Billy Liar

Following the huge success of Keith Waterhouse's 'Billy Liar' as a novel, stage play and film, it was inevitable that this 'oop North' Walter Mitty character would star in a television series. I saw 'Billy Liar' when it was originally transmitted. While never quite attaining 'Fawlty Towers' heights of hilarity, this programme was consistently funny, with at least two or three solid belly-laughs per episode. To the best of my knowledge, 'Billy Liar' has never been repeated in Britain, nor shown in America. If the original tapes still exist, I can't imagine why they're being suppressed ... unless perhaps Keith Waterhouse has some legal reason for suppressing them. However, as he was head writer for this sitcom, I can't guess what his objections might be.

Newcomer Jeff Rawle was perfectly cast as callow Billy Fisher, whose imagination far outstrips his achievements. Much of the substantial humour in this sitcom sprung from the interaction between Billy and his sarcastic father Geoffrey, or between Billy and his long-suffering employer, Mr Shadrack the undertaker.

Perhaps what's discouraged programmers from repeating this sitcom is the extreme 1970s look of the series. Waterhouse created Billy Liar in the 1950s and saw him through the swinging Sixties, yet Jeff Rawle's interpretation of Billy Liar is firmly trapped in the 1970s, and that naff decade's definition of manliness. Rawle is emaciated, clean-shaven, wistful, with flares and longish hair ... looking almost like a girl, in other words. Not effeminate, yet somehow almost feminine. By way of contrast, Billy's father Geoffrey is played by George Cooper with absolutely no hair at all. It may well be that slap-headed Geoffrey Fisher's resentment of his son is down to his own baldness versus his son's excess of hair. On the vocal front, Rawle's accent was just a shade too Brum for this North Country character, but Cooper's broad Northern vowels were spot-on.

I never identified with Billy Liar, me -- my own lies were of a different sort, told for a different reason -- but this series aired during a troublesome time in my own life ... and I'd be delighted to see these episodes again, partly on their own merit but largely because of the memories they would summon regarding my own troubles at this time. I'll rate 'Billy Liar' 7 out of 10.

Unjustly forgotten comedy of the 70's which I remember being a big hit at the time. With the theme written and sung by The excellent Peter Skellern, this was an update by the original scriptwriters of the 1960's film where Billy was portrayed by Tom Courtney to the 1970's where the Billy character is still fantasising about a possibly other more exciting existence. Daydreaming his way through his day job working at an undertakers whilst stringing along his girlfriend. Jeff Rawle is ably supported by George A Cooper in full-on rant mode most of the time, Colin Jeavons and May Warden as the dotty grandmar who provides may unexpected (and quite blue) laughs. A welcome dvd release by Network several years ago should have gained it a few new fans.

This is a unique kind of British sitcom. It shows the cast from time to time as the title character, William Fisher is imagining them. Including himself from time to time.

The title of the show only tells half the story. Billy lies alot to cover up his actions. Courts several women at once, making dates with each of them for the same time. Has conflicts with his perpetually irritated father and his perpetually irritates employer at the local mortuary.

There's a full collection of standout performances. George A Cooper, Mary Warden and Colin Jeavons as well as Jeff Rawle as Billy.

It's not a typical family sitcom of this era like Father, Dear Father or Bless This House because of those strange forays into surrealism. Some times it's a western, a French film, a Godfather parody and it all happens quick enough that you wonder if you just saw it.

Worth searching out.