Steptoe And Son: A Perfect Christmas (Christmas 1974) Full Version

[@charliepeebles2531]

This is a stunning illustration of the absolute genius of Galton and Simpson. Two characters, one storyline, one scene and they made 45 minutes of high quality comedy out of it. In the history of television, very few have ever been able to do something like that.

[@chrisevans5259]

Comedies from the 60's, 70's and 80's were brilliantly written and portrayed Britain and the world at the time, great actors fine tuned their craft in classic comedies like (steptoe&son, Porridge, Open all hours, Rising Damp, On the Buses, The Good life, Dads Army, George & Mildred etc..) the list is endless , then the brilliant Only Fools& Horses in the 1980s. It was a golden age of great comedy that we laughed at, cried at, and savoured over 3 glorious decades. I miss those golden days of Great Comedy.

[@eamonward9036]

So true we miss them happy times 😢😢

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

They’re so good that they still get shown at least every Christmas and bank holidays even though there are hundreds of channels today, just shows how watered down and crap tv comedy has become with various things effecting it.

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

Let us all thank god for KZbin....

[@SamuelBlack84]

@@dezertfox3681 I wonder what the world of the 1970s would have thought of Chris Morris Jam?

[@stevesouthall4718]

Loved those days of brilliant comedy don't think we will never see the likes ever again

[@innercircle341]

The 70s what a time to be alive, greatest decade for me

[@Ailuj234]

Me too. Loved the ‘70s, my Norton 750 Commando and all the discos!

[@thehangmancometh1813]

it was pretty grim the extreme weathers, the economic down turns, trade unions casing mayhem. But i heard the birds were better looking back then and has a bit more dignity and self respect.

[@BongWeasle]

1977 Punk Rock. Glory days.

[@1960dave1960]

@@luxulyandalish6483 How come you were were born in the later 60s -early 70s, were you born twice…..???👶🏻👶🏻

[@DeltaJazzUK]

@@thehangmancometh1813 Yes, it was really tough. One man's wage brought up a family and paid a mortgage. Plenty of council houses for those who couldn't afford to buy. Proper sick pay. Free education and a full grant to go to university. Full employment with skilled jobs available not just burger flipping and part time zero hr contracts. Highest happiness index ever recorded for British people. And the best comedy and music ever made. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

[@flappospammo]

Steptoe was a brilliant show , a 2 hander, incredible, superb acting - stunning script. A masterpiece

[@eiruggriffiths8491]

Absolutely top calss comedy from brilliant writer's. Far better than the rubbish we get today

[@danw1374]

Proper classically trained actors and brilliant scriptwriting. It doesnt get any better.

[@andrewcrossen3909]

​@@eiruggriffiths8491

[@smithpm81]

OUTSTANDING comedy, so happy i was a part of this history of TV and alive at this time

[@johndillon6859]

One of the greatest things about this show, was the fact that the writers never ONCE underestimated the intelligence of the viewer. No dumbing down, not a single wasted word. Written and acted to perfection. Greatest sitcom in the history of television.

[@carolspencer468]

Event the theme tune gives me a warm feeling! I've seen every episode and it never gets old

[@jamesdunne1846]

Probably the best Christmas special of any sitcom. A suitable end to a great series.

[@clairebaron1419]

At 44 years of age I bloody love this programme. My stepdad was nicknamed steptoe by me also liked this programme to. I used to take the piss out of him. He fixed everything with sellotape including his pants 🤣🤣🤣.

[@suspendeddisbelief401]

That's funny. I love lifes characters.

[@johnnykennedy4669]

Far and away the finest sitcom in history. It had absolutely everything.

[@gazza2933]

Superb comedy with two superb actors. The like of which we will never see again. Many thanks for posting. 👍🏻

[@geoffpoole483]

Brambell and Corbett were actors first and foremost. Situation comedies in which comedians become actors aren't usually as successful.

[@JoshuaCraigStrain]

Probably the greatest sitcom series ending ever !! Not only does Harold finally win after losing this battle for over 10 years straight , but - Albert's happy and none the wiser !! WIN WIN !! TRULY BRILLIANT !

[@markhughes6803]

Was this the last ever episode?

[@markhughes6803]

@Puppy 1975 Iv watched this hundreds of times never new that

[@JoshuaCraigStrain]

​@@markhughes6803Yup

[@JoshuaCraigStrain]

​@Puppy-ew4be😅

[@vashna3799]

About a million times better than any UK sitcom on the screens today.

[@loucazin543]

lee 12381 🤣

[@loucazin543]

What did I put I don’t remember!

[@russellthompson9271]

WHAT sitcoms?!

[@MrPeachblossom]

and 2020

[@matthewtaylor6405]

@@MrPeachblossom it's middle class crap tday

[@enzed6498]

Those were the days.Can we have them back please.

[@helbentable]

If only, end of a wonderful era sadly.

[@leslierodgers2347]

Brilliant comedy duo, Couldn't find another 2 actors to take there place's. Thanks for all the laughter,

[@thermionic1234567]

I’m old enough to remember when Britain was actually British. Such a bittersweet walk down Memory Lane. Nice to see this was done on Film with cinematographers who knew what they were doing. Excellent camera work as most mid 70s British stuff was done in murky videotape.

[@davidhayes2309]

Steptoe and Rising Damp BEST EVER. Will never be beaten. Pure class💎💎

[@vsculpt]

I don't think anything could ever beat George And Mildred!!! Pure Genius.

