Never Mind The Quality Feel The Width
Encyclopedia
Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width was a British television sitcom first broadcast in 1967 as a single play
in the Armchair Theatre
anthology series, later becoming a series of half-hour episodes, which ran until 1971. A total of 40 episodes were made, all but one of them being believed to have aired.
It was originally made by ABC Television
for the ITV
network, with its production being continued by Thames Television
.
, was Jewish, and Patrick Kelly, played by Joe Lynch, was Irish. Two further prominent characters were Rabbi Levy (Christopher Benjamin in the pilot, Cyril Shaps
in the series) from the local synagogue
, and Father Ryan (Denis Carey in the pilot, Eamon Kelly
in the series) from the local Catholic church.
The show was not felt worthy of national distribution, so it was not broadcast in areas such as the Northeast of England
. The production company ABC had the ITV
weekend franchise for the Midlands
and the North of England
but the show was also seen in London, Scotland and Northern Ireland
.
TV listings for Saturday 25 November 1967, from the Times Archive (accessible by subscription), show that Never Mind The Quality... was broadcast at 7.00pm across the majority of ITV regions. These include (in order as listed) ATV London, ABC (Midland and Northern), Southern Television, Westward, Anglia, Channel, Grampian, Border, Tyne Tees, and Ulster. At the same time West of England and South Wales broadcast Garrison's Gorillas, and Scottish Television broadcast The Desperate Hours. As the regional broadcasters were largely independent of each other, it was not unusual for even the most popular programmes to be scheduled at different times and on different dates.
One episode featured Manny and Patrick trading the rights to display their pictures around the shop. When Patrick had two pictures of the Pope
on the wall while Manny had one of Moshe Dayan
, Manny's comment was "It's the going rate. Two Popes to one Moshe."
Another episode had Patrick, a singer, filling in at the synagogue for a sick cantor
, on the occasion of a visit by the Chief Rabbi
. Coached to sing phonetically in Hebrew, Patrick performs, every moment milked for comedic value. Finally the Chief Rabbi congratulates Patrick but reveals he knows something is up. When asked how he knows, he replies, "Simple. At the end of the service you genuflected and crossed yourself!". The episode title was "The Not-so-kosher Cantor".
.
Television play
From the 1950s until the early 1980s, the television play was a popular television programming genre in the United Kingdom, with a shorter span in the United States. The genre was often associated with the social realist-influenced British drama style known as "kitchen sink realism", which depicted...
in the Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
anthology series, later becoming a series of half-hour episodes, which ran until 1971. A total of 40 episodes were made, all but one of them being believed to have aired.
It was originally made by ABC Television
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network, with its production being continued by Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
.
Plot
The plots revolved around two tailors in business together. Manny Cohen, played by John BluthalJohn Bluthal
John Bluthal is a Polish-born British film and television actor, mostly in comedy. He is best known for his work with Spike Milligan and for his roles in the television series Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width and The Vicar of Dibley.-Early life:Bluthal was born in Galicia, Poland, of Jewish...
, was Jewish, and Patrick Kelly, played by Joe Lynch, was Irish. Two further prominent characters were Rabbi Levy (Christopher Benjamin in the pilot, Cyril Shaps
Cyril Shaps
-Biography:Shaps was born in Highbury, London; he was of Polish ancestry and his father was a tailor.He was a child broadcaster, providing voices for radio commercials at the age of 12. After grammar school and Army service he trained at RADA and then worked for two years as an announcer, producer...
in the series) from the local synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, and Father Ryan (Denis Carey in the pilot, Eamon Kelly
Eamon Kelly (Actor)
Eamon Kelly was an Irish actor and author.-Childhood:Kelly was born in Sliabh Luachra, County Kerry, Ireland. The son of Ned Kelly and Johanna Cashman, Eamon left school at age 14 to become an apprentice carpenter to his father, a wheelwright...
in the series) from the local Catholic church.
The show was not felt worthy of national distribution, so it was not broadcast in areas such as the Northeast of England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. The production company ABC had the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
weekend franchise for the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and the North of England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
but the show was also seen in London, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
TV listings for Saturday 25 November 1967, from the Times Archive (accessible by subscription), show that Never Mind The Quality... was broadcast at 7.00pm across the majority of ITV regions. These include (in order as listed) ATV London, ABC (Midland and Northern), Southern Television, Westward, Anglia, Channel, Grampian, Border, Tyne Tees, and Ulster. At the same time West of England and South Wales broadcast Garrison's Gorillas, and Scottish Television broadcast The Desperate Hours. As the regional broadcasters were largely independent of each other, it was not unusual for even the most popular programmes to be scheduled at different times and on different dates.
