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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest Britcom Ever, March 4, 2005
This BBC comedy aired for nine years (1966-1975) and was the
model for Norman Lears Hilarious sitcom All in the Family. Be
aware the comedy is very different than that of AITF. Alf Garnett, the British Archie Bunker, is far more bigoted and
profane. Else (Edith in on AITF) has a totally differnt
personality and THEIR EDITH SMOKES. The Garnetts, like the Bunkers, have a "Mike and Gloria" living with them, only here
their "Micheal and Rita". Rita is simallar to Gloria, but Micheal is totally different than Mike.
Here is the summary of episodes included on the disc(s),
Disc One (To Garnett a Grandson),
TO GARNETT A GRANDSON,
Its off to the hospital to visit daughter Rita and the new
grandbaby. The sight of the new baby manages to calm Alf from
his normal self, until Micheal brings up the babys new name.
Then the squalling really starts.
PIGEON FANCIER,
Flush with a tax rebate, Alf decides to celebrate down at the
pub. A hotshot neighbour makes things more intresting when he
starts to brag about his racing pigeons. To Alf that sounds like a way to double his windfall, if he is not made into a pigeon himself.
HOLIDAY IN BOURNEMOUTH,
The Family head for a holiday (vacation as we "yanks" would
call it) in the seaside town of Bournemouth. But Alf just can
see why the sea in Bournemouth is any better than the water
that laps around the docks in Wapping. Alf, naturally gets the worst of the trip as he battles with both sunburn and a fat and
noisy hotel proprietress. Later, Alf and Else are sitting by the pool when a boy fiddles with Alfs chair and he falls in the water.
BONUS FEATURES,
A bio on Warren Mitchell (Alf)
A filmography on Johnny Speight.
Disc Two (Dock Pilfering),
DOCK PILFERING,
After ruining everyones breakfast with his normal attitude,
Alf heads down to the docks for work. Then Alf discoveres his
"silly old moo" of a wife has paid him back.
UP THE HAMMERS (also known as ALF TAKES THE BABY)
Alf heads off to a football game, as Rita and Else head for a
day of shopping in London. But when "young Micheal" goes missing
the panic starts. Later they find out who the real theif is!
This is the best episode, my opinion.
ALFS BROKEN LEG,
Alf's broken leg is making him more cantankerous than normal.
A trip down to the pub might do good for him. But later some michevous kids take advantage of his wheelchair state, and soon
everone is laughing but Alf.
BONUS:SPECIAL CHRISTMAS EPISODE, tis the season when the family
would really like to deck Alf! The only way they will have a silent night is when he returns from "down the pub" with with
sugarplums and a hangover dancing his head.
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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
All in the Family's British prequel., April 22, 2002
This 2 disc set features six episodes from the 1972 season of this BBC controversial series:- To Garnett a Grandson; Pigeon Fancier; Holiday in Bournemouth; Dock Pilfering; Up the Hammers; and, Alf's Broken Leg - all of which are about 30~32 minutes, plus the bonus 45 minute Christmas Episode, also from 1972. ( Totaling aprox 225 mins ). The sound is obviously mono, but the picture is surprisingly sharp considering it's age. Unfortunately there are no sub-titles or closed captions which is a problem with many of the re-issued British Tv dramas from the Bfs, Acorn, A&E group.
The humour is quite crude, but blisteringly funny in places, albeit racist and anti semantic - I remember first seeing these on a weekday mid-evening time slot whilst I was at hi-school, but now that I understand the humour more, I find it to be quite compelling - even though the political humour is definately dated.
I gave this four stars only as I felt that more episodes could have filled up the disc space...
If you are liberally minded and understand British humour - then you should enjoy this.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Original Missing Link, April 1, 2005
I believe I witnessed the birth of the golden age of Britcom. In 1966, when the pilot episode of Till Death was aired, Harold Wilson was the (Labour) prime minister, England had just won the World Cup, girls sported beehives and mini-skirts, and everyone ate organic food without having to pay extra, because in those days organic was the only kind you could get. Remember then?
The battle between Alf and Mike (Alf's son-in-law) is a multi-way battle between old and young, Conservative and Labour, Right and Left, London and Liverpool. (Interesting note: Mike is played by Tony Booth, whose daughter is Cherie Booth who is now married to Tony Blair.)
None of those early episodes are available, and I think the tapes have all been destroyed. It was black-and-white, and very speckly. Or it was on my television. But since you'll never see that pilot episode, I'll just tell you the opening line, which is all I remember of the whole thing.
Alf, Elsie, Mike and Rita are all sitting there listening to the chimes of Big Ben. Alf pulls his pocket-watch out of his waistcoat, looks at it for a moment, then fires the first shot in the long ideological war between himself and his son-in-law: "'Ere! You wanna tell your darling Harold his clock's wrong."
Britcom started there.
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