Til Death Us Do Part (also known as Till Death Us do Part)¹ was a BBC television sitcom series written by Johnny Speight that ran from 1966 until 1975. The programme starred Warren Mitchell as the racist East End misogynist (and Rudyard Kipling lookalike) Alf Garnett. Also appearing in the series were Dandy Nichols as Alf's long-suffering wife, Else, Una Stubbs as Rita, his daughter and Anthony Booth as Mike, his layabout son-in-law, whose socialist leanings were the cue for many of Alf's more offensive outbursts. The series was remade in the United States as the enormously successful sitcom All in the Family (1971-1979) and in Germany (1973 - 1976) as Ein Herz und eine Seele ("One Heart and One Soul"). There was even a version in Israel, where the Alf character would spout bigoted remarks about the Arabs. Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... A British sitcom is a situation comedy (sitcom) produced in the United Kingdom. ... Johnny Speight (June 2, 1920 - July 5, 1998), was a TV scriptwriter of many classic British sitcoms. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Warren Mitchell, (born 14 January 1926, Stoke Newington, London) is a British-born actor with Australian citizenship. ... The East End of London (known locally as just the East End) is part of London in the United Kingdom. ... Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865 – January 18, 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India. ... Alf Garnett was a fictional character on the BBC television sitcom Til Death Us Do Part and later In Sickness and in Health. ... Dandy Nichols (May 21, 1907 – February 6, 1986) was an actress most noted for her role as Else Garnett, the long-suffering wife of the racially bigoted and misogynistic character Alf Garnett in the BBC sitcom Till Death Us Do Part. ... Una Stubbs (born May 1, 1937) is a British actress and former dancer. ... Anthony Booth (born October 9, 1931 in Liverpool, better known as Tony Booth) is a British actor, best known for his role in the BBC series Til Death Us Do Part. ... All in the Family is a popular and acclaimed American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 until April 8, 1979, when the final original episode aired. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ein Herz und eine Seele (One Heart and One Soul) is a German sitcom that ran from 1973 until 1976. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are a large and heterogeneous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ...

Success Of The Show

It became an instant hit, presumably because, although a comedy, in the context of its time it did deal with aspects of working-class life comparatively realistically. It addressed racial and political issues at a particularly difficult time in British society. The attitude of those who made the programme was that Alf's views were so clearly unacceptable that they were risible, but some viewers considered the series an uncomfortable and disturbing series to watch. Some were simply oblivious to the fact that Johnny Speight was satirising racist attitudes. Ironically, some racists and reactionaries enjoyed watching the show - and missed the point that Alf's opinions were offensive. Ultimately, the fact that Mitchell imbued the character of Alf Garnett with an earthy charm despite his repugnant opinions served to humanise Alf and make him a likeable character. According to interviews he gave, the fact that some viewers overlooked Alf's views and regarded him as rough diamond, deeply disappointed Speight. The working class is a social class often contrasted with middle class and upper class in terms of the nature of work undertaken (manual labor or skilled), the level of remuneration (typically low hourly rates although there are exceptions) and access to resources (limited access to capital, education and land). ... 1. ...

The show captured a key aspect of Britain in the 1960s - the widening generation gap. Alf (and to a lesser degree his wife) represented the old guard, the traditional attitudes of the older generation. Alf's battles with his left-wing son-in-law were not just ideological but also generational and cultural. His son-in-law and daughter (who was a dutiful supporter of her husband rather than an active protagonist) represented the younger generation. They saw the positive aspects of the new era. Relaxed sexual mores, fashions, music etc. The very same things were anathema to Alf - and indicative of everything that was wrong with the younger generation and the liberal attitudes they embraced.

