Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Encyclopedia
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, written by Raymond Allen
Raymond Allen (scriptwriter)
Raymond Allen is a British television writer most notable for creating the 1970s sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.-Early life:...
and starring Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
and Michele Dotrice
Michele Dotrice
Michele Dotrice is an English actress best known for her portrayal of Betty, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, played by Michael Crawford, in the BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, which ran from 1973 to 1978....
.
The series followed the accident-prone Frank Spencer and his tolerant wife Betty through Frank's various attempts to hold down a job, which frequently end in disaster.
Noted for its stuntwork, as well as featuring various well-remembered catchphrases, the series was voted #22 in the BBC's poll to find "Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
".
Plot
Each episode saw the well-meaning and optimistic, but naïve, clueless, accident-prone tank top and beretBeret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
-wearing character, Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford), and his very tolerant but often frustrated wife, Betty (Michele Dotrice), getting into situations that usually spiralled ridiculously out of control, frequently resulting in someone else's nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
or some unlikely destructive catastrophe. Frequently the viewer would see a scene in which a character who is familiar with Spencer would warn another about him, although he was usually harder to work with than they had feared.
Episodes usually included stunt work performed by Crawford himself, often highly physical, that even today would be unusual in an inexpensive half-hour comedy. With such a denouement in mind, typical plot lines would involve picnics on high cliffs, driving lessons by the sea, household repairs, or a wide variety of new jobs such as motorcycle courier or high-rise window cleaner. The latter stunt really did go wrong when the rigging equipment being used jammed, necessitating a rescue by the Fire Service. The 1978 Christmas special saw Michael Crawford hanging from the outside of a small aeroplane.
The character of Frank
The wimpish smiling Frank, sporting his trademark beretBeret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
and trench coat
Trench coat
A trench coat or trenchcoat is a raincoat made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton drill or poplin, wool gabardine, or leather. It generally has a removable insulated lining; and it is usually knee-length.-History:...
, was married to (apparently normal) Betty (Michele Dotrice
Michele Dotrice
Michele Dotrice is an English actress best known for her portrayal of Betty, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, played by Michael Crawford, in the BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, which ran from 1973 to 1978....
) and in later series they had a baby daughter, Jessica, which offered scope for even more slapstick humour. Frank was a gift for impersonators, and for a time it became a cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
that every half-decent impersonator was doing him, particularly his main catchphrase "Ooh Betty", which, although assumed in many references in popular culture, he never actually said.
This was not Frank's only catchphrase of the series. Others included a quavering "Oooh...", usually uttered with his forefinger to his mouth as he stood amidst the chaos of some disaster he had just caused (and which he himself had invariably escaped unscathed). He would also sometimes complain about being "ha-RASSed!", or occasionally, "I've had a lot of ha-RASSments lately" (perhaps surprisingly, most people now use this pronunciation, but this is probably more because of American influence). Other recurring catchphrases included references to "a bit of trouble", which usually implied some sort of undisclosed digestive disorder, and reference to the cat having done a "whoopsie" (on one occasion in Spencer's beret).
Despite his unfailing ability to infuriate people, Frank was essentially a very sympathetic character, who inspired as much affection from his audience as from his ever-loving and patient wife, Betty. The ability to convey this lovable aspect of his character - which meant that, crucially, the audience was always on Frank's 'side' - was a notable achievement of the writer and main actors. For all his extraordinary faults, we never doubted that Frank adored Betty and would do anything for her, and in their own way they were blissfully happy together. He also adored the memory of his late mother and - in later episodes - also worshipped his daughter, Jessica (named after his mother). Indeed, at times in the series there were some remarkably poignant moments amid the chaos, as for example the scene in which he serenades his young baby with a lullaby
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
to send her to sleep.
For the final series, made five years after the previous one (although there had been two Christmas specials inbetween), Frank's character changed markedly. He became more self-aware, and keen to make himself appear more educated and well-spoken. He developed an air of pomposity which was always best demonstrated when someone would approach and enquire 'Mr Spencer?' to which he would always reply 'I am he'. He also became more self assured, and much more willing to argue back when criticised, and often win arguments by leaving his opponents dumbfounded by the bizareness of what he would say.
Acknowledging the show's success in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the final series saw him begin talk of having relations there, and contemplating emigrating.
