SIMPERING SITCOMMERY involving a single studio set standing in for the entire British World War Two Indian subcontinent campaign and two million shit gags standing in for pithy punchlines, enlightened witticisms and well-crafted tomfoolery. Like DAD’S ARMY, went on for longer than the war it was supposed to be fucking lampooning, and contrived to do so in a noisier, more over-stated fashion as well. WINDSOR DAVIES bellowed his way through proceedings helming a platoon of various comedy gay soldiers including dragged-up MELVYN “GLORIA” HAYES, pintsize kit factory DON ESTELLE, STUART “PLAY SCHOOL” MACGUGAN, GEORGE LAYTON and JOHN “MR LA-DI-DAH GUNNER GRAHAM” CLEGG, plus the requisite number of thick/aloof officers and pretend Asians. More offensive than LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR, less funny than EDGE OF DARKNESS, less credible than AROUND THE WORLD WITH WILLY FOGG.
David Pascoe
July 23, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Yes, I agree. There’s a clip of the opening titles doing the rounds on YouTube and even though it was the 70s, seeing Windsor Davies mouth the word, “Poofs” while they’re belting out the theme song is deeply unsettling.
Wat
July 23, 2009 at 10:06 pm
It said more about the character Windsor was playing than anything else. Do 4 Poofs and a Piano bother you as much?
David Pascoe
July 24, 2009 at 10:42 pm
No I don’t get upset at 4 Poofs and a Piano. I did get upset at a sitcom which put in a piece of homophobic behaviour in its opening titles. Another age, I know but still as jarring as anything in “Love Thy Neighbour”.
nugget
January 24, 2010 at 12:48 am
Nonsense! This was a great show. Very funny, and part of our history. Of course, like Mind Your Language (which has been shown in many other countries and was well liked and in no way thought of as “racist” by many of those it was lampooning) they are not allowed to show it on tv anymore for fear of “offending anyone”. Jeez…
Lee James Turnock
May 1, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Windsor Davies told me to fuck off when I was nineteen.