The Likely Lads
Terry and Bob in The Likely Lads
Format	Sitcom
Starring	James Bolam Rodney Bewes Sheila Fearn
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	20 produced, 12 'lost'
Production
Producer(s)	Dick Clement
Running time	30 mins
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC
Picture format	4:3
Original run	16 December 1964 – 23 July 1966
Chronology
Followed by	Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
External links
Official website

The Likely Lads was a black and white British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty-one episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966. However, only eight of these shows have survived.

This show was followed by a popular sequel series, in colour, entitled Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, broadcast between 9 January 1973 and 24 December 1974. This was followed in 1976 by a spin-off feature film The Likely Lads.

Some episodes of both the original black and white series and the colour sequel were adapted for radio, with the original television cast.

Contents 1 Premise 2 Cast 3 Guest Stars 4 Episodes 4.1 Series 1 (1964 - 65) 4.2 Series 2 (1965) 4.3 Series 3 (1966) 4.4 Surviving episodes 5 Christmas Night with the Stars 6 Radio adaptations 6.1 Series 1 6.2 Series 2 7 DVD releases 8 Trivia 9 See also 10 External links 11 Sources 12 References 13 Further reading

[edit] Premise

The original show followed the friendship of two working-class young men, Terry Collier (James Bolam) and Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes), in the northeast of England (assumed to be Newcastle upon Tyne) in the mid 1960s. Both Bob and Terry are assumed to be in their early 20s (when their ages are revealed in the later film, this puts both characters at around 20 when the series started).

After growing up at school and in the Scouts together, Bob and Terry are working in the same factory, Ellison's Electrical, alongside the older, wiser duo of Cloughie and Jack. The show's gritty yet verbose humour derived largely from the tensions between Terry's cynical, everyman, working-class personality and Bob's ambition to better himself and progress to the middle class.

Bob and Terry were two average working class lads growing up in the industrial north, whose hobbies were beer, football and girls. They were "canny", which is to say street-wise, yet they stumbled into one scrape after another as they struggled to enjoy the Swinging Sixties on their meagre incomes.

At the end of the third and final series in 1966, a depressed and bored Bob attempted to join the Army but was rejected due to his flat feet. Terry, however, who decided at the last minute to enlist to keep Bob company, was accepted A1 and shipped away for three years.

It was gradually revealed that Terry and Bob's full names were Terence Daniel Collier and Robert Andrew Scarborough Ferris ("Scarborough" not revealed until the Seventies colour series). According to the later feature film, made in 1976, both "Lads" were conceived during the same wartime air raid and were thus born in the same year, 1944.

Although in the colour sequel much would be made of Bob's childhood sweetheart Thelma, she appeared only once in the original 1960s show, in which Bob had no steady girlfriend and was forever chasing 'skirt'; though she was mentioned in some episodes in series three, including Rocker and Goodbye to All That.

The word 'likely' in the show's title (which in some northern English dialects means likeable) is somewhat ambiguous. It might be derived from the phrase the man most likely to, a boxing expression in common use on Tyneside (in Geordie slang: "a likely lad"). Another possible meaning is the ambiguous northern use which refers ironically to small-time troublemakers, usually young, as "likely", either as an ironic comment on the above sense or as an expression of the sentiment that they are likely to be the cause of any trouble.

[edit] Cast

• James Bolam (Terry Collier)
• Rodney Bewes (Bob Ferris)
• Sheila Fearn (Audrey Collier: Terry's older sister)
• Bartlett Mullins (Mr Clough: Cloughie to the Lads, a work colleague)
• Donald McKillop (Jack: Another work colleague of the Lads)
• Olive Millbourne (Mrs Collier: Terry and Audrey's mother)
• Alex McDonald (Mr Collier: Terry and Audrey's dad)

[edit] Guest Stars

• George Layton in "The Suitor" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"
• Garfield Morgan in "Chance of a Lifetime"
• Wendy Richard in "The Last of the Big Spenders"
• Susan Jameson (the real-life wife of James Bolam) in "Double Date".
• Michael Sheard in "Other Side of the Fence" and "The Last of the Big Spenders".
• Nerys Hughes in "Outward Bound"
• Geoffrey Hughes in "The Razor's Edge" and "Love and Marriage"
• Helen Fraser in "Talk Of The Town" and "Love and Marriage"
• Irene Richmond (Mrs ferris: bob's mother) in "Talk Of The Town", "The Razor's Edge" and "Goodbye To All That"
• Tony Caunter in "Goodbye To All That"

[edit] Episodes

Only eight episodes survive on film in the BBC archive, as a result of the BBC's wiping policy of the 1970s. However, the BBC Archive Treasure Hunt, a public appeal campaign continues to search for missing episodes.

