The Likely Lads

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by Phil Wickham

Type: Studies
Subject: One Film > The Likely Lads (TV Series)
Keywords: TV Series
Publishing date: 2008
Publisher: BFI Publishing
Collection: BFI TV Classics
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 144 pages
5 x 7 inches (12.5 x 18 cm)

ISBN

978-1-84457-213-7

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Book Presentation:
The Likely Lads provides an entertaining and insightful critical account of one of Britains best-loved and most enduring sitcoms. The program had two incarnations: the original series, The Likely Lads depicted the mid 60s escapades of Bob and Terry, two footloose and fancy-free Tyneside lads; and its even more popular 70s sequel, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, which shows our heroes coming to terms with the end of their youth and its attendant possibilities. Now Bob, with his wife Thelma, is aiming for the stars via the badminton club, with executive starter home and the bistro, while Terry revels in the gutter.

Phil Wickham explores what the series says about Bob and Terrys times, from the affluent 60s to the more troubled decade that followed, how The Likely Lads tackled issues of class and masculinity and at the nature of the series humor and its enduring appeal. He examines its place in the tradition of British sitcom and why sitcoms have such a special relationship with their audience. His discussions are informed by interviews with the writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.

About the Author:
PHIL WICKHAM is the Curator of The Bill Douglas Centre for the History of Cinema and Popular Culture at the University of Exeter. He was previously a TV Curator at the British Film Institute. He is the author of Understanding Television Texts (2007)and writes and lectures extensively on British film and television.

See the publisher website: BFI Publishing

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