Crawford himself has talked of how he based many of Frank's reactions on those of a young child. Crawford also found it difficult to break out of the public association with the role, despite his later career as a hugely successful musical performer on the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
stage, in popular shows such as Barnum
Barnum (musical)
Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman P. T. Barnum, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production...
and Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
.
Casting
Ronnie BarkerRonnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
and Norman Wisdom
Norman Wisdom
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin...
were the BBC's first and second choices for the role of Frank. However the choice of Crawford proved effective, as many of Frank's mannerisms and turns of phrase were invented by Crawford, and his stunt-performing and singing skills were undoubtedly useful.
In addition to Frank and Betty, every episode would introduce at least one other character (a doctor, a neighbour, an employer etc) who would be seen to gradually suffer the inevitably chaotic consequences of Frank's fleeting presence in their lives. These characters were often played by some of the great recognisable character actors of the 1970s British sit-com era, and indeed spotting these famous faces - and enjoying their reactions to the torture of Frank's hapless influence - is one of the joys of watching the series. Examples of actors appearing in one episode only included George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
, Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay OBE was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.-Early life:...
, George A. Cooper
George A. Cooper
George A. Cooper is an English actor.One of his best-known roles was as the caretaker Mr. Griffiths in the long-running children's TV series Grange Hill...
, James Cossins
James Cossins
James Cossins was an English character actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he became widely recognised as the abrupt, bewildered Mr. Walt in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Hotel Inspectors"...
, Richard Wilson, Peter Jeffrey
Peter Jeffrey
Peter Jeffrey was a British actor with many roles in television and film.Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence Alice and Arthur Winfred Gilbert Jeffrey. He was educated at Harrow School and Pembroke College, Cambridge but had no formal training as an actor...
, Bernard Hepton
Bernard Hepton
Bernard Hepton is a British actor of stage, film and television.Hepton is known as a particularly versatile character actor. He trained at Bradford Civic Theatre school under Esme Church along with actors such as Robert Stephens...
, Christopher Timothy
Christopher Timothy
Christopher Timothy is a Welsh actor, television director and writer. Timothy is possibly best known today for his role as James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small; more recently he has starred as Dr. Brendan 'Mac' McGuire in the British television drama Doctors...
, Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who. She was a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprised the role many times in subsequent decades, both on...
and Milton Johns
Milton Johns
Milton Johns is an English actor whose thin features and talent for obsequious or oily characters has often influenced the many television parts he has received. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.Johns was born in Bristol...
. A pre-Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
Glynn Edwards
Glynn Edwards
Glynn Edwards is a British actor.Edwards was born in Malaya and trained as an actor at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop. He is probably best known for his role as Dave 'the barman' Harris, owner of the Winchester Club in the TV show Minder...
appeared in more than two episodes as Frank and Betty's irascible new neighbour Mr Lewis, while a pre-Bread
Bread (TV series)
Bread was a British television sitcom, written by Carla Lane, produced by the BBC and screened on BBC1 from 1 May 1986 to 3 November 1991....
Jean Boht appeared in one of those episodes as Mrs Lewis. One regular character in the early series was Frank's local priest, Father O'Hara, who was played by Cyril Luckham
Cyril Luckham
Cyril Luckham was a British film, television and theatre actor.Luckham played the White Guardian in the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. He appeared in The Ribos Operation, the first serial in The Key to Time season, and Enlightenment...
. Dick Bentley
Dick Bentley
Charles Walter "Dick" Bentley , born in Melbourne, Australia, was a comedian and actor. He starred with Jimmy Edwards in Take It From Here for BBC Radio....
appeared in three of the last four episodes broadcast, as Frank's Australian
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
grandad.
Theme tune
The theme tune by Ronnie HazlehurstRonnie Hazlehurst
Ronald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....
features a piccolo
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
spelling out the title in Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
, excluding the apostrophe
Apostrophe
The apostrophe is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritic mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet or certain other alphabets...
s.