Alf was the archetypal working-class Conservative. The two subjects that excited him most were football and politics. He used language that was not considered acceptable for broadcasting on television in the 1960s. He often referred to racial minorities as "coons" and similar terms. He frequently referred to his Liverpudlian son-in-law as a "randy Scouse git" (Randy Scouse Git as a phrase caught the ear of Micky Dolenz of The Monkees who heard it while on tour in the UK - and who co-opted it as the title of the group's next single - though their record label re-named it "Alternate Title" in the UK market to avoid controversy) and to his wife as a "silly moo" (a substitute for "cow" which was originally vetoed by the BBC's censors). Controversially, the show was one of the earliest mainstream programmes to feature the swear word "bloody". The show was one of several held up by self-appointed public moralist Mary Whitehouse as an example of the BBC's moral laxity. The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Scouse is the accent and dialect of English found in the northern English city of Liverpool and adjoining urban areas of Merseyside and northwestern Cheshire. ... The Monkees in 1967 (left to right): Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork The Monkees were a four-man musical band created to be the stars of an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. ... Profanity is a word choice or usage which many consider to be offensive. ... Bloody is the adjectival form of blood but may also be used as a swear word or expletive attributive (intensifier). ... Mary Whitehouse Mary Whitehouse (June 13, 1910 – November 23, 2001) was a British campaigner for morals and decency, particularly in television and radio. ...

In a classic demonstration of Johnny Speight's satirical skills - on learning that Mary Whitehouse was a critic of the show - Speight created an episode where Alf Garnett was seen to be a big fan of Mary Whitehouse. He was seen proudly reading her current book. "What are you reading?" his son-in-law asks. When he relates that it's Mary Whitehouse - his son-in-law sniggers. Alf's rejoinder is priceless: "She's concerned for the bleedin' moral fibre of the nation!" he insists. Speight was able to assert that the support for Mary Whitehouse's self-styled "Clean-Up TV" campaign was synonymous with the attitudes of loud bigots such as Alf Garnett.

Ultimately "silly moo" became a comic catch phrase. Another phrase he used was "it stands to reason", usually before making some patently unreasonable or illogical comment. Alf was an admirer of Enoch Powell, a right-wing Conservative politician known for his strong opposition to the immigration of non-white races into the United Kingdom. Alf was also a fanatical supporter of West Ham United (a football team based in the East End) and was known to make derogatory remarks about "the Jews up at Spurs" (referring to Tottenham Hotspur, a North London soccer team with a sizable Jewish following). This was a playful touch by Speight knowing that in real life Mitchell was both Jewish and a supporter of that team. In interviews, Johnny Speight explained that he had originally based the character of Alf on his father, an East End docker who was staunchly reactionary and held "unenlightened" attitudes towards black people. Speight made clear that he deeply regretted that his father held such attitudes - beliefs that Speight regarded as reprehensible. Speight saw the show in part as a way of ridiculing such views and dealing with his complex feelings about his father. A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized, usually through repeated use, by a real person or fictional character. ... Enoch Powell The Right Honourable John Enoch Powell MBE (June 16, 1912 – February 8, 1998) was a British politician. ... The new logo of the Conservative Party The Conservative Party is the largest right wing political party in the United Kingdom. ... West Ham United Football Club are a professional English football club based in East London. ... Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is a North London football club. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ...

Production

In 1968 the series was ended after three seasons, but due to success in repeats it was brought back in 1972 and continued for four more seasons. Seasons 1-3 were telerecorded in black and white and seasons 4-7 were videotaped in colour.

Fascinating Footnote

In a fascinating footnote to the series, in real life actor Anthony Booth fathered a daughter Cherie Booth who later married British Labour Party politician Tony Blair - making Anthony Booth the father-in-law of a prime minister. Cherie Blair QC (born in Bury, Greater Manchester on September 23, 1954), better known as the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is also a successful lawyer, in which capacity she uses her maiden name Cherie Booth. ... Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. ...

End Of The Series

Toward the end of the series Dandy Nichols fell ill and was unable to attend the live-audience recordings. The problem was solved by having her pre-record her lines which were then skilfully edited into the show. Eventually even this was too much of a strain, and so in a later episode Else was seen leaving for Australia, much to Alf's dismay. Afterwards Alfie Bass and Patrica Hays joined the cast, playing Bert and Min Reed, the Garnetts new neighbors. But the shows ratings fell and in 1975 Johnny Speight decided to cease production. Alfred Bass (April 8, 1921 – July 15, 1987) was a diminutive cockney-accented English actor, born in Londons Bethnal Green. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Sequels

In 1981, the ITV company Central picked up the series and made six episodes under the title Till Death. The series had Alf and Else living in a retirement home in Eastbourne with their widowed friend Min. Although Rita remained in the cast, Anthoney Booth declined to return. It was said he and Rita had divorced. Rita's son Michael was now a teenager and a punk rocker (even though he was born in 1972 and he should only be about 9 or 10). Current ITV logo. ... Central TV logo, 1985-1998 Central Independent Television, commonly referred to as Central, is the Independent Television company that succeeded ATV on 1 January 1982. ...

