Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads

Bob Ferris and Terry Collier, the likely lads. It was screened 3 years before I was born but it's one of the best sitcoms ever. The main theme of the story is the return of Terry to Newcastle. Having spent the last five (?) years in the army he's not to pleased to see Bob. Bob having flat feet he didn't end up in the army for which Terry finds it hard to forgive him. WHTTLL follows the relatioship of not only Bob and Terry but also Thelma, Bobs girlfriend. The series follows their engagement and marriage. Also the after effects of Bobs new wife. It's a story that I don't believe has dated too badly. Yes the fashions are out ...  Read the complete review

"Oohh, what happened to you? Whatever happened to me?" runs the theme tune. Well, I don't know about you, but I know what happened to me - I fell asleep half way through the first episode. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads (WHTTLL) was a followup to a successful sixties comedy, The Likely Lads, starring Rodney Bewes and James Bolam as happy-go-lucky young lads on the prowl. Shot in black and white and requiring a steam powered TV for ideal viewing conditions, this original comedy is rarely seen now. Luckily, no knowledge of the original is required to pick up the general background to WHTTLL. The series takes up as Terry (James Bolam) ...  Read the complete review

It is certainly true that this seies now looks a bit dated but given that it was made and originally shown around the time when kipper ties and flares were all the rage this is hardly surprising. What does still stand out is the brilliant acting of James Bolam as Terry. Rodney Bewes who plays Bob is good though not quite up to Bolam's standard. The scripts themselves still stand out as well written but again some of the situations now appear farcical because of the dating factor. Considering how long ago this series was actually made it shows how talented an actor Bolam is as he seems to have been on our screens continually in a variety of guises ...  Read the complete review

This was a really funny series first time round and even worthy of a few laughs on the second and third runs but it has become far too dated to be funny anymore. Young men today just don't behave in the way the lads do. Wives don't rule the roost and call the shots either. James Bolam still comes across as being funny. He is an excellent actor but the rest of the cast and the script is not worth watching (by today's standards), unless it's in very small doses. ...  Read the complete review

Although not of my era I have seen the programme a number of times on reruns.It is an amusing comedy about a couple of guys who aren't quite as young as they were but aren't old yet.(Slightly older than the friends gang).One is settled down with a wife and the other is still a free agent.They get into allsorts of trouble with hilarious results.This is quite a gentle comedy and doesn't have offfensive language like some so everyone can enjoy.It belongs to the "Some Mothers Do 'Ave em" school of comedy and is of a similair era.My favourtie episode is the one where the lads are trying to not find out the football score as they are going to watch a ...  Read the complete review