Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
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Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973-1978) was a highly successful BBC sitcom, written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice.
Every week saw the well-meaning but idiotic and accident-prone leading character Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) getting into ridiculous scrapes which usually involved a major degree of physical exertion. Episodes would frequently climax in some destructive catastrophe requiring stunt work from Crawford that even today would be unusual in an inexpensive half-hour comedy. With such a denouement in mind, typical plot lines would involve picnics on high cliffs, driving lessons by the sea, or a wide variety of new jobs such as motorcycle courier or high-rise window cleaner.
The wimpish Frank, sporting his trademark beret and raincoat, was married to the (apparently normal) Betty (Michele Dotrice) and in later series they had a baby daughter, Jessica, which offered scope for even more slapstick humour. Frank was a gift for impersonators, and for a time it became a cliche that every half-decent impersonator was doing him, particularly his catch phrase "Ooh Betty". The name "Frank Spencer" may still be used in the UK to refer to a particularly inept man, particularly one who is not very good at home improvements.
Many of Frank's mannerisms and turns of phrase were invented by Crawford. One of Frank's catch phrases was a quavering "Ooh... I'm being ha-RASSed!". This gained comic effect by employing a little-used word, pronounced wrongly (compared to the normal UK emphasis, "HArassed"). But Frank's usage has since become common in the UK, perhaps solely from the popularity of this phrase, although possibly also because of the influence of the American mass media, the "ha-RASSed" pronounciation being more common in the US. (See the List of words of disputed pronunciation.)
Episodes
- Series One
- Producer Michael Mills
- 7 episodes of 30 minutes
- Broadcast between 1973-02-15 and 1973-03-29 (Thursdays) on BBC1 at 8pm
- Series Two
- Producer Michael Mills
- 6 episodes of 30 minutes
- Broadcast between 1973-11-22 and 1973-12-27 (Thursdays) on BBC1 at 8:30pm
- 1974 Christmas special
- Producer Michael Mills
- 50 minutes
- Broadcast on 1974-12-25 (Wednesday) on BBC1 at 7:15pm
- 1975 Christmas special
- Producer Michael Mills
- 45 minutes
- Broadcast on 1975-12-25 (Thursday) on BBC1 at 6:55pm
- Series Three
- Producer Sydney Lotterby
- 6 episodes of 35 minutes
- Broadcast between 1978-11-11 and 1978-12-16 (Saturdays) on BBC1 at 8:30pm
- 1978 Christmas special
- Producer Sydney Lotterby
- 45 minutes
- Broadcast on 1978-12-25 (Monday) on BBC1 at 7:15pm