Review Bless This House (1971)

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Feel free to chatter and post here about this classic sitcom starring Sid James and Diane Coupland.

Favourite episodes? The cast? The movie? Chat away here...



Bless This House is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 2 February 1971 to 22 April 1976. Starring Sid James and Diana Coupland, it was created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, but mainly written by other hands including Dave Freeman and Carla Lane. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. In 2004, Bless This House was ranked by a BBC poll as the 67th Best British Sitcom

Production

The show was produced & directed by William G. Stewart, later the host of the 15 to 1 gameshow, and had theme music written by Geoff Love. A comic strip version was also produced, written by Angus Allan and printed in TV comic Look-in. The first seven episodes were made in black-and-white due to the ITV colour strike.

The series came to an abrupt end in 1976, when just four days after broadcast of the final episode of the sixth series, Sid James collapsed on stage at the Sunderland Empire during a performance of The Mating Season after failing to respond to a cue. James had suffered a heart attack and died later on the way to the hospital.

Plans were in place for a 7th and an 8th series and a second feature film at time of James' death. In an ironic twist of fate, James had told his co-star Diana Coupland, "We'll keep making this until one of us kicks the bucket.

Cast
  • Sidney James as Sid Abbott. Jean Abbott's husband and an Arsenal F.C.[1] fan. He likes to believe he is in control of his household, but finds he has to sneak out to go to the football or the pub. He often tries to avoid occasions he doesn't want to attend, but this often backfires on him.
  • Diana Coupland as Jean Abbott. Sid's wife, who believes she can talk him into or out of anything. She always knows what he's up to and sees through his schemes.
  • Robin Stewart as Mike Abbott. Jean and Sid's son, their firstborn. He is an artist but he always avoids employment because "it's a drag."
  • Sally Geeson as Sally Abbott. Jean and Sid's daughter, Mike's little sister. Sid and Jean constantly worry about her relationships with "boys." She calls Sid "Daddy" and Jean "Mummy."
  • Anthony Jackson as Trevor Lewis. The Abbotts' next-door neighbour and Sid's best friend.
  • Patsy Rowlands as Betty Lewis. Trevor's wife and Jean's best friend. Jean and Betty usually gang up on their husbands if they don't do the right things.

 
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ant-mac

Member: Rank 9
Ah... There's a fond memory from my childhood.

I loved this TV series.

Sid James had the dirtiest sounding and most lecherous laugh I've ever heard.

I loved it! :D
 

michaellevenson

Member: Rank 8
Yes BTH a favourite of mine, not passionately but late at night and bored you can always rely on 25 minutes of entertainment putting a BTH DVD on. Apparently Robin Stewart ( Mike) is still passionate about it and is involved in fan stuff.
 

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Sid James was great in this even if he didn't always get the best of his two kids! Like most of us Dads, we are all baffled by the antics of our children and try to guide them to a better life yet somehow they seem to take us to a worse one, with money leaving our pockets quicker than a crack in a stream!
JB
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
You do realise, according to those crazy multiverse laws, that there must be an alternative dimension where Diane played Honey Rider, while Ursula sang this and was married to Sid in Bless This House? :emoji_confused:
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Sorry, but having bought up the multiverse, I now can't watch the above clip now without seeing Sid as Bond - going "Chh-worrrrrrrrr!" under his breath at the sight of Honey!
 
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