[@bretttobin9632]

It ain't half hot mum Dads Army (Although different sort of humour)

[@dannycattell8084]

Only fools and horses, Some mothers do ave em, and Porridge takes some beating them & Steptoe and Son were my favourite old skool comedies. Young Ones, Bottom, Red Dwarf, Blackadder, where me 80s/90s favourites. British Comedy at its finest 😂😂😂😮😂😅😊

[@mcooper593]

Couldn’t agree more 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍

[@eamonward9036]

Happy memories when TV was good ☺😊

[@yellowbelly06]

Love the in-joke where he says ‘all them [Christmas shows] are recorded in October’ and you get the laughter of recognition from the studio audience.

[@petercrowe933]

Mp

[@garyproffitt5941]

Harry H. Corbett OBE (28 February 1925 - 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing rag-and-bone man Harold Steptoe alongside Wilfrid Brambell in the long-running BBC television sitcom Steptoe and Son (1962-1965, 1970-1974). His success on television led to appearances in comedy films including The Bargee (1964), Carry On Screaming! (1966) and Jabberwocky (1977). Early life Corbett was born on 28 February 1925,[1] the youngest of seven children, in Rangoon, Burma,[1] (now Myanmar) where his father, George Corbett (1885/86-1943), was serving as a company quartermaster sergeant in the South Staffordshire Regiment of the British Army, stationed at a cantonment as part of the Colonial defence forces.[citation needed] Corbett was sent to Britain after his mother, Caroline Emily, née Barnsley, (1884-1926)[2] died of dysentery when he was eighteen months old. He was then brought up by his aunt, Annie Williams, in Earl Street, Ardwick, Manchester and later on a new council estate in Wythenshawe.[1] He attended Ross Place and Benchill Primary Schools; although he passed the scholarship exam for entry to Chorlton Grammar School, he was not able to take up his place there and instead attended Sharston Secondary School. Corbett enlisted in the Royal Marines during the Second World War, and served in the Home Fleet on the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire. After VJ Day in 1945, he was posted to the Far East, where he was involved in quelling unrest in New Guinea and reportedly killed two Japanese soldiers there whilst engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. He was then posted to Tonga, but deserted and remained in Australia before handing himself in to the Military Police. His military service left him with a damaged bladder following an infection, and a red mark on his eye caused by a thorn, which was not treated until late in his life. Career Upon returning to civilian life, Corbett trained as a radiographer[1] before taking up acting as a career, joining the Chorlton Repertory theatre.[4] In the early 1950s, he added the initial "H" to avoid confusion with the television entertainer Harry Corbett, known for his act with the glove-puppet Sooty.[4] He joked that "H" stood for "hennyfink", a Cockney pronunciation of "anything". In 1956, he appeared on stage in The Family Reunion at the Phoenix Theatre in London. From 1958, Corbett began to appear regularly in films, including an 'American' film Floods of Fear (1958), filmed at Pinewood, coming to public attention as a serious, intense performer, in contrast to his later reputation in sitcom. He appeared in television dramas such as The Adventures of Robin Hood [4] (as four characters in episodes between 1957 and 1960) and Police Surgeon (1960). He also worked and studied Stanislavski's system at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal in Stratford, London. In 1962, scriptwriters Galton and Simpson, who had been successful with Hancock's Half Hour, invited Corbett to appear in "The Offer", an episode of the BBC's anthology series of one-off comedy plays, Comedy Playhouse, written by Galton and Simpson. He played Harold Steptoe, a rag-and-bone man who lives with his irascible widower father, Albert (Wilfrid Brambell) in a dilapidated house attached to their junkyard and stable for their cart horse, Hercules. At the time, Corbett was working at the Bristol Old Vic, where he appeared as Macbeth. The programme was a success and a full series followed, continuing, with breaks, until 1974, when the Christmas special became the final episode. Although the popularity of Steptoe and Son made Corbett a star, it damaged his serious acting career, as he became irreversibly associated with Steptoe in the public eye. As a result, severe typecasting forced him to come back to the role of Harold Steptoe over and over. Before the series began, Corbett had played Shakespeare's Richard II to great acclaim; however, when he played Hamlet in 1970, he felt both critics and audiences alike were not taking him seriously and could only see him as Steptoe. Corbett found himself receiving offers only for bawdy comedies or loose parodies of Steptoe.[1] Production of the sitcom was stressful in the last few years, as Brambell was an alcoholic, often ill-prepared for rehearsals and forgetting his lines and movements. A tour of a Steptoe and Son stage production in Australia in 1977 proved a disaster due to Brambell's drinking. The television episodes were remade for radio, often with the original cast; it is these that were made available on cassette and CD. After the series of Steptoe and Son had officially finished, Corbett and Brambell played the characters again on radio (in a newly written sketch to tie in with the Scottish team's participation in the 1978 World Cup), as well as in a television commercial for Kenco coffee. The two men reunited in January 1981 for one final performance as Steptoe and Son in a further commercial for Kenco. Other work Steptoe and Son led Corbett to comedy films: as James Ryder in Ladies Who Do (1963); with Ronnie Barker in The Bargee (1964), written by Galton and Simpson; Carry On Screaming! (1966); the "Lust" segment of The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971); and Terry Gilliam's Jabberwocky (1977). There were two Steptoe and Son films: Steptoe and Son (1972) and Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973). In 1966 he appeared as a narrator in four episodes of the BBC children's television series Jackanory, and he also had the leading role in two other television series, Mr. Aitch (written especially for him, 1967) and Grundy (1980). Corbett had a supporting role in the David Essex film Silver Dream Racer (1980), and also appeared in the film Hardcore (1977). In addition, he had a supporting role in Potter (1980) with Arthur Lowe on the BBC. Corbett recorded multiple 45rpm records, most of which were novelty songs based upon the rag-and-bone character, including "Harry, You Love Her" and "Junk Shop". He recorded a number of sea shanties and folk songs. In 1973, he recorded an album titled Only Authorised Employees To Break Bottles which was a "showcase of accents", with songs from Corbett in a range of accents, including Liverpudlian, Brummie and Mancunian; the title echoes a notice which is visible in the bottle-smashing scene in the film 'The Bargee'. The album was recorded in 1973 and released in 1974 on the Torquay, Devon-based RA record label with support from seventies folk band 'Faraway Folk': RALP Including the album, he released over 30 songs. Personal life Corbett married twice, first to the actress Sheila Steafel (from 1958 to 1964), and then to actress Maureen Blott (stage name Crombie) (from 1969 until his death in 1982), with whom he had two children, Jonathan and Susannah. Susannah is an actress and author, and has written a biography of her father, Harry H. Corbett: The Front Legs of the Cow, which was published in March 2012. Steafel published her autobiography When Harry Met Sheila in 2010.[4] Political views Corbett was a Labour Party campaigner, and once appeared in a party political broadcast,[8] and was a guest of Prime Minister Harold Wilson.[5] The television character Harold Steptoe appears as the Labour Party secretary for Shepherd's Bush West in the sixth series episode, "Tea for Two". In 1969, Corbett appeared as Harold Steptoe in a Labour Party political broadcast, where Bob Mellish had to argue against Steptoe's accusation that all parties are the same. As Prime Minister, Wilson wished to have Corbett appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Corbett was included with his namesake, the Sooty puppeteer Harry Corbett, in the 1976 New Year Honours. Health problems and death A heavy smoker all his adult life, Corbett had his first heart attack in September 1979. According to his daughter, Susannah, he smoked 60 cigarettes a day until the heart attack, after which he cut down to 20. He appeared in pantomime at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, within two days of leaving hospital. He was then badly hurt in a car accident. The injuries to his face were obvious when he appeared shortly afterwards in the BBC detective series Shoestring. Other work included the film Silver Dream Racer, with David Essex, and a Thames Television/ITV comedy series Grundy, both in 1980. In the latter, Corbett played an old man discovering the permissive society after a lifetime of clean living. Corbett's final role was an episode of the Anglia Television/ITV series Tales of the Unexpected, entitled "The Moles". Filmed shortly before his death, it was broadcast two months later, in May 1982. Corbett died of a heart attack on 21 March 1982,[1] in Hastings, East Sussex. He was 57 years old. He is buried in the graveyard at St Michael the Archangel church at Penhurst, East Sussex. The headstone inscription, chosen by his wife Maureen, reads "The earth can have but earth, which is his due: My spirit is thine, the better part of me", from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 74. Maureen was buried alongside him in 1999. Corbett is commemorated in the name of the Corbett Theatre at the East 15 Acting School at Loughton.

