Terry and June

This cosy middle class sitcom became the subject of much hatred by the new breed of talented comedians in the 1980s, such as Ben Elton. Did it deserve such malice? Well Terry and June was never clever, it was never a well-written tale with different threads which intersect at the conclusion. It was the show your mother and father and probably grandparents watched. They chuckled rather than laughed, but they were never likely to be offended by the show, so the fact that it never challenged them was immaterial.

One Foot In The Grave suffered initially because it appeared at first sight to be just another Terry and June.

A few days after the death of Terry Scott an episode was broadcast on terrestrial TV, and that has been its final outing. There have been few repeats of the show on any TV channel.

Thankfully TV comedy has advanced since Terry and June. It's hard to find kind words for it - Terry Scott did make the best of weak scripts.

This show lasted for most of the 1980s, and had its moments, but plots were usually dishwater thin and often painfully unfunny.

Terry Scott and June Whitfield were wasted in this sitcom, they both deserved better, but it does provide some fond memories and I have found myself smiling at some repeated scenes. June Whitfield's talent for comedy is allowed to shine through on occasion (when she is not being a foil to Terry) and she really is clever.

The 1980s is the last decade where you will find this kind of middle class, middle aged comedy, and many people remember it fondly, but I prefer to remember the decade for alternative comedy and the biting satire of Spitting Image.

I can remember both of these actors long before they started in this series but Terry and June was the one that really cemented their relationship on TV and many people thought of them as a REAL couple, so well did they bond together in front of the camera.OK,the scripts may NOT have been mind-blowing thus NOT over-stretching the talents of the two experienced actors but that said the shows ratings were high season after season while it was shown which is more than can be said for a lot of the "alternative-style-comedians" which have been mentioned by other reviewers.Also it is an absolute certainty that NO letters of complaint with regard to either the shows content or spoken material was received at the BBC which again is in contrast to most of the aforementioned alternative comedians so favoured by many of todays young audiences?These shows may be regarded by many as "fuddy-duddy" for want of a better term BUT look carefully and see how good comedy was really done, without the necessity of swearing or reference to body-parts or bodily functions to TRY to get a laugh!

The boss is called Sir Dennis, the boss's wife is called Mrs Sir Dennis, they come round for a dinner party and the meal is ruined but this needs covering up and an alternative found, the vicar pops rounds, the neighbours are always outdoing each other, they get lost in the car on the way to holiday, terry forgets birthdays and anniversaries.

I have nothing against dated sitcoms, some are very good but comedy moves on for a reason and this is it. If the above premise make you laugh then its great fun. If it doesn't, well there's little more to add. The main missing for me was the grown up children popping in with family problems, that would have made it complete.

Top sitcom, I miss the eighties. Better times in England compared to today.