Beer of the Week: (not a paid advertisement)
Your Mate v Your Bird:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: July 11, 1996
Synopsis:
Tony sings in the bathroom while a grumpy Gary and Dorothy rush about trying to get ready for work. He further annoys them by reading from a book with helpful life hints for poor people and asking Dorothy about how to get in good with Deborah.
Deborah comes down to see Dorothy but Tony begs her to spend time with him. He read her some of the hints but she says she has to go and start looking at college brochures as she has decided to become a full time student.
Gary talks with George and Anthea and decides that Tony has to go, not being able to stand living with both of them. Tony begs him to not kick him out, even going so far as to stab himself, getting blood all over his newly stripped door, which causes Gary to wake up and realize the interaction was just a dream. Dorothy and Gary talk and she quotes a saying that sums up their predicament: two’s company but three’s a crowd.
The next morning, Tony is giving himself a tattoo by stabbing his leg with a hot needle and bleeding profusely. Gary looks at it, saying the D looks like P, making Tony despondent since he was trying to spell Deborah’s name to show his devotion to her.
Gary attends a soccer game that George and Anthea are playing in against other local manufacturers and losing badly. Gary tries to convince himself that just living with Dorothy wouldn’t be so bad.
Tony talks with Deborah about what school she should go to and he ends up telling her he loves her, and while she’s touched, she calls him out on just wanting to sleep with him. He asks her about getting a tattoo to show how serious he is about her, but she calls it tacky and he quickly leaves, feeling the pain of his tattoo hurting again.
Dorothy gets Gary some cheese to cheer him up, but he’s still depressed about their living situation, telling Dorothy to move out. Dorothy reacts by throwing scissors at his neck, which causes Gary to wake up and realize again he’s having a dream.
Tony returns home, his leg bleeding badly. Gary tells him that Dorothy feels that things are not working and that she thinks Tony might want to move out. Tony sadly agrees to move out, taking a room at the Crown for staff that Ken offered him.
Dorothy returns home to find Gary throwing away a poster of a girl but tells him she’s moving out into Deborah’s spare room, since she’s a student now and will need the money. Gary begs her to stay but she leaves anyway, leaving Gary to call Tony and lie about kicking Dorothy out. Tony however is happy living in the pub, leaving Gary alone on the couch with an inflatable sex doll he’s dressed up as Tony. When Tony stops by, he quickly hides the doll, and Tony reveals he’s decided to come back home to live.
Chat on the sofa:
The song Tony sings in the bathroom is "Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
Roy Hattersley (Baron Hattersley) is a British politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. A member of the Labour Party, he was MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook for over 32 years from 1964 to 1997, and served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.
Emma Forbes is an English radio and television presenter. Forbes got her start on presenting the cooking segment on Going Live!, and before going on to present or co-present numerous BBC and ITV TV and breakfast shows, as well as to co-present radio shows on Heart 106.2 and Capital 95.8 and BBC Radio 2. Forbes was also the face of a long-running television advert campaign for Head & Shoulders shampoo in the 1990s and, in 1996, she was voted one of FHM 100 Sexiest Women.
Biro: a ballpoint pen
Mr Grimsdale: "Oh Mr Grimsdale!" is the famous catchphrase of the bumbling, good-natured character Norman Pitkin, played by English comedian Norman Wisdom in a series of popular films during the 1950s and 60s.
“They don’t like it up 'em": originates from the British television sitcom "Dad's Army," which aired from 1968 to 1977. The character Private Frazer, played by John Laurie, uses the phrase to express the idea that enemies (specifically referring to the Germans during World War II) do not appreciate being attacked or confronted directly. The line has since become a popular catchphrase in British culture, often used humorously to suggest that someone is uncomfortable with direct confrontation or criticism.
Cardigan:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: July 18, 1996
Synopsis:
Dorothy accuses Gary of acting middle aged, which he takes to heart. Tony’s antics annoy Deborah until she calls him a poodle and he walks out.
Gary plays checkers with George at work, eating the same snacks as him, wearing a similar cardigan and shirt and tie, and even singing along to George’s choice of music. Even Anthea comes in and mistakes Gary as George, and comments that Gary has started even talking like George.
At the crown, Tony meets Deborah’s fellow classmates and takes an instant dislike to them.
At home, Gary commiserates with Dorothy about how he never did anything wild as a younger man. Tony, having been sent home by Ken for challenging one of the students to a duel, tells Gary about his wild younger days, leading Gary to tell them that they are going to go to a rave.
One of Deborah’s classmates, Adam, shows up to go to the rave too, which Tony hates but goes along anyway. Adam goes off trying to impress Deborah with his intelligence, leading Tony to fight with Adam to get in the middle seat next to Deborah with Deborah deciding she will sit in the middle. Gary gets lost trying to figure out the map but eventually they find the rave. Everyone dances and parties but Gary gets too drunk and crawls on the floor, eventually throwing up.