[@brianw9242]

Gosh What memories! Remember it so clearly from 1974 - the poignant parts when it is revealed Albert was an illegitimate child are so moving . Brian

[@davidjames81]

Harry was absolutely superb playing against Wilfred what a pairing the best ever , thank you chaps!

[@Cheepchipsable]

Pity they didn't like each other and Harry became trapped by the character.

[@davidjames81]

@@Cheepchipsable I don’t believe they didn’t like each other , I knew his cousin David in Manchester and would tell me bits about Harry Corbett his war service etc left him as a chain smoker because of his nerves and maybe caused his heart problem also how he couldn’t get out of being the rag n bone man , even when he had a part in carry on screaming they played the Steptoe music, he said on of his favourite roles was in Trey Gilliam’s Jabberwocky where he as able to really let rip playing the squire he was a consummate actor his relationship with Wilfred was good and they made a huge living out of Steptoe even touring Australia several times but they did clash but had a lot of respect for each other , he told me Wilfred Was devastated when Harry died .

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

@@Cheepchipsable that is a complete myth actually.

[@sallyjoan]

No it is not.​@@thedisabledwelshman9266

[@carlrayson3104]

Watching this is the most Christmassy thing I'm going to do this year.

[@andrewdaley3081]

It's going to be even less christmassy this year. 🇬🇧👍 Barr humbug 😁

[@foothand1595]

Every Xmas 🎄 I Watch this Classic well before it’s Time Definitely oldSkool

[@cazweston1148]

Christmas 1974, too young to remember this was just 11 days old😀. Classic comedy watched a few repeats.

[@unasperanza9803]

That's real acting, no gimmicks or other characters with catch phrases, comedic and emotional .

[@bigteno4597]

Loved watching these on Christmas Day evening whilst chewing on a selection box!!

[@benbim540]

so finally Harold gets the girl and rides of into the night. A great end to a wonderful show. RIP, GUYS.

[@therebel4332]

And Albert thinks he's pulled a fast one 😀 Its brilliant

[@davidcraig6328]

Must say Steptoe and Son was then and still is my favourite all time British comedy.

