Cyril Blamire

[onyx(John)]

I wonder if Michael Bates had not fell ill and would have had greater longevity in the series would we look at him with with the same fondness we have for the ubiquitous characters as they developed.
The more I see the first two series the more fondness I feel for Blamire.I like the fact that, even though he thought himself superior to Compo he still was always kind to him,giving him cigarettes whenever he asked etc.I feel sure had been able to carry on he would have become a legendary character too.

 

[Big Unc]

I very much appreciated Michael Bates' versatility. There was a vast differnce between Blamaire and the part he played in "It Ain't Half Hot, Mum".

And, of course, it was him who set the pattern for the third man. I did much prefer him to Foggy.

 

[gremlin]

i agree onyx, michael bates was a strong and versatile lead character and i'm sure he would have developed blamire a good deal if he had had the chance.....i know he loved the character and was devastated when he became too unwell to carry on.

 

[wstol]

Foggy was only supposed to be a slight variation of Blamire - indeed much of his first series is using lines originally written for Blamire.

I think had Blamire remained in the show, the physical element still would have developed. Since Foggy had a bit of a military background as well, I reckon the show would have carried on much as it did.

Though I think Foggy was somehow more loved by the general public, we will never know how Michael Bates part would have developed.

Series 4 is when the show found it's feet in my opinion. Though those early shows are masterpieces.

 

[codfanglers]

Past discussions determined that Foggy had more "mass appeal" than Blamire. That is not to say Blamire was less of a character. Foggy was suited for more "silly" and "slapstick" comedy, however, Blamire had his more subtle silly moments, like his face darkened in Rural Blamire.

Perhaps the show would have stayed more "edgy" if Michael Bates stayed healthy. Although this might have meant it would not have lasted for so many decades if it stayed in similar style to the first two years. Once again, tat does not mean Blamire or Michael Bates was inferior at all to Foggy or Brian Wilde.