User Reviews

Thinking that her husband is losing interest in her, Joan decides to act upon advice given to her by Barbie and starts going around the house bra-less, Eddie however fails to notice this, though he has no difficulty noticing that Barbie does not wear one, much to Bill's chagrin.

Later, Joan goes over to Barbie's to return a book she borrowed and sees Bill laying a new carpet. Tripping over it, she lands in Bill's arms. Eddie just happens to be walking by as this happens and, seeing this, jumps to the conclusion that her and Bill are having an affair. Eddie then challenges Bill to a fist fight....

A fine conclusion to the first series. One can't help feeling sorry for Eddie here, despite how much of a pillock he is. When he feels his wife is being unfaithful, he seems genuinely upset. He even seems genuinely concerned for Barbie's welfare when he suspects Bill of sniffing around his wife. The final scene sees the four in the pub, chatting and having a laugh, however, the squabbling would soon start again by the arrival of the second series a short time later.

Funniest bit - during Bill and Eddie's fight outside, Bill does an impressive Muhammad Ali style shuffle. Eddie attempts this, with less than successful results!

The final episode of Season 1.

Feminism finally reaches Maple Terrace as Barbie encourages Joan to walk around the house with no bra on. Eddie and Jacko come home from work only to spot Barbie in the garden, and both their eyes are on stalks. That evening, Joan is watching Bill fit a new carpet in his living room when she trips, falling into his arms. Guess who should be looking through the window at that moment? Convinced Joan and Bill are having a secret affair, Eddie returns to the Jubilee Social Club to get smashed. He goes round to Bill's to confront Barbie. Now it is Bill's turn to suspect infidelity. A punch-up looks imminent...

Interesting that whenever Eddie meets Barbie, he does not use the racist names he reserves for her husband. Perhaps the writers wanted to give the impression that his hatred is primarily motivated by jealousy of the other man's superior lifestyle. The decision to remake the pilot ( in which the Booths lived in the same sort of dwelling as the Reynolds ) would appear to confirm this. The episode ( and indeed the first series ) ends on an optimistic note, with the two couples enjoying a friendly drink at the club. It would not last, however, the show was too popular for that. Soon the men would be at each other's throats again.

It is hard to reconcile the show's enormous popularity at the time ( comparable to 'Bless This House' and 'Dad's Army' ) to the 'dog house' status it sadly enjoys today. When it ended in 1975, there were no repeats, with only the 1972 movie popping up occasionally on I.T.V. U.K. Gold ran the first few seasons in the late '90's ( prefaced by a warning ), but since then there has been nothing. Once one gets over the shock of the racist language on display ( which is no worse than you will find in 'Blazing Saddles' ), the show is hardly the glowing advertisement for the British National Party its enemies seem to think. Let's see it on I.T.V.-3 so we can make our own minds up.

Funniest moment - Eddie admiring Barbie's physique. "Great pair of knockers!". Overhearing this, Bill demands to know what he meant. Thinking fast, Eddie says: "I was just saying to Jacko, you don't see many door knockers these days!".