Brian Murphy (Alvin Smedley) is 90 Today

I took an instant liking to his Alvin character. His playful, teasing interaction with Nora Batty (and later Stella) is part of what interested me in LotSW's later series. It will be some time before I get to the "Alvin Era", but I'll be rewatching the episodes I've already seen in which he appears when I have the occasional pause from the ongoing viewing of the entire series.
 
David Piper said:
I took an instant liking to his Alvin character. His playful, teasing interaction with Nora Batty (and later Stella) is part of what interested me in LotSW's later series. It will be some time before I get to the "Alvin Era", but I'll be rewatching the episodes I've already seen in which he appears when I have the occasional pause from the ongoing viewing of the entire series.
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It was hard for me to not slip earlier seen episodes in when doing my full-series binge, especially during the post-Compo episodes but since I was doing things chronological the "30 years" special and flashback episode helped keep me on track to the end. :)
 
Still performing the odd role which is a great achievement at 90 , his wife Linda was of course a Yellowcoat in Hi De Hi . I thought Alvin was a great character and in the latter series his partnership with Entwistle was one of the highlights of the show . Before arriving at LOTSW he had gained an awful lot of experience and knew his craft, always be remembered as the hapless George persecuted at every opportunity by Yootha Joyce as Mildred in Man About the House and George and Mildred. Congratulations.
 
tommy said:
It was hard for me to not slip earlier seen episodes in when doing my full-series binge, especially during the post-Compo episodes but since I was doing things chronological the "30 years" special and flashback episode helped keep me on track to the end. :)
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Thanks to this thread, I jumped at the chance to pick up Series 28 and 30. They arrived over the weekend, and I couldn't resist watching a couple of episodes. Of course it's now back to my "serious" LotSW Series 2 watching, but it is relaxing to just watch and not take notes...that will come later!;) ​
 
Marianna said:
I enjoyed Alvin's character, too. I've never seen any of the other shows that he appeared in - they weren't shown on my local PBS station.
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I wonder if the omnipresence of the well-known US versions (All in the Family, Sanford & Son, Three's Company) on primetime and syndication of those established British sitcoms--which even used the rehashed scripts* as their Brit predecessors--made it unlikely that US viewers would ever get to see the original shows.

*Sanford & Son S1 consists primarily of Galton-Simpson' Steptoe and Son scripts.

Having said that, I've watched a handful of George and Mildred episodes. It's a bit too "on the nose" and sitcommy for my taste. Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce were fine, but the neighbor guy didn't impress, and that kid was imo just awful. He spoke like he was auditioning to play Tiny Tim or Oliver Twist. Sheila Fearn played the wife, and since she had been James Bolam's sister in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, she gets a pass. ​
 
@Marianna , "CLASSIC UK DRAMA & SITCOM TV SHOWS" channel on youtube has both George and Mildred / Man About the House if you are interested. That channel has quickly become one of my favorites for Britcoms. Can post links if needed.

@David Piper , I agree the neighbor guy was annoying. Sheila Fearn on the other hand was dreamy.
 
Brian is married to Hi de Hi's April (Linda Regan who is also a crime writer & sister of Carol Drinkwater). Booze Cruise II in which he appears was on TV last night.
 
David Piper said:
Having said that, I've watched a handful of George and Mildred episodes. It's a bit too "on the nose" and sitcommy for my taste. Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce were fine, but the neighbor guy didn't impress...​
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The G&M neighbour was Jeffrey Fourmile, played by Norman Eshley - who previously played two different characters in Man About The House: first in series 2 he is Chrissy's boyfriend Ian Cross, although he is married; then in series 6 the final episode he is Robin's brother Norman who gets married to Chrissy.
 
Which Alvin episodes do my fellow posters recommend? (No major spoilers, please)

Eventually, I'll get to all of them, but in between my chronological viewing (I'll start Series 3 after Hurricane Ian moves on), I like to watch a random episode from the Alvin Era as a change of pace.

Lot No. 8 (S26 E09) looks promising!
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Brian genuinely seemed to be really enjoying himself in his role.....
He particularly shone when he was verbally jousting with Nora......I think he is the only character [or person we did not even see !!!] that actually got the better of her from time to time...he always said she was game......but I think she met her match with Alvin !!!...
When he first appeared trying to hang glide to France it was funny that he pronounced his name as "ELVIN" for at least half the episode.....when Cleggy,Truly and Billy were all calling him "ALVIN"......an excellent addition to our show !!!
 
In the Alvin episodes I've seen, the story bounces away to the other numerous characters' story just as I'm settling in to Alvin's adventure. I maintain interest in all of the stories, but I wouldn't mind one which concentrates solely on Alvin or his trio in the later era. A minor complaint, I assure you.​
 
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