Up Pompeii - The Vestal Virgins

[@chrisevans5259]

He was a unique talent, that was sadly never replaced,....his camp style , and saucy innuendo was so funny , he could play the audience like no other , the real sign of comedy genius at work .....

[@joecampanini8369]

Still as funny now as it was almost 50 years ago. Remarkable talent.

[@frenchhornwoman]

I totally agree. Oh Mrs.

[@johnnyrichardson4538]

Frankie Howerd was a true comedic genius. I used to watch this in the early 1970s on English TV when it was first broadcast: I loved it then, and I love it now. Such feel-good, fun entertainment. Wonderful in every respect. How different and free the world was then compared with the tyranny of today that is imprisoning and destroying our beautiful world and our humanity!

[@queenbeekeeper]

When I was a kid in the 70's we weren,t allowed to watch Up Pompeii because Mum thought the programme as "very rude". Looking at it now it seems so tame compared with 'modern' TV. But clever with it and so funny how Frankie keeps addressing the audience.

[@nigelh3253]

Agree. The addressing the audience has a name - it's called 'breaking the fourth wall' and is very effective, especially with the camera close up. Brilliant! The same technique is used in pantomime in England.

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

Mrs Whitehouse must have been your mother. Feel very sorry for your childhood.

[@andyhalstead3949]

We were the same, dad hated it.

[@jestermoon]

Genius ❤

[@TheMartinDuggan]

Frankie Howerd OBE (1917-1992) very much missed, love up Pompeii, the characterS, stories

[@DrMoorehen]

salute

[@corbe1970ify]

Just watched this whilst in bed, my pillow is soaking wet with laughing, god I loved frankie howerd he could do it all, I love the piss taking he does, there's funny and there's very funny, he suppassed both GENIUS

[@MaskedMan66]

"Guest Virgin" Trisha Noble went on to become known to Sci-fi fans both as the "Hyde" half of a woman with two personas on _Buck Rogers in the 25th Century_ and as Padme Amidala's mother in the _Star Wars_ movies.

[@theenglishman9596]

I had forgotten how good the humour is in up pompeii, funny to watch again.

[@garethburch6015]

The most dirty yet clean tv show. (Very funny)

[@petebest22]

Great person and always up for a laugh , shame a lot of these greats have left us now 😔

[@stevehenley2366]

Just fantastic, who else but Frankie could play Lurcio?

[@pedropersil1535]

I came across this and watched it for nostalgia's sake, really not expecting much. In fact I thought it might be cringe-worthy in retrospect. But no, Frankie Howard, what a comic genius!! Yes, some of it seems very dated, and of course it's not PC, but it still got belly laughs. Some of his "fourth wall" stuff was legendary and ground-breaking. Thanks for this bleep-bleep!

[@psammiad]

72 BC? That's 150 years before Vesuvius erupted! Mark Anthony was only 9 years old at the time so presumably they mean his father, Marcus Antonius Creticus, the famous pirate hunter😎

[@paul-t-geist4245]

Great comic Frankie Howerd, another genius that has left us.

[@sylvester-jb3lj]

Virginia (Penny Brahms)...was one of the air hostess in 2001 a space odyssey...

[@siddywiddyb]

Such Talent!! Even his "outtakes" blended with the script!

[@davehallett3128]

They WERE part of the script. Read his bio

[@nigelh3253]

I think the reply from Dave Hallett was right - they were scripted and it's shown because the camera cuts to his face in close up. But I notice in this episode at 14:58 Howerd fluffs his line, and then says 'It's a lot to learn all this you know!' Scripted and rehearsed? Who cares! Utterly brilliant!

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

These programmes were rehearsed for a number of days. The entire play was then recorded in front of a studio audience. As the whole was recorded in a number of takes, the whole process could be edited. Some programmes included out door scenes shot on film and shown in sequence. I think "Last of the Summer Wine", mostly shot on location, was the last using 35mm film not video. The series could now be updated in 4k due to the superior quality, unlike taped programmes.

[@Ravenswalk]

Comic Genius used to watch this when Mum and Dad went to the Pub on Saturday night and I babysat my brothers he never got to finish the prologue. Thank You for the memories still as funny today as 40 odd years ago.

[@simonandrew8268]

it's nice to go back to the 1970's

[@Beatlefan67]

I wish we'd never left them!

[@jamesskeoch6562]

When the world was sane(ish)

[@nickbarton3191]

The comic timing of the support actors sets off Frankie's genius perfectly.