[edit] Series 1 (1964 - 65)

Title	Airdate	Description	Notes
Entente Cordiale	16 December 1964	The Lads return home from their first foreign holiday, pursued by a French girl they met in Spain.
Double Date	23 December 1964	A lovelorn Bob is cheered up by a double date.	Guest star: Susan Jameson
Older Women Are More Experienced	30 December 1964	Terry finds an older girlfriend, and Bob finds a younger one.
Other Side Of The Fence	6 January 1965	Bob is offered a better job, in management.	Guest stars: Michael Sheard Anneke Wills
Chance Of A Lifetime	13 January 1965	The Lads are offered the chance to emigrate to Australia.	lost Guest star: Garfield Morgan
The Suitor	20 January 1965	Terry enlists Bob's help to try to get rid of his sister's Italian boyfriend.	Guest star: George Layton

[edit] Series 2 (1965)

Title	Airdate	Description	Notes
Baby, It's Cold Outside	16 June 1965	The Lads have a double date arranged, but nowhere they can take the girls afterwards.	lost
A Star Is Born	23 June 1965	The Lads compete in a pub talent night	lost
Talk Of The Town	30 June 1965	Bob's engagement to Thelma becomes the talk of the town, but it's news to Bob.	lost Guest stars: Helen Fraser Irene Richmond
The Last Of The Big Spenders	7 July 1965	The Lads take two London girls out on the town.	Guest stars: Wendy Richard Wanda Ventham Michael Sheard
Faraway Places	14 July 1965	The Lads plan a foreign holiday, but have trouble raising the money for it.	lost
Where Have All The Flowers Gone?	21 July 1965	The Lads attend a friend's wedding, causing them to realise that they are now the only unmarried men they know.	lost Guest star: George Layton

[edit] Series 3 (1966)

Title	Airdate	Description	Notes
Outward Bound	4 June 1966	The Lads go camping, planning to end up at a campsite notorious for hippy love-ins.	lost Guest star: Nerys Hughes
Friends And Neighbours	11 June 1966	Bob is caught in the middle when Terry's granddad starts a feud with Bob's next door neighbours, whose daughter is Bob's new girlfriend.	lost sound exists picture missing
The Rocker	18 June 1966	Bob buys a moped, and Terry ends up in hospital.
Brief Encounter	25 June 1966	Unbeknown to each other, Bob and Terry are both dating the same girl.	lost sound only exists there is no picture
The Razor's Edge	2 July 1966	Bob grows a beard, an act which causes him trouble at work. When Terry tries to defend him things go from bad to worse.	lost sound only exists there is no picture Guest stars: Geoffrey Hughes Irene Richmond
Anchors Aweigh	9 July 1966	The Lads take a boating holiday together on the Norfolk Broads, despite Terry's deep mistrust of boats.	lost sound only exists there is no picture
Love And Marriage	16 July 1966	The Lads are invited on a mate's stag night.	lost Guest stars: Helen Fraser Geoffrey Hughes
Goodbye To All That	23 July 1966	Bob joins the Army, whereupon Terry, finding life lonely on his own, fatefully decides to join up too.	Guest stars: Irene Richmond Tony Caunter

[edit] Surviving episodes

Series No'	Ep No'	Title	Broadcast	Notes
Series 1	Episode 1	Entente Cordiale	16/12/64
Series 1	Episode 2	Double Date	23/12/64
Series 1	Episode 3	Older Women Are More Experienced	30/12/64
Series 1	Episode 4	The Other Side Of The Fence	6/1/65
Series 1	Episode 6	The Suitor	20/1/65
Series 2	Episode 4	The Last Of The Big Spenders	7/7/65	Previously Lost, Found! In 2001
Series 3	Episode 3	The Rocker	18/6/66
Series 3	Episode 8	Goodbye To All That	23/7/66

[edit] Christmas Night with the Stars

Additionally, a 20 minute episode of The Likely Lads was broadcast on 25 December 1964, as part of a 3-hour Christmas Day special on BBC 1 called Christmas Night with the Stars, in which Bob and Terry have an argument over Bob's encyclopaedic knowledge of 'Rupert Bear' Annuals ("It was Edward Trunk!"). This recording still exists in the BBC's film & videotape archive. An edited version which included 'The Likely Lads' sketch was screened on BBC2 over Christmas 1991.

[edit] Radio adaptations

Sixteen of the television scripts were adapted for radio by James Bolam, and broadcast in two series during 1967 and 1968.

Produced by John Browell, the radio adaptations were recorded at the Paris Studios in Lower Regent Street, London using the original television cast (although some minor parts had to be recast for some episodes, where the original actor was unavailable).

