Only When I Laugh, 1979
It’s almost 40 years since Figgis and Co were discharged!
Only When I Laugh was the hit Sitcom made for ITV by Yorkshire Television. It was written by Eric Chappell who was commissioned by Yorkshire Television to write another sitcom after he’d had a huge success with Rising damp.
Chappell came up with the idea of a sitcom set in a hospital. Feeling that previous television sitcoms set in a hospital focused on the doctors, nurses and staff he deliberately narrowed the setting to a men’s surgical ward focusing primarily on the perspective of three main characters and who are patients. Each character came from a different background. In a 1979 interview with the Liverpool Echo, Chappell said of the three main characters, “They all come from different backgrounds. They differ in class and politics and they’re all different in their attitude to being in hospital. That’s what gives the vital chemistry for the comedy.”
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The series also marked James Bolam’s first return to sitcom following Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads.
Only When I Laugh ran for 4 series over 29 episodes, including a 1981 Christmas special.
Summary
The show revolves around the antics of three male patients on a men’s surgical ward. From young Norman who is experiencing his first time in hospital, to seasoned pro and trouble maker Figgis and not forgetting Archie who plays up his illness. All are a thorn in the side of their surgeon Mr Thorpe and the ward nurse Gupte.
Clips
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Cast
Royston Figgis – James Bolam
Archie Glover – Peter Bowles
Norman Binns – Christopher Strauli
Mr Thorpe – Richard Wilson
Gupte – Derrick Branche
Details
Written By: Eric Chappell
Produced By: Yorkshire Television
Channel: ITV
Original Transmission Dates: 29th October, 1979 – 16th December, 1982