitcoms coming.  In 1972 Love Thy Neighbour.

 

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A sitcom about two neighbours who are complete opposites in every way not just colour caused outrage but still managed eight series.

Later in the decade Mind Your Language gave ITV a huge smash.  Evening classes were popular at the time and this sitcom focussed on an English Language class where the pupils came from all nationalities, the results were hilarious.

 

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Benny Hill had defected from the BBC to ITV in 1969, during the 1970’s his shows were must see TV.

 

Comedy duo Cannon and Ball made their TV debut in 1979 on ITV, having previously appeared in The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, a Saturday night TV classic presented by Bernard Manning that mimicked a working man’s social club.

 

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Wheeltappers was the brainchild of legendary TV producer: Johnnie Hamp.  He had another simple idea that had audiences roaring with laughter.  Take a stand up comic, put them in a TV studio with a live audience and let them stand there and tell jokes The Comedians was huge and made stars of Bernard Manning, Frank Carson, and many more.

 

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Back in sitcom land there were of course the iconic sitcom about two girls flat sharing with a male catering student.  Man About The House ran for six series from 1973.  As well as the spin off feature film of the same name there was one of ITV’s best loved sitcoms : George and Mildred, that were spin offs from the show.

 

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George and Mildred, was a spin off from the show, featuring landlord George Roper and his long suffering wife Mildred

Of course you can’t talk about ITV 1970’s sitcoms without mentioning the one about the miserly landlord and his put upon tenants.  Rising Damp ran for four series and is widely regarded by sitcom fans as one of the all time greats.

Next Time: we move to the 1980’s an era of new technology, new government and shoulder pads.