[edit] Series 1

Title	Airdate	Cast	Notes
1. Where Have All The Flowers Gone?	6 August 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Audrey - Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier - Olive Milbourne Vicar, Uncle Walter - John Gazabon Auntie Peggy - Betty Hardy Cyril - Le Roy Lingwood Elaine - Carol Marsh Beryl - Rosalind Shanks	Series 1 was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme
2. The Suitor	13 August 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Audrey - Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier - Olive Milbourne Mario - George Layton
3. The Rocker	20 August 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Motor Salesman - Reginald Jessup Nurse - Cheryl Molineaux Carol - Rosalind Shanks
4. Older Women Are More Experienced	27 August 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Mrs Winsor - Rhoda Lewis Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - Bartlett Mullins Sheila, Elsie - Madeleine Mills
5. Baby, It's Cold Outside	3 Sept 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Audrey - Sheila Fearn Jack - Donald McKillop Margaret - Dorothy White Jane, Baby - Shirley Jaffe Rose - Kate Story June - Janet Kelly
6. Outward Bound	10 Sept 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam The Scoutmaster - Peter Hawkins The Postmistress - Kathleen Helme Jack - Donald McKillop Valerie - Janet Kelly Susan - Kate Story Cafe Proprietor, Lorry Driver - David Brierley
7. The Talk Of The Town	17 Sept 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - John Henderson Audrey - Sheila Fearn Mrs Ferris - Kathleen Helme Elsie - Madeleine Mills Thelma - Susan Jameson Big Duggie - Michael Kilgarrif Blakey - Douglas Hankin	The part of Cloughy was recast this week as Bartlett Mullins was not available. The part of Thelma was also recast, with Susan Jameson playing the role on this occasion. She had previously appeared in the television series as a different character, in the episode "Double Date".
8. Anchors Aweigh	24 Sept 1967	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Mum - Julie May Sally - Sarah Kestelman Denise - Madeleine Mills Sam - Wilfred Carter

[edit] Series 2

Title	Airdate	Cast	Notes
1. Friends and Neighbours	19 May 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Grandad - Bert Palmer Mrs Perrin - Noel Dyson Mr Perrin - Glenn Melvyn Lorna Perrin - Angela Lovelln	Series 2 was broadcast on BBC Radio 2
2. The Other Side of the Fence	26 May 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - Bartlett Mullins Blakey, Roger - Richard Moore Nesbit - Michael Sheard Holgate - Eric Dodson Judith - Anneke Wills Sally Anne - Didi Sullivan
3. Entente Cordiale	2 June 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Audrey - Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier - Olive Milbourne Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - Erik Chitty Louise, Waitress - Anna Gilchrist Colette - Bettine Le Beau	The part of Cloughy was recast this week as Bartlett Mullins was not available
4. Double Date	9 June 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Audrey - Sheila Fearn Deirdre - Dilys Watling Pat - Susan Jameson
5. Love and Marriage	16 June 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - Bartlett Mullins Duggie - Derek Newark Helen - Helen Fraser Archie - Roger Avon Podge - Geoffrey Hughes Mrs Foster - Doris Rogers
6. Their Hearts Were Touched by Ursula	23 June 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Ursula - Isobel Black Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - Bartlett Mullins All other female parts - Jennifer Croxton All other male parts - Peter Hawkins	An adaptation of the television episode Brief Encounter
7. Chance of a Lifetime	30 June 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Audrey - Sheila Fearn Sgt Jeffcock - Garfield Morgan Ralph - Barry Linehan Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - Bartlett Mullins Cecile - Veronica Lang Blakey - George Layton
8. Goodbye to all That	7 July 1968	Bob - Rodney Bewes Terry - James Bolam Audrey - Sheila Fearn Jack - Donald McKillop Cloughy - Bartlett Mullins Mrs Collier - Olive Milbourne Mr Collier - Alex McDonald George - Barry Stanton Army Sergeant - Tony Caunter Mrs Ferris - Irene Richmond Youth - Andrew Robertson Recruit - Hugh Walters

[edit] DVD releases

In a recent DVD release, only seven of the nine extant episodes were included, in spite of the cover stating that it contained all the surviving episodes. The eighth episode (Other Side of the Fence) was included on the Likely Lads and Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? combined box set, as an 'extra' rather than in chronological order.

The 1964 Christmas episode has not yet been released on DVD.

[edit] Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2009)

The series was originally going to be set in Liverpool. The BBC subsequently commissioned a series with parallels to The Likely Lads which was set in Liverpool but with two female leads - The Liver Birds, created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor.

The setting is not named explicitly; but in Double Date, when football results are on TV, the Lads are most interested in those of League Division Two - which in 1964-5 included both Middlesbrough and Newcastle United, but not Sunderland (division 1), Darlington or Hartlepools United (both div 4).^[1] In The Suitor the town of West Hartlepool is named, but this might not be the exact setting.

Most location work was filmed in or around West London. Some of the railway station scenes seen in Entente Cordiale were shot at Maidenhead.

[edit] See also

• List of films based on British sitcoms
• Pete Doherty and Carl Barat (The Libertines) made a tribute to The Likely Lads in their song What Became of The Likely Lads? in their Self titled album.

[edit] External links

• BBC Treasure Hunt
• The Likely Lads Radio Series, 1967-68
• The Likely Lads at the Internet Movie Database

[edit] Sources

• A Likely Story: The Autobiography of Rodney Bewes, published by Century, 1 September 2005
• BBC Comedy Guide, The Likely Lads
• BBC Comedy Guide, Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads
• The Likely Lads on Tyne
• The Likely Lads IMDB entry
• Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads IMDB entry

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Wickham, Phil (2008-08-08). The Likely Lads. BFI TV Classics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan/BFI Publishing. ISBN 9781844572137. http://filmstore.bfi.org.uk/acatalog/info_6196.html. 
• Webber, Richard; Clement, Dick; La Frenais, Ian (1999). Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?. London: Orion. ISBN 0-75281-815-5.