Steptoe And Son, Upstairs, Downstairs, Upstairs, Downstairs, 1974
The penultimate episode in the final series of this all time classic sitcom.
Steptoe and Son had started life in 1962 as episode of Galton and Simpson’s Playhouse entitled “The Offer”. An episode that had arisen as a result of writer’s block caught the eye of the BBC.
When they approached the writers to write a full series they were not interested. In an interview with us back in 2014 they told us:
“we weren’t thinking of a series, we were just enjoying the one offs. Tom Sloan, Head of Light Entertainment at the BBC realised the potential in Steptoe and asked us to write a full series. We said NO and they kept on to us for about six months before we finally agreed to do a full series. We agreed conditional upon using straight actors in the parts as they counted the lines not the laughs”
Fortunately the series made it and this particular episode is one of the greats. Some unforgetable comedy moments such as Albert’s reaction to a bed bath. Harold’s deducton of where his pink liquerice alsorts have gone.
Summary
When Albert finds himelf confined to bed with a slipped disc it’s left to Harold to look after him.
As you’d expect he leads Harold a merry dance. However when Harold doesn’t answer the call to change the channel on the televison, Albert finds that perhaps he’s not as ill as he thought, no point in telling Harold.
After returning from the shops Harold notices some empty lager cans. Reasoning neither himself or the ‘orse had them he deduces that whoever has had them must also be responsible for the gradual disappearence of his pink liquerice alsorts. “That only leaves that perpendicular ponce upstairs’ Time for a miraclre cure?
Clips
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Cast
Harold Steptoe – Harry H. Corbett
Albert Steptoe – Wilfrid Brambell
Details
Channel: BBC1
Written By: Ray Galton and Alan Simpson
Original Transmision Date: 3rd October 1974