[@karatefella]

Brilliant writing by Galton and Simpson. Humour mixed with poignancy.

[@davidtomlinson6138]

Brilliant , I was 14 when I first watched this , days of great tv 👍🤗🎅🎄❄☃️

[@chrislouca9758]

Miss all the fantastic Christmas specials when I was a kid. Steptoe and son ,carry on Christmas, black adders Christmas Carol, knowing me knowing yule ,

[@BRUTUALTRUTH]

amazing that the topics the old man is discussing is STILL current and relevant x

[@oldskoolfool141]

Even more so, it's gone from 'embarrassed to be British' to offensive to even refer to yourself as such, at least back then England wasn't fighting for its very existence

[@danw1374]

Things dont really change all that much.

[@carlwilliams9306]

Wish they were here still,can't beat steptoe and son 😅

[@bawhatever5260]

These are the best TV memories alongside other TV momentos! Better than the TV of today

[@daz3b560]

2 of the finest comedic actors ever!!!

[@petebest22]

Rightly said 👍

[@MacTheRipper1]

Shame one was a Nonce!

[@BIadesMan]

Macky M was the old 1 a nonce

[@MacTheRipper1]

@@BIadesMan Yes m8

[@BIadesMan]

Raimon DIxon fuck knows , I asked Makey M who was the nonce,the old one was⚔️

[@rickykilby4672]

The pathos in steptoe and son is very apparent to me.On the one hand you have harold yearning for a better life,away from father and yet he knows,deep down he could never leave him.They really do love each other, underneath the petty squabbling and it's to galton and Simpson's great credit that they combine the humour and the pathos in such a way that makes the show hugely entertaining.

[@SamuelBlack84]

They're very similar to Clove and Ham in Samuel Beckett's Endgame

[@Wolshanze]

Two of the best character actors this countries every produced period !

[@Nellyontheland]

I must have missed this one or the repeat when I were a kid because this is unseen by me. BRILLIANT. Comedy, pain, pathos. The joy of this is that it gives to both characters. It's Christmas so we all win. Brilliantly done. One thing I really enjoyed are the dramatic pauses. Today we never see a lull without something else going on. At times they are not waiting for a laugh from the audience but waiting for dramatic effect. Like I said. Brilliant. Thanks for airing.

[@JoshuaMSP1995]

An absolute masterclass from Harry Corbett in this episode.

[@danwall6662]

Don't forget the "H", otherwise we will be watching Sooty!

[@ifgow]

@user-du8rm1yq4c HC got his in error as it was originally supposed to be one for HHC, but the middle H got lost in the paper trail so both ended up getting one.

[@andyforshortbutnotforlong5351]

A masterpiece, loved the chemistry between Harry H & Wilfrid. 2 absolute legends 🤩🤩

[@misterr279]

Ironically they hated each other off camera

[@andyforshortbutnotforlong5351]

@@misterr279 so the story goes, but Harry’s daughter said they got on just fine.

[@StephanieLærkeAndersen]

@@andyforshortbutnotforlong5351 They didn’t hate each other. They worked together very well, and they respected each other even off-camera. It was one of those rumours that was started by the papers. Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett went on tour as well, worked together perfectly well and enjoyed their spare time together between shows in Australia, I believe it was. As the years rolled on, Harry H Corbett was particularly frustrated because he felt that he was becoming typecast, and the newspapers twisted what he’d said, and claimed that he hated working with Wilfred Brambell, which was not true.

[@jessiejames7492]

@@misterr279it was not true. They fell out when they were doing a tour in australia. Few shows a day, few days a wk. it got too much. Then wildrid brambell started drinking, not appearing fr work, getting drunk. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That ended their chemistry fr good. Watch the documentary: steptoe and son. Scandals and secrets. A very honest documentary by the people close to them, worked with them. They made television history. On any night S&S was telecast millions of people would stay home and watch. Harold wilson even had to call the director of BBC then to ask them to reschedule the telecast on his election polling day. One of BBC’s staff joked’He didnt win by a wide margin’😀😀

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

Sad, that this should be the end, even though the show had to finish at some point. Two quite unique and brilliant double acts, one writing one acting...making history. We miss you.

[@scruffy281]

Was this the last episode?

[@steveo7165]

They did make 2 film versions😊

[@w1lf1ewoo]

The carried on with the radio show for a few year or two after this

[@HammyMansell80]

@@steveo7165 this was the last TV episode....The films were made between Series 7 and 8 (1972/1973).

[@sandrajovic9304]

Disagree with the sad part. I felt the opposite and super happy for Harold. Time to leave the nest. Plus, the kid raising the parent thing, I *get* it.

[@robp2282]

They were perfect together! The chemistry was so genuine. Whether they were at each others throats or showing genuine concern for each other, they were perfect!

[@83IronRyan]

I love how Harold finally had it his way. And he expected his dad to double cross him at the train station. The end of something wonderful. RIP my brothers.

[@therebel4332]

Best way to end it,, Harold got his win and Albert was none the wiser lol.

[@JoshuaCraigStrain]

One of the few HAPPY endings for BOTH of them !!

[@simonhunter8261]

He won one outher time in upstairs down stairs when Albert claims to have put his back out🤣 watch it for a Good laugh

[@therebel4332]

​@@simonhunter8261Id hardly call that a win for Harold,, he was fooled for weeks waiting on Albert hand and foot. Albert was eventually going to make a mistake.