[@petern3363]

Frankie Howard, Hugh Paddick. Bliss. FH had LSD therapy in the 60s for depression. Frankie Howard on acid; that would have been worth seeing!

[@garyfenlon5769]

Frankie in the prologue says "the winner will be crowned Vestal Virgin B.C.72" and on the poster for the event it reads 'B.C.72', but on the banner behind the catwalk it says 'MISS VESTAL VIRGIN B.C.79'

[@IanCross-xj2gj]

Continuity error, possibly. 79 AD was the year that vesuvius erupted, freezing Pompeii in time.

[@CodetskiJaigobin101]

I just about died laughing with that ending, rofl.

[@TheMartinDuggan]

Geoffrey Hughes is another much missed Talent

[@Your.Uncle.AngMoh]

Loved him as the bone-idle Onslow and his character on "Heartbeat".

[@danw1374]

@@Your.Uncle.AngMoh Vernon Scripps :)

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

Thought I recognised him but name escaped me. Thanks for that. A brilliant comedy actor.

[@Gruntfuttock100]

Wonderful to see the great Hugh Paddick

[@theophidian4025]

+Gruntfuttock100 Oh, hello! My names Julian and this is my friend Sandy......... A great comedian! (By the way, J. Peasmold or Arnold? :-D)

[@Gruntfuttock100]

+The Ophidian J. Peasmold without doubt but quite what Field Marshall Monty Thrupp thinks about my choice is another matter entirely!

[@oldfatbastad6053]

BONA 😆

[@danw1374]

Comedy gold

[@chrispnw2547]

The sound effects are so darn good

[@geojoanne1]

I had terrible trouble sleeping as a 10/11 year old. I used to watch this on a monday night with my mum absolutely shitting myself with worry I wouldn't sleep. Butterflies and feeling sick. Can someone confirm it was a monday ?. i'm now 66, and sleeping is still an issue with me, always as been, but I don't worry about it so much now, so consequently I sleep

[@BFDT-4]

Has anyone ever thought of producing these plays of our modern day Plautus? I love Frankie Howerd and all the players in these pieces, I have even, on the basis of first seeing them in YT, bought the Region 2 DVD set (my player is multi region). But it would be so much fun to see these in live action productions, no?

[@BarnDoorProductions]

It's called A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

@@BarnDoorProductions The highlight of the great Buster Keaton in a cameo role rounds off a great comedy film with one of the greatest ever comedy actors of the silent era.

[@BarnDoorProductions]

@@geoffreycodnett6570 Indeed. I got to play Pseudolus in Funny Thing at one time. Some of the most fun you can legally have on stage.

[@notanfningain]

Love this sitcom

[@paulineellison422]

I use to watch up pompei with my parents frankie howerd had us in stitches. My husband and i love watching up pompei.

[@anthonyslattery8808]

It was on on a thursday night when I was a kid after Scouts stop off at the chippy bag of chips and scraps back in time for Up pompeii

[@pedropersil1535]

In about 1983, I was walking in Holland Park London with my infant niece and she toddled over to a fellah sitting on a bench with what looked like his aged mum. I apologized profusely and collected her - it was Frankie! He was nice about it, but you'd never have mistaken him for the funniest man on telly. In fact he wasn't funny at all. Just goes to show....

[@NayanRanjanMukerje]

confused what he wants to be he, she or it!!! NICE.

[@malc2558]

Loved Frankie Howerd's unique comic delivery. Nobody else like him. Great to see Willie Rushton in a small cameo role too ... not really a comedian, but a very funny guy.

[@colinp2238]

Was he one of the script writers for this?

[@Thursdaym2]

Was he in Rome or Athens? Drachmas, Acropolis!

[@IanCross-xj2gj]

Sesterses, Forum would have been more accurate!

[@robertboyle2573]

That Vestal Virgin was a bit of alright.

[@toxigenic]

Anyone else amused by the banner that read 79 BC? How would they know it was BC? Also, I don't remember Onslow from Keeping up Appearances with such a high voice. :)

[@whyayetv]

I’m more bemused because every other reference in the script was for BC 72.

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

@pratt68 They obviously hadn't been able to find any virgins for seven years. Remember 79 BC comes before 72BC and without knowing the transmission date could have been 1979 or 72. Nothing beats confusing the audience!

[@rebeccaconklin1679]

Why does the dark haired villain sound like Bela Lugosi?😮

[@stormhawk3319]

A great farce of a sitcom. Frankie made a mockery of the show by criticising the script, acting and scenery which the audience loved.

