My Old Man
Encyclopedia
My Old Man is a popular but short-lived British
sitcom
which starred Clive Dunn
as retired and embittered engine driver Sam Cobbett. Thirteen episodes were made which were shown in two series of 1974 and 1975.
, West Yorkshire
, England
, the central character, Sam Angelica Cobbett, was a retired and embittered engine driver. He was the last tenant to leave an old house in a road condemned by a council. He then goes to live with his daughter, her posh husband, Arthur, and their young teenage son, Ron, in a flat nearby.
was one of a series of seven one-offs called Seven of One
. It starred Ronnie Barker
with Graham Armitage and Ann Beach
. When the BBC failed to develop Gerald Frow's script, Yorkshire Television took over and cast Clive Dunn in the lead part while Ronnie Barker focused on his successful roles in Porridge
and Open All Hours
.
The writers were Gerald Frow and Ian La Frenais
. The director was John Duncan
while Paddy Russell
was the producer. Sydney Lotterby
and Harold Snoad
produced the BBC pilot.
The location of the main series was unchanged from the pilot.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
which starred Clive Dunn
Clive Dunn
Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
as retired and embittered engine driver Sam Cobbett. Thirteen episodes were made which were shown in two series of 1974 and 1975.
Plot
Set in BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the central character, Sam Angelica Cobbett, was a retired and embittered engine driver. He was the last tenant to leave an old house in a road condemned by a council. He then goes to live with his daughter, her posh husband, Arthur, and their young teenage son, Ron, in a flat nearby.
Cast
- Clive DunnClive DunnClive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
as Sam Cobbett - Priscilla Morgan as Doris
- Edward HardwickeEdward HardwickeEdward Hardwicke , sometimes credited as Edward Hardwick, was an English actor.-Early life and career:...
as Arthur - George Tovey as Willie
- Jon LaurimoreJon LaurimoreJon Laurimore is a British actor, known for his television appearances.His credits include: The Avengers, The Prisoner, Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, Public Eye, Warship, Sutherland's Law, The Onedin Line, Spy Trap, Rock Follies, Space: 1999, Doctor Who , I, Claudius, Target, Secret...
as Andrew - Peter Mayock as Cyril
Production history
The pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
was one of a series of seven one-offs called Seven of One
Seven of One
Seven of One was a British comedy series that aired on BBC2 in 1973. Starring Ronnie Barker, 7 of One is a series of seven separate comedies that would serve as possible pilots for sitcoms. Originally it was to be called Six of One, which Barker planned to follow up with another series called Half...
. It starred Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
with Graham Armitage and Ann Beach
Ann Beach
Ann Beach is a British actress.She is the mother of Charlotte Coleman and Lisa Coleman. She is perhaps best remembered for her supporting role as Sonia Barrett, the quirky next-door neighbour on the British comedy Fresh Fields, starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers...
. When the BBC failed to develop Gerald Frow's script, Yorkshire Television took over and cast Clive Dunn in the lead part while Ronnie Barker focused on his successful roles in Porridge
Porridge (TV series)
Porridge is a British situation comedy broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977, running for three series, two Christmas specials and a feature film. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it stars Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as two inmates at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland...
and Open All Hours
Open All Hours
Open All Hours is a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973...
.
The writers were Gerald Frow and Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais, OBE, , is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.They have also written various other work...
. The director was John Duncan
John Duncan
John Duncan may refer to:* John Duncan , American artist and musician* John Duncan , Scottish weaver and botanist* John Duncan , MP from British Columbia...
while Paddy Russell
Paddy Russell
Patricia "Paddy" Russell is a British television director.She directed several television programmes between 1962 and 1981 and her work includes Out of the Unknown , Late Night Horror , Pere Goriot , Little Women , The Moonstone and The Omega Factor .Before becoming a director herself, during the...
was the producer. Sydney Lotterby
Sydney Lotterby
Sydney Lotterby OBE is a British television producer and director. He started as a cameraman at the BBC and progressed to becoming technical manager...
and Harold Snoad
Harold Snoad
Harold Edward Snoad is a British television producer and director.Beginning his career in the 1960s, he has worked on many comedy shows for the BBC, including the sitcoms Dad's Army, Are You Being Served?, Ever Decreasing Circles and Keeping Up Appearances...
produced the BBC pilot.
The location of the main series was unchanged from the pilot.
DVD Release
| DVD | Release date |
|---|---|
| The Complete Series 1 | 2 August 2010 |
| The Complete Series 2 | 23 January 2012 |