Some Mothers do have them

[mrbig]

Show I remeber watching when I was young was a show called Some mothers Do have them" Starting Michael Crawford. He always made me laugh watching that show. :-D

[Aidan]

mrbig, Some Mothers... is one of the all-time classic sitcoms, everybody will have heard of it ( Ooh, Bett-ay, I'm a foil-yah, Bett-ay). My fave is the Morris-Minor-over-the-cliff one.

[koukou]

Am I alone in this but.. I hated that program.

[shipster]

think the little baby was called Jessica. Painfully funny from what I can remember.

[Oggy]

Its was funny, and Michael crawford did all his own stunts loved the one on the rollarskates classic

[mrbig]

Its was funny, and Michael crawford did all his own stunts loved the one on the rollarskates classic

The one I remeber the most is where he was in the bathroom fixing the toilet and got his foot stuck in it as well as the plunger. I was only about 7 and a half when I saw it. :-D

[Oggy]

It was funny at the time, and there has been several rumors over the years of an older version with Michael, but would he do it now, as he's more reknown as a classic singer these days, Phantom of the Opera, not exactly Frank Spencer is it?

[SirBillCotton]

Am I alone in this but.. I hated that program.

You won't be on your own when you say you hated Some Mothers Do Ave Em, but you will be in the minorities if you didn't like this. It was an absolute classic. Why didn't you like it?

[Oggy]

I loved it, and still better my kids do now.

[darren]

Re: Some Mothers do have them

was going tyo start a new thread but i found what i was looking for.

Some mothers do ave em had 22 episodes which included 3 christmas specials.

it starred michael crawford as the accident prone frank sperncer and micheklle dotrice as his long suffering wife.

other actors actresses to appear where.

george A cooper,jean boht, richard wilson,christopher timoty milton johns,elisabeth sladen.


its original run was from 15th of february 1973 to the 25th of december 1978


The wimpish smiling Frank, sporting his trademark beret and trench coat, is married to apparently normal Betty Michele Dotrice and in later series they have a baby daughter, Jessica, which offered scope for even more slapstick humour. Frank was a gift for impersonators, and for a time it became a cliché that every half-decent impersonator was doing an impression of him, particularly his main catchphrase "Ooh Betty", which is only ever said in one episode: series 2, episode Frank also exhibits very extreme homophobic behaviour, to the point which it interferes with his interactions with well-meaning people.


"Ooh Betty.." is not Frank's only catchphrase of the series. Others include a quavering "Oooh...", usually uttered with his forefinger to his mouth as he stands amidst the chaos of some disaster he has just caused (and which he himself has invariably escaped unscathed). He also sometimes complains about being "ha-RASSed!", or occasionally, "I've had a lot of ha-RASSments lately perhaps surprisingly, most people now use this pronunciation, but this is probably more because of American influence.

Other recurring catchphrases include references to a bit of trouble which usually implies some sort of undisclosed digestive disorder, and to the cat having done a "whoopsie" on one occasion in Spencer's beret.
Despite his unfailing ability to infuriate people.

Frank is essentially a very sympathetic character, who inspires as much affection from his audience as from his ever-loving and patient wife, Betty. The ability to convey this lovable aspect of his character — which meant that, crucially, the audience is always on Frank's 'side' — was a notable achievement of the writer and main actors.

For all his extraordinary faults, the viewer never doubts that Frank adores Betty and would do anything for her, and in their own way they are blissfully happy together. He also venerates the memory of his late mother and worships his daughter.

For the final series, made five years after the previous one although there had been two Christmas specials in between, Frank's character changes markedly.

He becomes more self-aware, and keen to make himself appear more educated and well-spoken. He develops an air of pomposity which is always best demonstrated when someone would approach and enquire, Mr Spencer?" to which he would always reply, "I am he.


He also becomes more self-assured, and much more willing to argue back when criticised, and often win arguments by leaving his opponents dumbfounded by the bizarreness of what he would say.


Acknowledging the show's success in Australia, the final series saw him begin talk of having relations there, and contemplating emigrating.


Crawford himself has talked of how he based many of Frank's reactions on those of a young child. Crawford also found it difficult to break out of the public association with the role, despite his later career as a hugely successful musical performer on the West End and Broadway stage, in popular shows such as Barnum and The Phantom of the Opera.

[jrt2345]

Re: Some Mothers do have them

Loved Richard Wilson's appearance, very funny. Frank Spencer has me in stictches! I don't have a favourite - They're all good!

John

[darren]

Re: Some Mothers do have them

it sure is great.

it was originally made for norman wisdom to play frank.


and i heard linda hayden was to be franks wife but it was felt it would be a bit unbelievable so they opted for michelle dotrice.

check this.hehe

http://youtu.be/tiwEdR2mpvM

[xmark1234]

Re: Some Mothers do have them

classic bring back the sitcoms YEAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[Cartimand]

Re: Some Mothers do have them

My favourite line from Some Mothers is when Frank and Betty had a row:

Betty: My mother didn't want me to marry you. She wanted me to marry someone else!

Frank: Someone else? Who was he? Tell me who he was!

Betty: Well erm.. no-one in particular. Just someone else.


Also did you know that the theme music comprises the morse code for the title played on a piccolo?

[Richard1978]

Re: Some Mothers do have them

I think the late Elisabeth Sladen auditioned for Betty, & played a greengrocer in one episode.

There were plans for a 4th series, possibly part=financed by Australian TV (where it was very popular), but Michael Crawford didn't want to be typecast.

I did read somewhere that there was an idea for a spin-off in the 1990s with Jessica as an equally accident-prone young woman,titled Some fathers do have them.