[@simonhunter8261]

​@therebel4332 your right sorry my mistake forgot about that having not watched it in ages

[@belenhernandezbenavente3420]

You, British, master the art of comedy. Nothing like English sense of humour... Greetings from a Spanish fan 💕😄🇪🇸

[@colinp2238]

The irony of Wilfred Bramble claiming to be proud to be British is he was from South Africa.

[@capcompass9298]

@@colinp2238 Then he was Britannic.

[@susansherlock7474]

@@colinp2238 it is spelt Brambell and he was born in Ireland...

[@colinp2238]

@@susansherlock7474 Yes thanks that was after a lot of beer but he was from Dublin and so not British I think Corbett was born in Asia where his father served in the army.

[@colinp2238]

@Puppy 1975 Yes you are right. I think my comment was after a pub session.

[@garyproffitt5941]

Henry Wilfrid Brambell (22 March 1912 - 18 January 1985) was an Irish television and film actor, best remembered for playing the grubby rag-and-bone man Albert Steptoe alongside Harry H. Corbett in the long-running BBC television sitcom Steptoe and Son (1962-1965, 1970-1974). He achieved international recognition in 1964 for his appearance alongside the Beatles in A Hard Day's Night, playing the fictional grandfather of Paul McCartney. Early life Brambell was born on 22 March 1912 in Dublin, the youngest of three sons born to Henry Lytton Brambell (1870-1937), a cashier at the Guinness Brewery, and his wife, Edith Marks (1879-1965), a former opera singer. His two older brothers were Frederick Edward Brambell (1905-1980) and James Christopher Marks "Jim" Brambell (1907-1992).[citation needed] Brambell's first experience as an actor was as a child, entertaining the wounded troops during the First World War. After leaving school, he worked part-time as a reporter for The Irish Times and part-time as an actor at the Abbey Theatre before becoming a professional actor for the Gate Theatre. He also did repertory at Swansea, Bristol, and Chesterfield.[1] In the Second World War, he joined the British military forces entertainment organisation ENSA. Acting career This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Wilfrid Brambell" - news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Brambell had roles in film and television from 1947, his first being an uncredited appearance in Odd Man Out as a tram passenger. His television career began during the 1950s, when he was cast in small roles in three Nigel Kneale/Rudolph Cartier productions for BBC Television: as a drunk in The Quatermass Experiment (1953), as both an old man in a pub and later a prisoner in Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954), and as a tramp in Quatermass II (1955). He played Jacob, an immigrant from eastern Europe selling newspapers in Paris, in an episode of Maigret entitled "A Man of Quality", first broadcast on 12 December 1960. All of these roles earned Brambell a reputation for playing old men, despite being aged in his 40s. He appeared in the short film series Scotland Yard in the episode, "The Grand Junction Case". He appeared as Bill Gaye in the 1962 Maurice Chevalier/Hayley Mills picture, In Search of the Castaways. He was heard on the original London cast recording of the long-running West End stage musical The Canterbury Tales in which he starred at London's Phoenix Theatre. He also released two 45-rpm singles, "Second Hand"/"Rag Time Ragabone Man", that played on his Steptoe and Son character, followed in 1971 by "Time Marches On", his tribute to the Beatles. Brambell was featured in many prominent theatre roles. In 1966, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in a musical version of A Christmas Carol. This was adapted for radio the same year and was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on Christmas Eve. Brambell's booming baritone voice surprised many listeners: he played the role straight, true to the Dickens original. In 1971, he starred in the premiere of Eric Chappell's play, The Banana Box, in which he played Rooksby. This was adapted for television under the name Rising Damp, with the character of Rooksby renamed Rigsby and played by Leonard Rossiter. Brambell also played Bert Thomson, an Irish widower, in the film Holiday on the Buses; the character in question started a close friendship with Stan Butler's mother, Mabel. Steptoe and Son and A Hard Day's Night It was Brambell's ability to play old men that led to his casting in his best-remembered role as Albert Steptoe, the irascible father in Steptoe and Son, a man who, when the series began, was said to be in his sixties, even though Brambell was only aged 50 in 1962 (thirteen years older than Harry H. Corbett, who played his son Harold). The series began as a pilot on the BBC's Comedy Playhouse, and its success led to the commissioning of a full series. It ran from 1962 to 1974, including a five-year hiatus. A constant thread throughout the series was Albert being referred to by Harold as a "dirty old man"; for example, when he was eating pickled onions while taking a bath and retrieving dropped ones from the bathwater. There were also two feature film spin-offs, a stage show, and an American incarnation titled Sanford and Son, some episodes of which were almost exact remakes of the original British scripts. The success of Steptoe and Son made Brambell a high-profile figure on British television and earned him the supporting role of Paul McCartney's grandfather in the Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night (1964). A running joke is made throughout the film of his character being "a very clean old man", in contrast to his being referred to as a "dirty old man" in Steptoe and Son. In real life, he was indeed nothing like his Steptoe persona, being dapper and well-spoken. He notably spoke with a distinct received pronunciation accent, in strong contrast to both his Cockney Steptoe accent and his native Irish accent, which he would use where the role dictated. In 1965, Brambell told the BBC that he did not want to do another series of Steptoe and Son, and in September that year, he travelled to New York City to appear in the Broadway musical Kelly at the Broadhurst Theatre. It closed after a single performance. Later career After the final series of Steptoe and Son concluded in 1974 Brambell had some guest roles in films and on television. He and Corbett also undertook a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1977, in a stage production based on Steptoe and Son. He achieved recognition in many films. In 1982 he appeared in Terence Davies's film Death and Transfiguration, playing a dying elderly man who finally comes to terms with his homosexuality. His performance in this short film, a segment of The Terence Davies Trilogy (1983), won him critical acclaim.Brambell appears throughout the full 24-minute piece, but he does not speak a single word. Personal life In 1982, Brambell appeared on BBC News paying tribute to Corbett, after the latter's death from a heart attack. In 2002, Channel 4 broadcast a documentary film, When Steptoe Met Son, about the off-screen life of Brambell and his relationship with Corbett. The film claimed that the two men detested each other and were barely on speaking terms after the Australian tour. The claimed rift was supposedly caused in part by Brambell's alcoholism and supposedly evidenced by the pair leaving the country on separate planes. The claim was disputed by the writers of Steptoe and Son, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, who rejected any hatred or conflict.[6] Corbett's nephew released a statement in which he said that the actors did not hate each other: "We can categorically say they did not fall out. They were together for nearly a year in Australia, went on several sightseeing trips together, and left the tour at the end on different planes because Harry was going on holiday with his family, not because he refused to get on the same plane." They continued to work together after the Australian tour on radio and adverts, with it being generally accepted that the relationship between the two actors was under its greatest strain during the tour, though Brambell and Corbett soon settled their differences "fairly amicably", and in the spring of 1978 performed a short BBC radio sketch entitled Scotch on the Rocks. Brambell was married to Mary Josephine Hall (known as "Molly") from 1948 to 1955.[9] They divorced after she gave birth to their lodger's baby in 1955.[10] In 1962 Brambell was arrested and accused of persistently importuning in a toilet in Shepherd's Bush, but was conditionally discharged.[11][12] Decades after his death it was claimed that Brambell was homosexual[10][13] but Brambell himself asserted "I'm not a homosexual ... The very thought disgusts me."[12] Death Brambell died of cancer at his home in Westminster,[14] London, aged 72, on 18 January 1985. He was cremated on 25 January 1985 at Streatham Park Cemetery, where his ashes were scattered. Just six people attended his funeral: his brother, his partner Raymond, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, a BBC representative, and Maureen Corbett, the widow of Harry H. Corbett.

