I'm a big fan of that period in the '70s when it seemed like every TV sitcom transferred to the silver screen. For my money, the most successful transition was (Whatever Happened To) "The Likely Lads", but then I love(d) the TV series too. It depends on whether you're judging the films on how suitable they were as a stand-alone film, or as an 'extended' episode of its TV counterpart. It could be argued that none of these films were actually any good as films, but survived on the goodwill of the audiences who came to them already familiar with the premise/characters. The "On The Buses" triple-transfer was reasonable, but then I never watched the TV series, so perhaps I'm contradicting myself there. The "Porridge" movie was good, if a little strange of plot (and anything with Richard Beckinsale in is worth watching, IMHO), but "Bless This House" was a mess, as was "Are You Being Served" (was this programme EVER funny?).
Nothing else springs to mind at the moment.
Cheerio
Steve
Hancock (The Rebel), the two Steptoe and Son films.
i've got to say, and i'm always wary of doing so in public, that the 'please sir' film has got some spanking dialogue in it, and a great ensemble. i think i've watched it about 60 times since i was eleven and (bizarrely) it never ceases to make me giggle.
but then, esmonde and larbey, in their heyday, were just fucking fabulous.
j xxx
You're right, Jason, I'd forgotten this one and I have got it on video somewhere (a kind of widescreen version thanks to Granada) - Peter Denyer particularly is good in it (I always thought he was great in Dear John too). The "love interest" was one of Ken Barlow's ex's from Corrie, I think. And the end theme (sung by Cilla Black?) is a great song.
Cheerio
Steve
Yes, I too had forgotten this very good film. Anything with Joan Sanderson in it is worth watching (IMHO)!
What about the uncut version of "Man About The House" with its St Etienne style theme song that was so much better than the TV one?
I've just seen the film version of Till Death Do Us Part, and I rather like it-it's like a prequel, showing Alf and Else's life in the war, Rita's birth and ends on Rita's wedding. It sometimes struggles to keep pace, but the performances are great, and you see a very young Geoffrey Wotshisname (Twiggy in The Royle Family) as a relative of Mike's. Needless to say, the wedding ends in a good old British punchup. Bloody great.
Yeah, but the radio version was better.
For my money, Dad's Army was the best film version of a sitcom, followed by the film versions of On the Buses. Given that On the Buses isn't repeated often on terrestial TV, the three films serve as a good reminder of the TV series.
Slightly off-topic, but which may be of interest, one film was later remade as a comedy. Eric Sykes' The Plank was made twice, firstly as a TV film with Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper as two workmen who cause chaos trying to transport a plank of wood across London. This film featured a star cast and anyone who has seen it will recall that the cast's names (and producers and directors too!) are chanted right at the start! This version is by far the best one.
It was made again in 1979, this time with Arthur Lowe alongside Eric Sykes, and recorded before a studio audience, which spoiled the atmosphere of the original (audience-less) version. Both versions of The Plank can be obtained from most video shops and the 1967 one is still screened occasionally.