Sunday, 11 July 2010
If there weren't any Curry & chips you'd have to invent them
From the creator of Alf Garnett came these two examples of ham fisted attempts to comment on late 60' early 70s 'race realtions', as it was called back then. Given that Mind your language was a successful TV comedy at the time it is easy to see why Speight attempted to challenge the perceptions of the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UCxTLTBgQE
mind your language
Set on a factory floor of 'Lillicrap Ltd' Curry & chips starred a blacked up Spike Milligan as an Asian immigrant, 'Paki Paddy', who went by the name of Kevin O'Grady. It also featured Eric Sykes as the foreman, Norman Rossington as the shop steward, and other regulars were Kenny Lynch, and Sam Kydd. It caused offense even by the standards of the day and was taken off air.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqRxBaoiUHs
If there weren't any blacks you'd have to invent them starred Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale, Bob Hoskins, John Castle, Michael Bryant, Geoffrey Bayldon and Donald Gee. It was a one hour drama disguised as a biting satire. It's easier to see the points that Speight is trying to raise, although it is decidely artistic in intent. That it says more about scapegoating and attacks on difference than Curry & chips gives it more credibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqRxBaoiUHs
Johhny Speight clearly had some interesting ideas about confronting prejudice and Til death us do part in it's original form did so effectively. These two offerings however tell us more about the times that they were made in and the difficulty in raising issues effectively without causing offense. A case of missed opportunities.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
COME ALIVE. UNSUBSCRIBE
"I am no longer interested (not that I was in the first place)" The joy of unsubscribing. Checking one’s emails is a tricky prop...
WELLYOULIKEDTHAT
-
Clarence, with his catchphrase, "Hello Honky Tonks, how are you" was a character from The Dick Emery show that was a personal favo...
-
Ho Ho Ho Bob Grant played Jack ‘Jacko’ Harper the Lothario Bus Conductor in On the Buses which, amazingly, ran for 74 episodes between 1969 ...
-
An old piece of Youtube magic popped up today. Holly Jervis; comedic marvel as seen in the appalling X-Factor Holly Jervis; delusional, unt...
-
Public information films were part of my childhood. Commissioned by The Central Office of Information (COI) it wasn’t so much the government...
-
Just letting the face and eyes do the work are: A Clockwork Orange. Psycho. Silence of the Lambs. The Long good Friday. Once upon a time in ...


No comments:
Post a Comment
having said that;