[@davidneal9368]

They certainly don't make programs like this anymore. Classic

[@SamuelBlack84]

Not when everyone whinges about feeling happy

[@philipareed]

*programmes

[@dannycattell8084]

Oh there goes someone else being PC 😂😂😂

[@handsometripod.6546]

Can't think of a favourite comedy from that era, they were all fantastic. Rising damp, porridge, love thy neighbour, etc. 👍

[@widbear3703]

A masterclass in comedy mixed with deep pathos. Bears comparison with great literature, to be honest. I feel embarrassed to be British nowadays, but not for reasons Albert Steptoe would have mentioned.

[@oldskoolfool141]

Excuse me for asking but why would you be embarrassed to be British?

[@BerzerkSquid]

you should be embarrassed yourself, your generation let it happen

[@tobyaughnotobi3919]

Just watched it, absolutely superb. Loved this back in the day, just one of the amazing comedies from yesteryear.

[@golddalekwho5944]

One of my favourite comedies when I was a kid back in the day, and still now. Always watch any repeat on satellite

[@stephanblack4558]

Still watching in 2024

[@Sameoldfitup]

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams..

[@pollywaffledoodah3057]

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...!

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

I had a mate in school in late 70s who did the best impression of the old man ever lol, he was one of them kids who had an old mans face when he was 11-12 ha

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

@Puppy 1975 lol no. It wasn’t Jeremy corbyn either. 😁

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

@Puppy 1975 I had a physics teacher who used to wear those cardigans lol, usually in some brown shade with shit brown armpads on the elbows. 🙄😂

[@lesleyhubble2976]

Always found this pair sad, if you look beneath it, it was clever writing. Two people who had wasted lives and couldn't live without each other. The son never did anything with his life and blamed the old boy and the old boy wouldn't let him go.

[@michaelfenn4479]

Harold did a fair bit....but wanted a better life...al ert held him back with guilt....but in the end, harol loved his dad and stayed

[@gavinstarling8737]

This is such dark, cruel and depressing 'comedy'. Always made me feel so sad.

[@kevcatnip7589]

very predictive too,,,,familes pushed together through hardship

[@dannywestern831]

All great comedies have a sadness to them

[@vantheman1238]

How perceptive of you Lesley thank goodness you gave us the rundown on Steptoe and Son 🤦‍♂️I mean where would we be without your breakdown of the show. Genius 😂😂😂

[@emmapeart6101]

Absolutely love steptoe and son. Great comedy, brilliant actors. Timeless classics 🤣.

[@yeovil50]

When old man Steptoe says at 35.25 , " well you didn't have to did you , you've got a Father " the emotion on his face is so touching .

[@Derwent03]

Michael Yeovil that was the genius of the writers and actors. Funny one moment - heart breaking another.

