Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - The Specials (DVD)

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is a British comedy series that was broadcast between 1973 and 1978. In a BBC poll in 2002 to find Britain’s best sitcom the show was voted number 22 – just ahead of Likely Lads and My Family but below to the Manor Born and Are You Being Served.

== What is Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em? ==

The premise for Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is very simple indeed. The show follows the antics of accident-prone ...
...clueless and exceptionally useless in some many ways. He has the uncanny ability of being able to infuriate everyone generally because of his inability to do most things and this leads to the frustration of others and a general air of chaos. Despite all of this though Frank is a rather warm hearted person that just wants to succeed and inspires affection from the audience, as we genuinely do believe that he adores his wife and will do anything for ... more

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is a British comedy series that was broadcast between 1973 and 1978. In a BBC poll in 2002 to find Britain’s best sitcom the show was voted number 22 – just ahead of Likely Lads and My Family but below to the Manor Born and Are You Being Served.

What is Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em?

The premise for Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is very simple indeed. The show follows the antics of accident-prone and extremely naïve yet well meaning and optimistic Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) and his ever tolerant yet increasingly frustrated wife Betty (Michele Dotrice). Everything that occurs within the series revolves around Frank’s incapability to hold down a job, do any sort of DIY, talk to people or go on a trip without it all ending in disaster. Most of these situations spiral perilously out of control and frequently result in the destruction of property, someone else’s mental breakdown or a series of spectacular stunts, all performed by Crawford himself.

The Characters

The character side of this show was very simple because the only constant characters were Frank and his wife Betty. Other characters made a couple of appearance here and there but as one run in with Frank is more than enough very few of them return.

Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) is an iconic character known for his constant wearing of tank tops, berets and trench coats. Frank views himself, as a harassed man but is in reality simply a bit clueless and exceptionally useless in some many ways. He has the uncanny ability of being able to infuriate everyone generally because of his inability to do most things and this leads to the frustration of others and a general air of chaos. Despite all of this though Frank is a rather warm hearted person that just wants to succeed and inspires affection from the audience, as we genuinely do believe that he adores his wife and will do anything for her. It is worth noting here that the catchphrase commonly associated with him “ooohhh Betty” was never actually said on screen and more common phrasing includes: “I’ve had a bit of trouble” and “I’ve had a lot of harassments lately”.

Betty Spencer (Michele Dotrice) is in many ways just as iconic a character as Frank. She has the patience of a Saint when it comes to putting up with the chaotic world that she shares with Frank. Some view Betty as a bit of a wet and a little bit stupid but she is much more than that. She’s a supporting wife that simply loves her husband despite his many faults and I suppose in this way she is a beacon for those that see true love as something to do with intellect. No matter what he does Betty knows that Frank loves him and is always there to care for him when he needs it too.

The Specials DVD

The Specials DVD of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em contains the three Christmas specials that were aired between the second and third series. This gives you 140 minutes of entertainment. Unfortunately however the DVD contains no speical features, which is a bit of a shame. On top of this none of the episodes come with subtitles, which is always a downer for me.

Episodes

Jessica’s First Christmas – Frank’s favourite annual event has arrived – the nativity. He is intially turned down for the production but when the angel of the lord phones in sick, Frank is ready and waiting.

Christmas ‘75 – Frank is still taking his driving lessons but the car keeps getting away from him. At the same time he has been chosen to appear in a DIY programme – a chance to showcase his many home improvements.

Christmas ‘78 – Frank is learning to fly and wants to be just like his father who was shot down seven times in the Battle of Britian. Unfortunately however he has knocked his instructor unconcious and has no idea what he should do.

Episode Opinion

All of these speicals are fantatsic to watch and continue to build upon the loveable characters we have come to know so well. I must admit though that the storyline premises do seem to becoming more and more far-fecthed and slightly contradictory. For example the first special sees Frank build an amazing set for the nativity production but the second special and the rest of the series as a whole show him to be completely useless at DIY.

Saying this however the specials on this DVD are still more than plesant to watch and provide us with the right amount of laughs in the right places. Frnak’s daughter Jessica isn’t for me however used as much as she could have been and I think that this is a shame. As Frank, as a father is brilliant to watch, as the final episodes of the second series proved.

Humour

The comedy in this series is a blend of subtle and slapstick humour although as you might have imagined because Frnak is so accident prone, the majority does fall into the slapstick category. In my opinion however although the events that occur are themselves ludicrous the programme never seems to go to far, although these specials aren’t far of if I’m honest. What makes the programme so enjoyable to watch however is the fact that Crawford himself did all the stunts within the programme and therefore it is more visual than it would otherwise have been.

On top of this is the way that the series has cleverly used some wonderful comic scripting, that usually plays on Franks naivity or simple stupidity, in an attempt to break away from the more common slapstick sketches. This use of comic phrasing gives the show more depth and makes the characters more realistic and grounded than those in plain slapstick sketches often are.

General Opinion

I adore Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and have done for quite some time. I think that it is one of those programmes that always makes you laugh however you are feeling. These specials build upon the character we know as well as the storylines we have come to expct and provide enjoyable viewing. For me however these aren’t as good as the episodes in the second series and I just hope that the programme isn’t all downhill from here because I’ve another series to get through yet.  

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