[ ... --- -- . -- --- - .... . .-. ... -.. --- .- ...- . . -- .-.-.-
S o m e/m o t h e r s /d o /a v e/e m /(full stop). ]
Series One (1973)
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting a Job (aka The Job Interview) | 15 February 1973 | Newly married Frank and Betty are due to move into their new flat, but are currently living with Betty's mother, Mrs. Fisher. Betty has bought Frank a new briefcase for his impending job interview at Lewis & Co.'s ironmongers for the position of area sales manager. With Betty's advice of remembering to smile, Frank turns up at his interview later than expected, after getting stuck in a lift. When he finally meets the general manager, Mr. Lewis, he causes him a lot of frustration. By the end of the interview, Mr. Lewis is on the verge of a breakdown. | |
| George's House | 22 February 1973 | Frank and Betty are invited to stay the weekend at Betty's brother George's electronically-designed home. George receives a visit from Mr. Fletcher, a house builder, who may well offer George's employer an order worth thousands of pounds if he likes the equipment, but after Frank loses his slippers down the toilet, trouble begins to brew, destroys the toilet. The situation worsens when the cistern starts to leak and the water ends up interfering with the house's electrical systems, causing George's electronic gadgets to become uncontrollable and Betty & Frank damages the electric control system then George's house is caught on fire! | |
| Love Thy Neighbour | 1 March 1973 | Betty's mother turns up at the Spencer household unexpectedly, suitcase in hand, after leaving her husband and collapses on their couch. Betty feels that Dr. Smedley should be contacted, and Frank is the one left to do it, but with the phone box out of action, he pays a visit to his new neighbour, Mr. Faraday. Frank calls Dr. Smedley but gives him Mr. Faraday's address rather his own, and causes a misunderstanding. After all the confusion, Frank locks himself out of the house, and once again has to trouble Mr. Faraday, this time for the use of his ladder. | |
| Have a Break, Take a Husband | 8 March 1973 | As a second honeymoon, Frank and Betty decide to take a trip to an very old fashioned hotel. Things get off to a bad start when Frank very nearly misses the train and has to run after it down the platform. After arriving at their hotel, Frank takes it upon himself to make a few adjustments to the broken room, which eventually result in their lino getting torn, a broken wardrobe and a whole in their floor. Meanwhile, across the landing, another guest, Kenny, is having difficulty getting to sleep between the noises coming from the Spencer's destroyed room and his furniture disappearing. | |
| The Hospital Visit | 15 March 1973 | Frank's been fending for himself with Betty in hospital, and has just had a spot of bother with a Steak and Kidney pudding. It blew up! Now he's off to visit her, but is the recovery ward ready for him? | |
| The Psychiatrist | 22 March 1973 | After being reliefed of his job as a member of a fire crew, Frank feels that he is a failure. Betty thinks that he should go and see someone who would understand his situation. He goes to see Mr. Webster, a Psychiatrist who tries his best to get to the root of Frank's problem. | |
| The Employment Exchange | 29 March 1973 | Having lost his latest job as a window cleaner, Frank ends up back at the employment exchange, where new manager Mr. Bradshaw insists that he can be employed. Bradshaw takes Frank on as an empolyee around the building, but soon begins to regret it. | |
Series Two (1973)
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffhanger | 22 November 1973 | Frank's latest job includes a company car which he and Betty use to go on a picnic. Things start out well enough until Frank manages to reverse the car halfway over the edge of the cliff. | |
| The RAF Reunion | 29 November 1973 | Frank attends his annual RAF reunion and reflects on his past RAF experiences. | This episode has flashbacks on his past life. |
| The Public Relations Course | 6 December 1973 | Having lost yet another job Betty suggests Frank try out a course in Public Relations training. Frank heads off to the school run by Mr Watson a very self confident experienced Public Relations expert who is confident he can make Frank a success but Frank proves too much even for him. | |
| Frank and Marvin | 13 December 1973 | Frank discovers he is going to be a father and determines to make a success of his new job at a holiday camp as an entertainer. His act includes a very poor ventriloquist act, bad jokes about kangaroos, an interesting rendition of Early One Morning and a human volcano act which he manages to set off by accident. | |
| Fathers' Clinic | 20 December 1973 | In preparation for parenthood Betty has been looking after two young children from the neighbourhood and she convinces Frank to come along on one of their outings. The girls seem wary of Frank at first but his accident prone ways which they find hilarious soon wins them over. | This episode involves the most famous stunt of the series when Frank who is roller skating at a rink manages to burst through the fire exit and on a hellish but hilarious journey through the streets dodging buses and cars, ducking under lorries and crashing into a baby shop. |
