The Liver Birds - BBC1 Sitcom - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)

The Liver Birds. Image shows from L to R: Sandra Hutchinson (Nerys Hughes), Beryl Hennessey (Polly James). Copyright: BBC

Genre

Sitcom

Broadcast

1969 - 1996

Channel

BBC 1

Episodes

86 (1 pilot + 10 series), plus 1 short special

Creators

Carla Lane and Myra Taylor

Stars

Nerys Hughes, Polly James, Elizabeth Estensen, Pauline Collins, Mollie Sugden, Michael Angelis, John Nettles, Eileen Kennally and more

Writers

Carla Lane, Myra Taylor and Lew Schwarz

Directors

Sydney Lotterby and Angie De Chastelai Smith

Producers

Douglas Argent, Roger Race, Sydney Lotterby, Philip Kampff, Carla Lane and Geoffrey Perkins

Company

Seen by some as a female version of The Likely Lads, The Liver Birds centres on two perky single girls who share a bedsit in Huskisson Street, Liverpool, where their life revolves around romance, finance and family troubles.

Initially, the two girls are wacky Beryl and prim Dawn, but the first series (resulting from a 1969 Comedy Playhouse pilot) runs to only four episodes.

With the return of The Liver Birds (in 1971), Dawn has disappeared and in her place is the naive and ingenuous Sandra. A year later, the girls move to a more spacious apartment and, when Beryl leaves (to marry Robert, a Londoner played by Jonathan Lynn) at the end of the fourth series, Sandra gains a new flatmate, Carol, whose voice and dress sense both need volume controls.

Also seen over the years are Sandra's boyfriend, Paul (a pre-Bergerac John Nettles), her snooty mother and various members of Beryl's and Carol's families. Possibly best remembered is Carol's brother, Lucien, who keeps and loves rabbits, but her Catholic mother is another notable creation, as she proves to be a forerunner for Bread's Nellie Boswell (writer Carla Lane even gave her the same surname). Before the series ends, Sandra has married Derek, her vet boss, and Carol has moved in as their lodger.

In 1996, BBC One revived the series, bringing back Beryl as a lodger in Sandra's house. Beryl has been married three times, while Sandra is now looking after her demanding mother and trying to maintain a relationship with boyfriend Rex. Also seen is Beryl's son, Gwyn. Somewhat confusingly, actress Carmel McSharry is brought back to play Beryl's mum (she had played Carol's mum previously), and Michael Angelis returns as Lucien, this time Beryl's brother.

Additional details

Part of

Comedy Playhouse

Production

Studio

Camera set-up

Multi-camera

Picture

Colour

Soundtrack

Theme music by The Scaffold. Incidental music composed by Ronnie Hazlehurst.

Broadcast details

First broadcast

Monday 14th April 1969 at 7:30pm on BBC One

Most recent repeats

View all 529 repeats

Recording details