In the late 1980s Alf Garnett returned to the BBC for In Sickness and in Health. This took Alf and Else (who was now in a wheelchair) onwards into old age, and some of Alf's more extreme opinions were found to have mellowed. Una Stubbs made some guest appearances but Anthony Booth apparently wasn't interested in reprising his role. After the first series Dandy Nichols died, and so subsequent episodes showed Alf having to deal with the greatest loss of his life - Else's pension. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... In Sickness and in Health was a BBC television sitcom sequel to the highly successful Til Death Us Do Part. ...

After The Series

Warren Mitchell has also appeared solo on stage and TV as Alf Garnett, dispensing variations on Alf's homespun reactionary philosophy and singing old music hall songs. One show was called It Stands To Reason - The Thoughts Of Chairman Alf; one reviewer concluded that "Speight and Mitchell are to be congratulated for understanding so well the mind of a man who they hate". Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ...

Film Adaptions

A number of unexceptional feature films were made based on the series - Til Death Us Do Part (1969) and The Alf Garnett Saga (1972). The first of these dealt with the Garnetts being moved from their East End slum to the New town of Hemel Hempstead, and the adjustments and changes that brought on the family. While unremarkable as a film, it does give a fascinating glimpse of British life at the time. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Tuesday. ... A New town or planned community or planned city is a city, town, or community that was designed from scratch, and grew up more or less following the plan. ... Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire, England with a population of 81,143 at the 2001 Census. ...

Missing episodes

Many of the 24 episodes shot in B/W (black and white) were wiped by the BBC in the early 1970s - a common occurrence at that time as the BBC sought to save money by re-cycling videotape and avoiding costly storage charges for archival tapes. (The policy was finally changed later in the 1970s when the extent of the cultural loss was finally realised.) Wiping or junking is an economic move by TV companies in which old videotapes and kinescopes were wiped (deleted) and reused or were destroyed. ...

Two of the lost shows, "Intolerance", and the original 1965 pilot survive in the form of edited extracts. Portions of three shows, "Aunt Maud", "The Bulldog Breed", and "Up the Polls" still exist. In 1997 the episode, "Alf's Dilemma", was recovered in an edited format (the print was 21 minutes long meaning about 8-10 minutes are missing). The print was returned to the BBC in 1998 and aired on television soon after.

The lost black and white episodes are:

1. Hair Raising
2. Two Toilets...That's Posh!
3. From Liverpool With Love
4. Clustraphobia
5. Sex Before Marriage
6. I Can Always Give Up
7. Caviar on the Dull
8. The Bulldog Breed (about two minutes exist)
9. The Workers King
10. In Sickness and In Health
11. State Visit
12. Alf's Dilemma (survives in form of edited extract)
13. 1967 Easter Special
14. The Phone
15. Monopoly
16. The Funeral
17. Football
18. The Puppy (last 90 seconds survive)
19. Aunt Maud (last 90 seconds survive)
20. Up the Polls (all but five minutes, mostly from the opening, survive)
21. Christmas Specials 1968 and 1972

The black and white episodes that survive in their entirety are:

1. Arguments, Arguments
2. A House With Love
3. Peace and Goodwill (Christmas Special 1966)
4. The Blood Donor

DVD

In the UK, Network has released the first two clour seasons on DVD (Seasons 4 and 5). The fourth season is avalible in the United States and Canada. The '68 movie is avalible in both the UK and the US. A wide variety of systems of interconnected components are called networks. ...

Footnote

¹The BBC, which broadcast the series, refers to it differently in different locations. The 2004 DVD release uses two l's. Even the show's creator referred to it differently on occasions. The show title was inspired by the traditional wedding vow, "'til death do us part." Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... DVD-R writing/reading side DVD-R with purple dye, 4. ...

External links

• Encyclopedia of Television
• British Film Institute Screen Online