Review of Not On Your Nellie

Introduction

This release was (perhaps deservedly perhaps not) vilified in the Radio Times on its release (they got their review copy ages before we got ours).

Not On Your Nellie comes from a certain era in ITV comedy in the 1970s which has suffered from an enormous cultural backlash in recent years. While many BBC shows of the same era are celebrated as classics, ITV comedy shows are (again perhaps deservedly) regarded as horrors to be buried away never to be seen again. Network are showing considerable bravery in bringing many of these shows back from the grave, and just maybe if they are viewed with fresh, unprejudiced eyes they can be reappraised.

The show, which ran to three series between 1974 and 1975 (totalling 17 episodes), was a starring vehicle for Hylda Baker to replace the popular Nearest and Dearest. Written by Tom Brennand and Roy Bottomley - who had scripted many episodes of Nearest and Dearest - the show played on Hylda Baker`s screen persona, a malapropism spouting Northern spinster-battleaxe with a heart of gold.

The comedy, like so many shows of this era, is clumsy, broad and full of (in today`s eyes) offensive stereotypes. Whether or not Brennand and Bottomley wrote the shows knowingly offensive is a moot point. Certainly the audiences of the time were blissfully unaware they were enjoying something their children would revile as un-PC.

What is certain is that ITV comedy writers were never perceived as having the sophistication of their BBC counterparts. With Love Thy Neighbour, Vince Powell and Harry Driver were mocking the same bigots Johnny Speight`s Alf Garnett went after, but while `Til Death Us Do Part is considered a major cultural icon of the 1960s, Love Thy Neighbour is almost universally hated as a racist tv show in itself.

This time around Hylda Baker plays Nellie Pickersgill (Nellie Pledge of Nearest and Dearest in all but name), daughter of a London publican who makes the journey down from Bolton to Fulham to help in the running of the Brown Cow pub. Father Jed (John Barrett), spends his time propping up the bar, gambling on the gee-gees and groping passing females. Nellie disapproves of his lifestyle choices as she does of the loose women employed as barmaids (Alexandra Dane of Carry On fame in Series 1, Wendy Richard in series 2 and Sue Nicholls in Series 3) and the assortment of odd characters who frequent the bar. The stereotypical characters of the bar clientele were doubtless what got up the nose of the Radio Times` Stuart Maconie in his review of the disc - there is a cockney wideboy windowcleaner played by Leo Dolan, a London Underground tube guard called Ali (Ashiq) and probably worst of all Mr Humphries clones George (David Rayner) and Gilbert (Roger Howlett).

Video

Recorded at LWT on 1970s quality quad tape from 1970s quality studio cameras, it isn`t a pretty sight. Highlights are flared out, and picture sharpness isn`t really all there.

Audio

Dolby 2.0 Mono.

Features

An episode from Nearest and Dearest Series 7 - Far From The Madding Pong, which is fun as I`ve also had to review Nearest and Dearest Series 7 which includes as an extra Nellie Comes To Town, the first episode of Not On Your Nellie. Oh no, I`ve gone cross-eyed.

Conclusion

I was hoping to reappraise this show and be able to turn around and say "Wow, this isn`t as bad as I remembered. It`s actually on a par with Porridge or The Good Life!" But I can`t. It`s lowest common denominator television and possibly why ITV doesn`t even attempt to make sitcoms any more.