>By the way, I strongly recommend the film version, showing on C4 tonight. It pisses on every 'all film versions of 70s sitcoms were rubbish' opinion, and contains a Mr Barraclough line that makes me fall off my sofa every time I think of it.

Surely nobody holds that opinion, given Porridge, Steptoe and Dad's Army, plus others I've forgotten? Or is this a revisionist stance?

'Better to have lost in love than spend yer whole ruddy life with her...' - That was the line.

Saw the film last night by mistake, and was pleasantly surprised - naturally, the film format offered a wider scope and the sheer length allowed longer jokes to 'breathe' in between Barker's taught dialogue. Nice to see Gordon Kaye in a bit-part, too.

I spotted a bearded Duncan Preston too. (As "a weatherman".)

Two stars in the Radio Times?! Worth four, I'd say. (Nice Goodies reference too.)

And the song at the end is absolutely fantastic.

Joe Brown.

Who acquitted himself quite well on Jools Holland last night. At least, his close-harmony version of "Get Rhythm" was rather spiffy.

Rowland Rivron didn't seem as drunk as usual.