Product Details

• Actors: Wilfrid Brambell, Harry H. Corbett, Frank Thornton, Tim Buckland, Dudley Foster
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 4
• Studio: Bfs Entertainment
• VHS Release Date: November 11, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630426951X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,023 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sharp-Edged British Comedy - 4.5 Stars, April 6, 2002

By 

Tiggah "the Anglophile" (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Steptoe and Son (Collection Set) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Steptoe and Son, which ran from 1962 to 1974, was one of Britain's earliest situational comedies. The episodes in this boxed set (which contains eleven 30-minute episodes plus one 45-minute Christmas Special) are all from the last three series (1970 to 1974).

Embracing a skilful blend of comedy and poignancy, this is a series about a bickering father-and-son pair of rag-and-bone men (ie. junk dealers). Albert (the father) is a wily but lazy old codger with a peg-toothed grin and a skin-and-bone physique that's used to its full comic potential. He is also a master at the art of emotional blackmail. Albert's duties are to look after the house and meal preparations, while his middle-aged son, Harold, is responsible for doing the rounds and earning the living. While Albert is content with his lot in life, Harold longs to break free from the poverty and perceived humiliation of life as a rag-and-bone man. He also longs to break free from the clutches of his dependent and demanding father (who is another source of embarassment for poor Harold).

One thing I must emphasize is that this is not a sweet, gentle, light-hearted, cosy comedy. On the contrary, it's loud, hard-edged, antagonistic and abrasive what with all the bickering. Indeed, there are times when Harold can really be quite mean to his father. Albert, however, is not much better, for he is a discouraging father who frequently puts his son down, telling him he'll never succeed at whatever it is he wants to do.

Some of the gags in this series are nothing short of hilarious and are geared to elicit some hard laughs. But there is no free lunch here, and the humour comes at a cost, for it counterbalanced by a real pathos. Albert's appearance may be highly comical, but at the same time it underscores the fact that, for all the mileage he gets out of milking his aches and pains, he really is a frail and dependent old man in the winter of his life and his health is far from perfect. As for Harold, one is intensely aware of his frustration, and it's hard not to feel a real sense of pity for this "caged bird" who is as hampered by poverty and class as he is by his father.

To give a couple of examples of what to expect, in "PAYE Later," Harold discovers that Albert has "neglected" to inform the tax department that his wife (ie. Harold's mom) has died--nearly 20 years ago! Instead, Albert has continued all this time to claim the benefits for her. The hilarious upshot is that Albert must somehow produce a "Mrs. Steptoe" for the tax man to meet.

In "Desperate Hours" (my favourite episode), two convicts, roughly the same ages as the Steptoes, escape from prison and temporarily hole up at the Steptoes' home and demand money, food and a car. It's been a harsh winter and the Steptoes have none of the above. The four men get chatting and a rapport hilariously but poignantly develops between the two older men and the two younger men as they realise how similar their situations are. The younger convict is played by Leonard Rossiter (Rising Damp, Reggie Perrin). As for guests in some of the other episodes, fans of Are You Being Served? will enjoy an appearance by Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock), by Trevor Bannister (Mr. Lucas) and by Mollie Sugden (Mrs. Slocombe). Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) also appears in an episode.

In conclusion, though intensely funny, there is a very real element of tragedy at play here. It works--indeed, it works very well, imbuing the series with depth and richness that I found very satisfying. This is a comedy that I enjoyed very much, but I enjoyed it just as much for the range of emotions it evoked and for jolting me out of complacency. In conclusion, if you're looking for a sharp-edged comedy that's got plenty of substance (and isn`t afraid to tread on a few toes), then I recommend checking this series out.

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another British Classic, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Steptoe and Son (Collection Set) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Steptoe and Son are the original rag and bone men. If you liked Sanford and Son you will Love Steptoe...