One episode featured Manny and Patrick trading the rights to display their pictures around the shop. When Patrick had two pictures of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
on the wall while Manny had one of Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
, Manny's comment was "It's the going rate. Two Popes to one Moshe."
Another episode had Patrick, a singer, filling in at the synagogue for a sick cantor
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
, on the occasion of a visit by the Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
. Coached to sing phonetically in Hebrew, Patrick performs, every moment milked for comedic value. Finally the Chief Rabbi congratulates Patrick but reveals he knows something is up. When asked how he knows, he replies, "Simple. At the end of the service you genuflected and crossed yourself!". The episode title was "The Not-so-kosher Cantor".
Film adaptation
In 1973 Bluthal and Lynch reprised their roles in a film spin off.Series One (1967)
- 1.1. Cohen & Kelly (25 November 1967)
- 1.2. Not So Much A Sanctuary, More A Penance (2 December 1967)
- 1.3. Remember That Thou Keep Holy (9 December 1967)
- 1.4. Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone (16 December 1967)
- 1.5. Leopards Can Change Their Spots (23 December 1967)
- 1.6. A Flower Of Israel (30 December 1967)
Series Two (1968)
- 2.1. And A Yamulka To Match (13 August 1968)
- 2.2. A Madonna for Manny (20 August 1968)
- 2.3. And Leave The Rest Of The World Behind (3 September 1968)
- 2.4. A Suit Fit For A Prince (10 September 1968)
- 2.5. Hello Mother, Hello Father (17 September 1968)
- 2.6. All That Glitters Is Not Gelt (24 September 1968)
Series Three (1969)
- 3.1. Old Soldiers Never Die (21 August 1969)
- 3.2. Situations Vacant – Apply Saville Row (28 August 1969)
- 3.3. David Kossoff? He's A Friend Of Mine (4 September 1969)
- 3.4. Arrividerci Roma (11 September 1969)
- 3.5. It's The Thought That Counts (18 September 1969)
- 3.6. And A Brother A Priest (25 September 1969)
Series Four (1970)
- 4.1. Blood Is Thinner Than Water (25 June 1970)
- 4.2. Without Prejudice (2 July 1970)
- 4.3. New Worlds For Old (9 July 1970)
- 4.4. What You've Never Had, You Never Miss (16 July 1970)
- 4.5. Miracles To Measure (23 July 1970)
- 4.6. Only Four Can Play (30 July 1970)
Series Five (1970–71)
- 5.1. And Ecumenicals To You (15 December 1970)
- 5.2. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (22 December 1970)
- 5.3. Twenty Years On (29 December 1970)
- 5.4. A Question Of Policy (5 January 1971)
- 5.5. The Not So Kosher Cantor (12 January 1971)
- 5.6. And Nobody Knew They Were There (19 January 1971)
- 5.7. You Will Go To The Ball, Manny Cohen (26 January 1971)
Series Six (1971)
- 6.1. Manny Cohen R.I.P. (3 August 1971)
- 6.2. Romeo Cohen And Juliet Weinberg (10 August 1971)
- 6.3. Holiday With Kosher Strings (17 August 1971)
- 6.4. There's No Smoke Without Fire (24 August 1971)
- 6.5. Weavers To Wearers (31 August 1971)
- 6.6. Daylight Robbery (7 September 1971)
- 6.7. Mix Me A Marriage (14 September 1971)
Trivia
The pilot and the first two series were produced by ABC; however, the second series (of 6 episodes) did not air until just after Thames launched, who initially aired the six series 2 episodes over August and September 1968.Archival status
Out of the 40 episodes which were made, 11 episodes no longer exist. These are the pilot, five of the six episodes from Series 1, and five of the six episodes from Series 2.DVD release
A 4-Disc set of the show, containing the concurrent THAMES TV series & sole-surviving ABC episodes was released on DVD in June 2010, by NetworkNetwork DVD
Network DVD is a DVD publishing company that specialises in classic British television. In particular, it has the rights to a number of well-known ITV programmes...
.