| The Baby Arrives | 27 December 1973 | Frank is worrying about his impending fatherhood and is starting to annoy the hospital staff with his constant false alarms. The doctors tell the Spencers that they have another week to go but that night baby Spencer has other ideas. With their doctor on holiday another one is drafted in, the same one whose car Frank reversed into earlier that day. | Birth of Jessica. |
1974 and 1975 Christmas specials
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jessica's First Christmas | 25 December 1974 | Frank gets involved in the church's nativity play, much against Father O'Hara's wishes - and with predictably disastrous results. | |
| Learning to Drive | 25 December 1975 | After being fired from his job as a Christmas pixie, Frank receives a letter from the BBC inviting him to appear on a show called 'Man about the Home'. David Jacobs turns up and attempts to film but Frank's DIY disasters become apparent. At the same time, Frank is taking driving lessons. He takes his test (for the 10th time) - a series of near misses ensue and Frank ends up driving off the end of a pier into the sea. Even then, he yells to the harassed and bedraggled examiner, who has made rapidly for the shore, "Mr Hayes - have I passed?" | |
Series Three (1978)
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moving House | 11 November 1978 | The Spencers' move gets off to a bad start when Frank manages to fall out of the moving van into a barrel of tar and take half the furniture with him. Things get worse when within hours of arriving he not only gets on the wrong side of Mr Lewis from next door but half destroys his bedroom ceiling. | In this episode, Frank sings a lullaby to his daughter Jessica. First appearance of Frank's bad tempered neighbour Mr Lewis. |
| Wendy House | 18 November 1978 | Frank is being kept very busy at woodwork classes especially when the insurance company value his entire collection of furniture at £40. To speed things along he has started using super glue which unfortunately manages to stick him, an old lady and a bus conductor to a chair. In addition to new furniture, Frank is building a Wendy House for Jessica, a very LARGE Wendy House which proves too big to get through the workshop door. | Features One Foot in the Grave One Foot in the Grave One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000... star Richard Wilson as the insurance man. First appearance of Columbo, Frank's dog. |
| Scottish Dancing | 25 November 1978 | Frank and Betty have taken up Scottish country dancing and Frank has decided to go into Politics and with a gala dinner for his party's parliamentary candidate approaching the rest of the committee are determined not to let Frank cause an embarrassment. | |
| Men as Women | 2 December 1978 | Frank receives a letter from Grandad Spencer in Australia inviting him and Betty to join him and help run his farm. Meanwhile Dr Mender appears to be very depressed and preoccupied and for once Frank is not responsible. | This episode marks the first appearance of Dr Mender as the Spencer's GP. This marks a continuity error as Dr Mender claims to have been Frank's GP for years and to still have Frank's chimney brush up his chimney when this was in fact Dr Smedley. |
| King of the Road (aka Demon King) | 9 December 1978 | Frank's new job as a motorbike courier lands him in trouble with the law and up before the magistrates. Frank defends himself in the only way he knows how. | |
| Australia House | 16 December 1978 | Frank is taking elocution lessons in preparation for his flying lessons. Meanwhile a letter arrives from Australia House asking the Spencers to come discuss their possible emigration to Australia. By the end of the interview Mr Lawrence tells Frank he can go just to get rid of him. |
1978 Christmas special
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning to Fly | 25 December 1978 | Frank begins his flying lessons at the local school but things take a bit of a bad turn when Frank manages to cause his instructor to pass out in mid flight. | This is the very last episode made of the show. |
Repeats
The BBC has repeated Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em several times since the series was produced in the 1970s. The programme has been shown in CatalanCatalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
public television, Nigeria on the NTA
Nigerian Television Authority
The Nigerian Television Authority - also known as NTA - was inaugurated in 1977 and is the government-owned body in charge of television broadcasting in the country. The NTA claims to run the biggest television network in Africa with stations in several parts of Nigeria...
in the 1980s and 1990s and in Australia on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
channel Great Comedy Classics
Great Comedy Classics
Great Comedy Classics is an Australian television programme compiled by the Seven Network, which screens episodes of classic British comedies. It is hosted by former Hey Hey It's Saturday comedian, Russell Gilbert...
in 2006-2007. British channels G.O.L.D., BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
and BBC Prime
BBC Prime
BBC Prime was the BBC's general entertainment TV channel in Europe and the Middle East from 30 January 1995 until 11 November 2009, when it was replaced by BBC Entertainment.-Launch:...
took over repeats of the programme in 2007.
External links
- Playlist of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em videos from BBC Worldwide on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Theme tune
- Steve Phillips' Episode Guide
- Jessica's Lullaby from Series 3 Episode 1 "Moving House"