Adam tells Deborah he’ll see her up to her place but Tony grabs him and tries to throw him out. She stops Tony and invites Adam up, who immediately tries hitting on her. Deborah rebuffs him, saying they’re a bit too different. Tony interrupts them as Adam leaves and Deborah comments that she probably has more in common with Tony. Tony goes for a kiss but she rebuffs him, telling him she’s going to bed and locking the door.
Downstairs, Gary and Tony hang on the couch and go through pictures from Gary’s childhood as they sip tea. Eventually, sensing their middle-agedness, they head back to the Crown and dance crazily.
Chat on the sofa:
“Georgy Girl" is a song by the Australian pop/folk music group the Seekers. It was used as the title song for the 1966 British romantic comedy film Georgy Girl. The song became a hit in late 1966 and early 1967, reaching number one in Australia and number three in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was the Seekers' highest-charting single, reaching number one on the Cash Box Top 100. "Georgy Girl" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100; "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees, kept the song from number one. The song's U.S. success prompted the Seekers' British album Come the Day to be retitled Georgy Girl for its American release.
The New Seekers were a British pop group, formed in London, in 1969, by Keith Potger, after the break-up of his group, the Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music would have pop as well as folk influences. They achieved worldwide success in the early 1970s with hits including "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" and "Beg, Steal or Borrow".
Kajagoogoo were an English pop band. They are best known for their 1983 hit single "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and the top 10 in numerous other countries.
"Magic Moments" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and written by Hal David, being one of the first songwriting collaborations by that duo. This song was recorded by Perry Como and released in 1957 as the B-side of his "Catch a Falling Star"; it reached No. 1 in the UK in 1958.
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates is a British crime drama television series, starring Patricia Routledge as the title character, Henrietta "Hetty" Wainthropp, that aired for four series between 3 January 1996 and 4 September 1998 on BBC One. The series, spawned from a pilot episode entitled "Missing Persons" aired by ITV in 1990, was co-created by writers David Cook and John Bowen, co-starred Derek Benfield as Hetty's patient husband Robert, and Dominic Monaghan as her assistant and lodger Geoffrey Shawcross.
Dole mobile: Ice cream truck
Tuppence: Two pence
Rich and Fat:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: July 25, 1996
Synopsis:
Tony finds out that Gary has saved 33,000 pounds, which Tony blabs to everyone about. Gary, and the girls as well, all notice that Tony seems to be gaining weight, which he denies. They then pressure Gary to give money to charity, since they have all done it at one time or another, with Dorothy pressuring Gary into donating 5000 pounds to her hospital. He tries to white out the money amount on the form she had but accidentally sets her alarm off.
The next day Gary tries to call his credit card company to change the amount to no avail. George and Anthea, having heard about the money, remind him about all the times they went without because he said he didn’t have money.
Tony tries out a slimming machine to help him lose weight and Deborah shows up to apologize for talking about his weight. He tries to deny he’s on a diet but she convinces him to come out with it. He tries to bargain with her about sleeping with him, but she refuses again.
Gary and Dorothy chow down on pizza while Tony struggles to not have any. Dorothy reveals that the police came to her about Gary’s credit card that he reported as stolen. She gives him his checkbook asking for 5000 pounds for the donation. At home and at work, Gary deals with everyone asking him for money.
Tony, very hungry, but wanting to lose weight, struggles to keep himself not eating and trying to be active so he can do so. Eventually he digs through the trash to eat old leftover pizza. Gary returns home, having spent all his money on beer and gifts, leaving Dorothy starting to feel bad for pushing Gary to spend money, wishing he could just find a happy medium.
Later he admits to Tony that the watches he bought for his friends are indeed fakes and still has most of his money left over.
Chat on the sofa:
Terry Waite is a British human rights activist and author. Waite arrived in Beirut on 12 January 1987 with the intention of negotiating with the Islamic Jihad Organization, which was holding hostages. On 20 January, he agreed to meet the captors of the hostages as he was promised safe conduct to visit the hostages, who, he was told, were ill. The group broke trust and took him hostage. Waite remained in captivity for 1,763 days, the first four years of which were spent in solitary confinement. He was released on 18 November 1991.
“Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580, and the tune is found in several late 16th-century and early 17th-century sources.
Christopher Timothy is a British actor and narrator. He is known for his roles as James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small, Mac McGuire in the BBC One daytime soap opera Doctors and Ted Murray in the BBC One primetime soap opera EastEnders.
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Their core line-up comprised Sting (lead vocals, bass, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police became globally popular from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Emerging in the British new wave scene, they played a style of rock influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz.