[@jessiejames7492]

ye . they were the best of british comedy

[@jameshill7729]

pure comedy perfection there will never be another steptoe and son class

[@michaelhayes1068]

Even then , no matter how tough things were, there was always hope and a smile...and now it's all gone , and gone horrible wrong ... Just look around you, 😎

[@susanhill8332]

@@michaelhayes1068 Yes, I am looking all around me and I don't like what I see☹️

[@michaelhayes1068]

@@susanhill8332 Life and love are much the same, they go hand in hand , until you have experienced them you truly dont understand..there for there not missed, and if we miss and see the change , I guess we are richer for knowing of them.. and the possibilities of enriching others lives and thoughts lay in our hands .... Respectfully 😎

[@OscarModzz]

Top class this stuff not the same these days

[@mk2dubster]

@Michael Myers Sanford and son is second rate to this

[@oldskoolfool141]

35.20 "you've got a father", killer delivery, to choke you up like that in the middle of all the jokes, G&S's writing combined with Harry H and Wilfs skills really was bottled lightning

[@zennor_man]

Superbly written & fine performances from Wilfred & Harry H........this stands so well as classic comedy..

[@leeenglandland2978]

I cannot believe it, I have just watched this episode 25/9/19 and Albert say's when we're abroad we'll find to which tour firm has collapsed and Thomas Cook has just gone into administration 45 year's later !

[@elaineputland8458]

Love it when Harold gets excited when he sees his toy bus!!! 😃

[@shirleyprice2436]

So un-political correct!!! Love it. I have the box set along with other 1960’s/70’s and 80’s sitcoms . Pure genius.

[@SamuelBlack84]

Politically correct is another name for boring

[@SamuelBlack84]

@@TheTigerStephen The passing decades have no identity anymore. Just empty years leading to nothing

[@chuckmoney1688]

Although I watched these as a child on a BW baird TV, with constant vertical drift problems, I'd have those days everytime.

[@sheilagravely5621]

Dec.26,2021. Boxing day. It's not the same at Christmas without my britcoms. God bless everyone and merry Christmas to y'all. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏👍🏻👍🏻🎅🤶🍭🎄❄☃️⛄🌲

[@richardhill9549]

The Christmas just before I was born. Now 47 and still not seen a sitcom like it.

[@lucille284]

Never knew this existed. This is great! Found it while searching for a reference to Sanford & Son which I was a huge fan.

[@courtneybeer7650]

I've been watching these with my dad since I was 9 and now I'm 16

[@michaelgrace1298]

How was your 18th?

[@pommiebears]

Courtney Beer still watching now you’re 18? Lol! I’ve been watching these since I can remember.....I’m 44 now! Catch up! Lol!

[@elliswright9907]

Courtney Beer I watched these with my mum at nine now im watching them on my own at 59 with lovely memories too 😆enjoy them as we did.

[@kevinbaird7277]

You will be watching these with your grand children in 50 years time, I have no doubt that you will not be the only one.

[@Steve20127]

@@pommiebears . So have I and I'm 67!!

[@georgeprior1546]

Merry Christmas all! ❤🎄🌇 Steptoe And Son ❤

[@marieconnolly3965]

This brings back some fond memories, and much funnier than the current tripe.

[@russellthompson9271]

There are hardly any sitcoms on the tv these days anyway!

[@MOGGS1942]

@@russellthompson9271 Prime Ministers questions ?

[@shanedarby4104]

Hahahaha hahah Hahahaha hahah Haaaahhh

[@ChadQuick270W]

Always great to see one of my all time favorite British comedies. I was upset that the dvd box set edited the Christmas specials. God knows they had plenty of room on the dvd to include the full programs.

[@marccas10]

We watch this every Christmas.

[@Truth77772]

This was a magical era..........................lucky enough to appreciate it even though i was a kid!

[@chrisevans5259]

Merry Christmas to everyone who's watching this comedy classic in 2019 🎄🎀🎁❄

[@JaythePandaren]

Chris Evans happy Christmas to you too

[@liberaldriller9884]

Merry Christmas Chris 👍👍😀😀😀

[@vladimirlustblood9694]

Happy Christmas to you all

[@gazza2933]

All the best Chris! 🍻

[@CDash162]

We're all starting Christmas Early lol. Thanks Chris. Merry Christmas to you hun.

[@FlatHamster]

Aaaarrrrooold!!!!!.....a true British comedy classic, so many great comedies in the 70s...Porridge, Rising Damp, Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served, George & Mildred, Love Thy Neighbour, Bless This House, Please Sir etc etc...the list is endless and I'm a huge fan of them all...great days 😊

[@derby1884]

Don't forget On The Buses!

[@afrafernandes4680]

Yea... not forgetting more like Mind your language Fresh fields and French fields, Grace and favour , May to December, only when i laugh.

[@martinpowell5769]

Matt, Absolutely correct my friend, now we have nothing- perhaps recently, Phoenix nights with Peter Kay was wonderful- also Only fools & horses probably the best ever

[@stevesingh3705]

Martin Powell I found another one by mistake, called don’t drink the water

[@stevesingh3705]

It’s a spinoff from on the buses

[@yamahattr6006]

Watching Christmas eve 2019 happy Christmas and a happy New year to all watching 😀🍺🍾🍷🇬🇧

[@yamahattr6006]

@The Joker yes thanks the raising damp episodes were so good I haven't seen them for ages I love The Likely Lads as well from that era Sweeney professionals tv is rubbish today I just watch KZbin old school happy New year mate

[@yamahattr6006]

@The Joker yes on the buses and George and Mildred were excellent all the best

[@jeremyhaines4481]

Brilliant comedy and excellent writing

[@davidhewson8605]

Whats the matter with washing your smalls in the bath ?. The relationship between Faver and the suffering son Harold was fabulous. Wonder iff RSPCA noticed the collection box , sh. !. Stratford theatre used to be full of photos of those two geysers ( can hear Bow Bells there ) A belting was with my grandads belt doubled for affect. Am 71yrs now and watching it feels like yesterday. Thanks to you and subscribers. Dave

[@douglasmilton2805]

Everything that's great about Steptoe and Son can be found in the very first episode, The Offer. It's hilarious but the end is heartbreaking - you just know that Harold's never going to get away. Thanks for this posting!

