Comrade Dad, 1984
Comrade Dad is a largely forgotten BBC satirical sitcom and thanks to the success of Minder people largely think Arthur Daley when you talk about George Cole.
A sitcom of it’s time as Russia (USSR as it was back then) was still behind the Iron Curtain, Comrade Dad ran for just one series of eight episodes in 1986, following a pilot episode in 1984.
Summary
Pilot
It’s 27th June 1989. The Soviet Union have managed a bloodless coup when, upon learning that thousands of Russian missiles were approaching, the government and all the other ‘important’ members of British society have taken refuge in nuclear-fallout shelters.
However the ‘missiles’ turn out to be aeroplanes full of paratroopers who parachute to land and calmly seal off the entrances to the shelters, so removing all the powerful people from the picture at a single stroke and enabling the Russians to take control.
As with many pilot episodes the episode was re-made with slight changes to the format and minor cast changes.
Series
Reg Dudgeon, is a working-class man who thinks that the Soviet takeover is wonderful, and tries to champion the work of his rulers and party line.
Unfortunately, Reg’s beliefs are tested to their limits as the excesses of life under the communists: food shortages, long queues and low wages, begin to take their toll.
Undeterred by all of this, Reg manages to keep his faith, despite even discovering that there exists another side of the USSR-GB where elaborate garden parties take place, attended by a few privileged party members.
Clips
Cast
George Cole – Reg Dudgeon (Dad)
Colette O’Neil – Treen Dudgeon (Mum) (pilot only)
Barbera Ewing – Treen Dudgeon (Mum) (series)
Anna Wing – Gran (pilot only)
Doris Hare – Gran (series)
Claire Toeman – Zo Dudgeon
David Garlick – Bob Dudgeon
Details
Channel: BBC2
Written By: Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent
Original Transmission Dates: 17th December 1984 (pilot), 13th January – 24th February 1986 (series)