Meat Loaf (Michael Lee Aday) was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. His Bat Out of Hell album trilogy—Bat Out of Hell (1977), Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993), and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006)—has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Winston Churchill was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (during the Second World War) and again from 1951 to 1955.
Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Hungarian-American socialite and actress.
There isn’t specifically a rambling group for Dorking, but there is one for Dorking, Brockham & Betchworth.
https://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/group-walks/dorking-brockham-betchworth
Harrods is a Grade II listed luxury department store on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. The store spans 1,100,000 square feet (100,000 m2) of selling space, making it the largest department store in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Harrods is one of the most famous department stores worldwide, attracting 15 million visitors annually.
Dingy: a small boat
Home-Made Sauna:
Written by: Simon Nye
Directed by: Martin Dennis
Original airdate: August 1, 1996
Synopsis:
Deborah and Dorothy are headed out on a weekend sailing trip, with Tony revealing he has plans to turn the shed into a sauna, which both Dorothy and Deborah find ridiculous, but Tony is insistent.
While Tony gets to work, Gary notices some girls next door and tries working his flirting skills on them. Despite their failed attempts at rizzing the ladies up, they agree to come over for a barbecue later.
As Tony’s misshapen and unstable wooden creations litter the yard, the two try and light a barbecue, but it ends up being a blazing fire. As they talk to the girls, they learn that Paula is married while the bespectacled Carol is a bit of a wild child. While Paula spends the night showing Tony pictures of her husband and kids, Gary manages to get Carol inside, putting on some music, and eventually she finds out Gary is seeing someone, but still interested enough to start getting it on with him.
Meanwhile Deborah and Dororthy chat about the boys discussing Gary’s ways of flirting with women and both of the guys’ pickup lines.
Tony tells Paula all about his history with Deborah but she ends up dozing off. He decides to carry her off to bed but throws her over the fence back to her side of the yard. He then answers a call from Dorothy but he doesn’t tell her what happened. She wants to talk to Gary because they’ve been together for 7 years but Tony says he’ll deliver the message and hangs up.
The next morning, as Carol gets dressed to head out, she reveals that Gary seems to be more connected to his girlfriend than he thinks, revealing things he said during sex. They bid goodbye on good terms with a kiss on the cheek and a handshake. Gary asks Tony to not say anything.
When the girls get home, Tony reveals the sauna has been finished and Deborah runs off to get ready for it. Dorothy asks Gary what happened over the weekend, and Gary lies and says he passed out while Tony got with the girl next door. Dorothy seems relieved and invites him to join her. As Tony and Deborah head out to the sauna, he reveals that because of the fire they had, he used gas for the sauna, which promptly causes the shed to explode and catch fire.
Chat on the sofa:
Elizabeth Carling played Carol, and she has a number of roles to her name. Before Men Behaving Badly, she was in the series Boon for 39 out of 93 episodes (Ken Boon and Harry Crawford are two middle-aged ex-firemen. Harry retires and opens The Grand Hotel, with Ken as a temporary odd-job man), which coincidentally also starred Neil Morrissey in 74 episodes. More recently, she was a lead in Hotel Portofino (a glamorous period drama about an English hotel in 1920s Italy, when Benito Mussolini's brand of fascism was on the rise). She was in more than half of the 59 episodes of Goodnight Sweetheart (a sitcom in which an unhappily married man discovers he can time travel back to 1940s war-torn London where he masquerades as an MI5 agent and part-time songwriter whilst courting the local barmaid). She was a regular in a few seasons of Casualty (hospital procedural), and was one of the main cast in Barbara (an outspoken Yorkshire woman, Barbara, juggles her eccentric family - calming her cabbie husband's misadventures, her son-in-law's odd reporting, coworkers' marital mishaps - while yearning for tranquility).
Paula was played by Tracy Whitwell, and she has about 30 or so credits, but they are all guest roles and one off appearances in most cases, and she still works occasionally.
ABBA were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are among the most renowned and commercially successful musical groups in history.
The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s. The song Gary and Tony dance to is “Night Fever” from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging, and composition. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials.
A Wendy house, in the United Kingdom, is a children's playhouse that is large enough for one or more children to enter. Size and solidity can vary from a plastic kit to something resembling a real house in a child's size. Usually there is one room, a doorway with a window on each side, and little or no furniture other than what the children improvise.
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum founded in London in 1835 by the French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. One of the early main attractions was the Chamber of Horrors, which appeared in advertising in 1843.
Tinny for my tucker bag: In British slang, a "tinny" is a can of beer, typically an aluminum one. An Australian slang term for a bag used to carry food, particularly for travelers in the outback. "Tucker" is Australian and New Zealand slang for food.
Cobber: friend
What's Up Next?
Next week we'll discuss the 1997 Comic Relief special Men Behaving Badly Indeed, and series 6A episodes Stag Night, Wedding, and Jealousy.Further Resources:
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