[@earfortrance3776]

@Puppy 1975 there are many great episodes but my fave is certainly Any Old Iron you will never see it on tv tho coz its too PC. yeah your right tho it hit full swing at like the end of series 2

[@martinduffy6422]

Harry h corbett had so much talent unbelievable skill!!

[@chrisgoog58]

Brilliant.. As i remember i was out for the count for a week as i had just started work aged 16 and went out at the end of week with the lads from Airsprung Trowbridge uk i got so pissed they carried me home after being sick out of a car window on to a garage forecourt. I went in the front door strate out the back threw up over our mum and dads roses, leaning over there new fence. Next thing i collapsed onto the sofa and woke up a week later missing all the Christmas tv that week. So thanks for the video

[@ianwatkins6202]

In my opinion the second greatest sitcom ever! Steptoe and son had everything from super funny to very sad 😊a real masterpiece of television

[@thedoc4447]

Brilliant script writing and great acting. Just an observation but did anyone notice the size of the Quality Street tins back in those days. Now every tin/packaging (including contents) is smaller in weight and the price much higher.

[@martinplatt5928]

I remember this so well.....colour TV in our house......great memories.

[@Gambit771]

Did you pay your pound to have a wireless licence?

[@martinplatt5928]

@@Gambit771 Ten shillings not a pound

[@Gambit771]

@@martinplatt5928 It was combined with a TV licence for £2 and you seem to not have remembered that your comment was about having a TV so I split the difference.

[@123Scears123]

I was 16 when this was aired for the first time. I wish I was 16 again! Thanks for the posting!

[@michaelfenn4479]

Sad you wish to go back.....f you were 1 again youd probably hate it ha

[@davidtomlinson6138]

I was 13 at the time of this , loved it ,great stuff 🎄 🎅 😁

[@davidwolstenholme3672]

well martin im nearly 77 and i would hate to be young in this evil world and worse is to come before its burnt up

[@patrickpaganini]

@@aspirer7268 That's poetic. At least we share tragedy with everybody who came before us.

[@gandalf5568]

been watching the entire series recently and the social commentary then translates to what is happening now perfectly,, nowt has changed.

[@martinsmith5752]

Superb , superb , but eye,s of a certain age can only see this in glorious black and white .

[@johnrider5701]

I'm so glad I was a 1970s kid because I was allowed to stay up and watch Steptoe and son even though I didn't always understand some of the jokes and slang words.

[@Merlin-lc4zu]

The BBC and ITV have got a treasure trove of brilliant comedies from the golden age of the 60s,70s and 80s that will never see the light of day unless we watch KZbin quite simply because they are so terrified of offending someone.They are not dated in fact the topics covered are as relevant today as they were back in the day.Something has gone terribly wrong in this paranoid.dystopian,easily offended World over the last 20 years and i for one feel sorry for those who will never know what it was like back when we were spoilt for choice.You can trawl through hundreds of channels today and not find a decent comedy.

[@tonychuter4830]

The fools and horses of its day...because of the PC brigade we will not see the likes of this again..a great British comady we all loved...

[@stingray4real]

Steptoe And Son inspired John Sullivan to write Only Fools And Horses when Wilfred Bramble appeared in one the Only Fools And Horses episode.

[@joshmurphy8345]

@@stingray4real he wasn't in only fools & horses

[@mk2dubster]

He was cast in an episode of Citizen Smith as the elevator operator

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

mk5dubster yep, that was John Sullivan written comedy, I think the guy above is getting mixed up with OFAH.

[@qpulse]

I agree Vashna3799. The old classic British comedys were first class. Steptoe & Son, On the Buses, Open all Hours, Only fools and horses. All could make you laugh. The modern "comedys" would bring tears to a glass eye :)

[@mathewgrover6455]

When I was a kid, I use to watch them filming the episodes of steptoe I West London

[@JanelleBoo24]

Harry H. Corbett Gone too soon, RIP

[@mrk.dilkington]

"Bathroom on every landing!" "How would you know?, you were only there a fortnight!" Classic genius. 😂😂

[@jackismith4538]

Thanx for showing this,great comedy sadly long gone,nothing worth watching these days. Pure comedy classic.....Love it. 👍🤣😂

[@bennetpeter1968]

brought up on this in the 70s loved it

[@jeanlilymanwaring7125]

Wonderful - what a series !

[@jordonlane9942]

Unbelievable brilliant for two masters at work.. Probably the best sitcom of all time.. 🤣

[@stuartpearson2993]

Brilliant bit of acting from Wilfred bramble where he discuses not having a father, it was so convincing

[@southlondonlad9144]

Even though I wasn't around in the 70s, I can see by KZbin videos and commercials how awesome it must have been