This long running sitcom written by Carla Lane is hardly remembered now but in its time was one of most watched and most talked about shows on the box. It was almost like a '70's version of 'Men Behaving Badly', except here the leads were two women instead of men.
'The Liver Birds' arrived on our screens in 1969 as a 'Comedy Playhouse' pilot. Pauline Collins and sexy Polly James played flat-sharing Liverpudlian girls Dawn and Beryl. Though it was a ratings success, James' theatre commitments meant the show had to be aborted after only four episodes. However, in 1971, it appeared for a second series, with the stunningly beautiful Nerys Hughes stepping in to replace Pauline Collins ( who had left to appear in ITV's long running drama 'Upstairs, Downstairs' ). Hughes played posh-spoken Sandra Hutchinson, a striking contrast to the loud and fiery Beryl.
Future 'Monty Python' star Eric Idle initially worked on the show as script editor but left when he realised Carla Lane and Myra Taylor did not require his services.
And so within a short space of time, 'The Liver Birds' began pulling in audiences in their millions. People from all walks of life could be heard singing the show's catchy theme tune ( supplied by The Scaffold ). As its popularity increased, Lane eventually decided to write the show alone. Both James and Hughes were excellent and the chemistry the two had together was powerful. Mollie Sugden was hilarious as Sandra's snobbish mother, as was Sheila Fay as Beryl's common-as-muck mother.
After series four, Polly James left when Beryl got married and left Huskisson Street for pastures new. This set the scene for the arrival of Elizabeth Estensen as feisty Carol Boswell, Sandra's new flatmate. Though not as good as her predecessor, Estensen nevertheless proved a popular edition to the show. Also popular were Carol's eccentric mother Mrs. Boswell ( Eileen Kennally first, then Carmel McSharry ) and rabbit-mad brother Lucien ( Michael Angelis ). By 1978, after nine series, Lane felt it was time to stop and so ended the show on a high note with Sandra marrying vet Derek Paynton ( Tom Chadbon ) and giving birth.
However, in 1996, the BBC, who at this time were trying unsuccessfully to breathe new life into old sitcoms such as 'The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin' ( remade as 'The Legacy Of Reginald Perrin' ), commissioned a tenth series, which saw Beryl reunited with Sandra. Bad continuity errors abounded. Beryl's surname was changed from Hennesey to Boswell and Lucien was now Beryl's brother instead of Carol's. Mollie Sugden was ill during filming, and it showed. Though it did have its moments, the revival was too out of step with the '90's and no further episodes were made.
All in all, 'The Liver Birds', while nothing outstanding was nevertheless enjoyable to watch and in my view is the best of all Carla Lane's sitcoms. Incidentally, the name 'Boswell' was the same surname to be used in her next hit - the long running 'Bread'.
'The Liver Birds' arrived on our screens in 1969 as a 'Comedy Playhouse' pilot. Pauline Collins and sexy Polly James played flat-sharing Liverpudlian girls Dawn and Beryl. Though it was a ratings success, James' theatre commitments meant the show had to be aborted after only four episodes. However, in 1971, it appeared for a second series, with the stunningly beautiful Nerys Hughes stepping in to replace Pauline Collins ( who had left to appear in ITV's long running drama 'Upstairs, Downstairs' ). Hughes played posh-spoken Sandra Hutchinson, a striking contrast to the loud and fiery Beryl.
Future 'Monty Python' star Eric Idle initially worked on the show as script editor but left when he realised Carla Lane and Myra Taylor did not require his services.
And so within a short space of time, 'The Liver Birds' began pulling in audiences in their millions. People from all walks of life could be heard singing the show's catchy theme tune ( supplied by The Scaffold ). As its popularity increased, Lane eventually decided to write the show alone. Both James and Hughes were excellent and the chemistry the two had together was powerful. Mollie Sugden was hilarious as Sandra's snobbish mother, as was Sheila Fay as Beryl's common-as-muck mother.
After series four, Polly James left when Beryl got married and left Huskisson Street for pastures new. This set the scene for the arrival of Elizabeth Estensen as feisty Carol Boswell, Sandra's new flatmate. Though not as good as her predecessor, Estensen nevertheless proved a popular edition to the show. Also popular were Carol's eccentric mother Mrs. Boswell ( Eileen Kennally first, then Carmel McSharry ) and rabbit-mad brother Lucien ( Michael Angelis ). By 1978, after nine series, Lane felt it was time to stop and so ended the show on a high note with Sandra marrying vet Derek Paynton ( Tom Chadbon ) and giving birth.
However, in 1996, the BBC, who at this time were trying unsuccessfully to breathe new life into old sitcoms such as 'The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin' ( remade as 'The Legacy Of Reginald Perrin' ), commissioned a tenth series, which saw Beryl reunited with Sandra. Bad continuity errors abounded. Beryl's surname was changed from Hennesey to Boswell and Lucien was now Beryl's brother instead of Carol's. Mollie Sugden was ill during filming, and it showed. Though it did have its moments, the revival was too out of step with the '90's and no further episodes were made.
All in all, 'The Liver Birds', while nothing outstanding was nevertheless enjoyable to watch and in my view is the best of all Carla Lane's sitcoms. Incidentally, the name 'Boswell' was the same surname to be used in her next hit - the long running 'Bread'.