"Steptoe and Son" Any Old Iron? (TV Episode 1970) Poster

(TV Series)

(1970)

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8/10
Close to home.
Sleepin_Dragon4 August 2019
Timothy Stanhope arrives at Oil Drum Lane, and takes a shine to Harold, much to the dismay of his homophobic dad.

This is gent's shoulder bag this is! It has some very funny moments, as an innocent Harold is unaware of the advances of Stanhope. A funny line where Albert tells Harold that he's on the turn.

There must have been some muddled feelings going on behind the scenes as Bramble, himself hiding his sexuality, sprouting several lines he must have hated.

Richard Hurndall was very good as Timmy, the seduction scene was so funny. Hurndall would later return to play William Hartnell's first Doctor in the 25th anniversary special The Five Doctors.
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8/10
"Where are you going now?" "Im going round the vets to be done"
ygwerin113 June 2022
I have this episode on DVD so I can enjoy watching at any I choose, which is possibly just as well because I doubt very much, that I will get the chance to watch this particular episode on the box, if it is screened anywhere it probably won't be for much longer.

I noticed recently that the television streaming service Britbox, is either screening Steptoe or contemplating it, and there was mention of some sort of alleged concerns, regarding the show and in particular this episode.

There was supposed to have been a worry, over the use of the word "jessy" used about one the characters, this would be nonsensical as that's a mild word compared, to the one that was uttered repeatedly by both Albert and Harold Steptoe.

Steptoe and Son was made and originally broadcast between the years 1962 and 1974, when words like the one used here were in common parlance, this show and its characters may not be thought of cockneys in the traditional sense of the word.

But the area that Steptoe was set in, would certainly have known the Cockney rhyming slang, which is why it's often used by both the two principle characters and other locals in the show. Cockney slang contains many diverse phrases, and it's always been commonly used to disguise social attitudes, the slang phrase Iron Hoof oft abreviated, to simply Iron is one that's particularly relevant here.

Steptoe and Son is a show of its time and place using language that is representative of both, but where attitudes are discussed and argued over by its principle protagonists in an open and frank manner, they depict real people with real personal views and attitudes.

There is no real need to guess what kind of TV comedies that tomorrow my bring, the yanks have been turning them out like shelling peas, written by a committee of writers aided and abetted by 'Focus Groups, to ensure the shows meet the required criteria.
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10/10
"Harold...you're on the turn!"
ShadeGrenade27 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Harold is collecting what he thinks are valuable antiques for his private collection. When his father accidentally destroys a Burnt Jones painting with a blow lamp ( "This Burnt Jones is more Burnt than Jones!" ), they are at loggerheads once more.

Their row is interrupted by the arrival of Timothy Stanhope ( Richard Hurndall ), an elegantly dressed antiques dealer. He sees only one thing of interest in the junkyard - Harold.

Harold in turn is fascinated by the older man's sartorial flair and good manners. Albert is horrified at what he perceives to be a change in his son's sexuality...

When this was made, homosexuality had been legal in Britain for four years, yet it still possessed a stigma in the minds of the older ( and some of the younger ) generation. 'Queer bashing' continued, while derogatory words like 'poof' were bandied about in the popular press well into the '80's. Of course Harold is not turning gay, but when he responds positively to Stanhope's charm the old man deduces the worst.

'Stanhope' is played by the late Richard Hurndall, whom 'Dr.Who' fans will remember replaced William Hartnell as the First Doctor in the 1983 anniversary special 'The Five Doctors'.

When it was repeated on B.B.C.-2 back in the '90's, a gay man wrote to 'Points Of View' angrily objecting to the homophobic stance adopted by Albert, and suggested the episode be 'never shown again'. The B.B.C. pointed out that the attitudes were of a different era. I think it would be sad if all programmes depicting old fashioned views were left to gather dust on a shelf for all eternity. That is why I find archive television fascinating - I like looking back to see what people were thinking and doing decades ago. The complainant over-reacted in my view.

Funniest moment - Albert looking aghast as Harold walks into the living room dressed in trendy clothes - and carrying a men's shoulder-bag!
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6/10
Any Old Iron?
Prismark1016 August 2017
I would like to say you will not get an episode like this today, but crude gay stereotypes still exist today in sitcoms.

Harold is frustrated that Albert keeps accidentally damaging valuable items, such as the Burne-Jones painting being burnt by a blow torch.

When the rather dandy antiques dealer Timothy Stanhope arrives at the junk yard he becomes rather smitten with the more muscular Harold to the dismay of Albert who wants to call the child protection services.

Harold who is looking to open his own antiques shops is rather happy to put on heirs and graces, go to the ballet and wear some dapper outfits including a man bag but Stanhope has other designs on Harold.

As homosexuality had only been liberalised just a few years earlier, Richard Hurndall could be more overtly camp as Stanhope. There is a nice little twist when the policeman comes knocking on the door as Harold tries to escape Stanhope's clutches.
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