User Reviews

Its Darts Night at the Luxton bus depot. Stan, Jack, Blakey, Mum and Olive are present ( Stan uses a file to sabotage Blakey's dart ). But where is Arthur? Enjoying the company of attractive clippie Wendy ( Kate Williams ). Olive watches them getting friendly, a scowl across her face. Her husband has not had the courtesy to buy her a drink all evening. Angered, she goes home early.

Stan is woken at 1 A.M. by a council-of-war consisting of his mother and sister. Arthur has not come home...

A nice episode for fans of Michael Robbins and Anna Karen. While Arthur's treatment of his wife is indeed shameful, its possible to sympathise with his plight up to a point. He married the wrong woman for the wrong reason, and wants nothing more than to escape. The scene where he tries to start the bike in the garage ( and fails ) has a certain pathos to it, like Harold Steptoe's attempt to leave home in the 'Comedy Playhouse' pilot 'The Offer'.

Kate Williams went on to co-star in 'Love Thy Neighbour', the '70's most controversial sitcom. Having viewed a number of episodes of that series lately, its tough to see her as a sex bomb, but she plays the part rather well.

Funniest moment - Mum ordering Blakey to sack Wendy for 'immoral behaviour'. The Inspector points out that if he had to sack someone each time they behaved immorally, he'd have no-one left in the depot.

Interesting episode, mainly for Olive.

She watches as her husband, Arthur, chats with the other woman during a darts tournament at the bus canteen. Arthur buys her drinks. Olive does nothing. She pouts, she disapproves, but there are no cat-fights.

She doesn't throw Arthur out. Eventually he storms out on his own and sleeps in the garage.

Olive is a doormat, having everyone wipe their feet on her, but I can't help but note that she is displaying some sign of maturity here, either that or it is the British stiff-upper lip.

Her husband cheats on her by flirting with other women. Well, he's no catch himself, so if the other woman wants him (which she makes her feelings known on that at the end of the episode, the other woman does), she can have him.

But when Olive gets her man back, she is happy.

Doesn't take much to make Olive happy. A simple woman with simple wants.

And a very simple man.

Toward the end of the series, not this episode, Olive would lose ARthur when Michael Robbins left the show.

I've not seen those episodes, but I'm rather certain Olive whined, then she carried on, as is the British tradition.

Good for you, Olive. You're a free woman now, love.