[@gammonbaldy1765]

For God's sake, bring back the Mini Toga.

[@wordsandpicturesandsounds]

2020

[@aubreystanley1124]

BC '79 on the sign.

[@ianblakemore4681]

Do my eye's deceive me or is one of the blond women from Star Trek?

[@Lauren94twitch]

i want to find the clip that says shes called titta dont point them at me they may go off

[@colinp2238]

Ooo no but listen.

[@stephenhowell5611]

vestigial virgins more like.

[@iamthebetty2451]

Ahhhhhahahahaaa. Its Onslo!!!!

[@1960dave1960]

How come the year changed from BC72 to BC79….?

[@vaderboy121]

titer ye not miss

[@121Swaleskid]

12:30 Hugh Paddock :o

[@njfox3305]

Classic british comidy love it.

[@scottrooney8954]

Eddie Yeats would u believe it😂

[@TheMartinDuggan]

Does anyone know why the Actor that played the master kept switching between two actors??

[@Ana_crusis]

erm...he doesn't . (should I have bothered saying that?)

[@madabbafan]

In this episode it doesn't but Max Adrian played Ludicrus in series one and Wallis Eaton from series 2 onwards.

[@krismccoy8581]

As a teen, I used to sneak and watch this in the 70's. Had forgotten about it until the 80's. And it was barely known, but couldn't see anything. Boom 20+ years later. Wow... Wonder if You Tube has it and here it is. I have to watch the episode repeatedly. It takes a bit to catch on to the lingo and to catch the joke before the audience laughs. Closed captioning is not available.

[@liquidsonly]

Bennie from Crossroads?

[@stephenhowell5611]

do you mean Geoffrey Hughes aka onslow or vernon scripps ?

[@DrMoorehen]

hillarious, much better than ecce romani at coleraine high school, circa 1973

[@moonstar4121]

I remember this when showing the David Berkowitz crimes were going on in New York

[@psammiad]

33 mins is an odd running time for a show

[@theskip1]

i think you will find that allows for the add libs and slight cock ups. because this went out live

[@psammiad]

Actually I checked a few old shows, Top of the Pops is often 35 minutes. I guess on the old Beeb they weren't so rigorous about half hour slots.

[@theskip1]

like i said a lot of old shows went out live

[@danw1374]

psammiad Tv scheduling was a lot stricter back then, but that said a lot of shows went over their allotted time, for reasons already stated.

[@karenblackadder1183]

@pocketjohnson Because Auntie doesn't have adverts, timings were a little bit more relaxed.

[@kevpinkney2587]

Iike

[@davehallett3128]

Frankie also appeared in the similar comedy. Whoops baghdad. If you haven t seen it already. With. alan curtis and derek francis. And jack wright in one episode. On youtube

[@colinp2238]

I'm sure he was in a couple of Carry On films.

[@chadchadman5056]

Salute a !

[@AR-iy7oy]

If these times were meant to be before the birth of christ why do they have 79BC on the sign Or am I missing something, surely they didn't know christ before he would be born

[@krismccoy8581]

Enjoy the humor of it all.

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

BC is part of the but you pointed out. They hadn't bothered to change the sign because it was up from the last time they had any virgins to join the competition. Remember 79 BC is 7 years BEFORE 72 BC. The joke would be greater when transmitted in 1972 or 1979. Whether people generally understand, I've no idea. Certainly subtle

[@glyndavies2334]

Very funny but absolutely RUINED by a farcically bad laughtrack

[@JohnCallaghanMusic]

+Glyn Davies I'd be surprised if it wasn't live, actually. Most BBC sitcoms of the time were. Unless you're complaining about the quality of the actual audience, which is fair enough!

[@theophidian4025]

+John Callaghan It was. :-)

[@glyndavies2334]

+The Ophidian the audience's laughter was apparently "augmented" by use of a laugh track overlaid over the actual audience sound. Anyone with ears can tell it's not at all natural.

[@theophidian4025]

Well, fair enough but, I didn't actually comment on the laughter. I just said it was before a live audience. (before they what, I don't know but they were live (at least, when they went in)) :-)

[@geoffreycodnett6570]

Live audiences for all these shows. Actors would spend a day reading through the script together then rehearsing. They progressed onto the set for final rehearsal . Usually the recording was done at the weekend in the evening. A comedian would "warm up " the audience and introduce the actors and set. American programmes often used "canned" laughter not the BBC. Dad's Army, Fawley Towers and Last of the Summer Wine used either a mix of film and studio set, or location film only. Projected segments and stage action was then played before an audience.