'I Didn't Know You Cared' crept unheralded into the B.B.C.-1 schedules in August 1975, occupying a 9.25 slot on Wednesday nights. In no time at all it was No.1 in the ratings, elbowing out 'Coronation Street'. This superbly funny show was based on a trilogy of books by the brilliant ( and sadly deceased ) Peter Tinniswood: 'I Didn't Know You Cared', 'Except You're A Bird' and 'Stirk Of Stirk'. He wrote the series too. It focused on the lives of the Brandons, a dour Yorkshire family whose number included old age pensioner 'Uncle Mort' ( Robin Bailey ), an unbelievably gloomy widower who wore his flat cap at all times ( when he found out he was terminally ill, he left the surgery dancing for joy ) and kept saying "I served all through first world war...", and 'Les' ( John Comer ), the henpecked husband of hatchet-faced 'Annie' ( Liz Smith ). Despite her best efforts, Les was never interested in rekindling the fires of their romantic youth, preferring instead to smoke his pipe and read the paper. When she suggested a second honeymoon, he responded curtly: "Didn't think much of the first one! Breakfast were a disgrace!". Their son was the thick-as-two-planks Carter ( Stephen Rea, later Keith Drinkel ) whose only intelligent utterance was "Aye Well Um!". Carter's fiancée, Pat Partington ( Anita Carey, later Liz Goulding ), was a would-be social climber who fantasised about a 'young executive' lifestyle and who could not wait to get Carter up the aisle. But Pat has a rival - the sexy blonde bombshell Linda Preston ( Deidre Costello ).
The women were the dominant characters in this show alright. The men could do nothing except sup pints and reflect on their tragic plight. Oh yes, there was also Uncle Stavely ( Bert Palmer, then Leslie Sarony ), a senile ex-soldier who wore a box containing the ashes of his late commanding officer round his neck and usually replied to questions with: "I heard that. Pardon?". Vanda Godsell played Pat's stuck-up mother in a number of episodes.
The show mixed comedy with lovely poetic observations of life. It was full of wonderful one-liners, such as Annie boasting about her son: "There's not many men round here who've still got their Meccano sets, you know!". The first two seasons rank with the best B.B.C. comedy the '70's produced. The last two were unfortunately marred by cast changes, in particular Keith Drinkel's 'Carter' lacked the marvellous gormless quality of Stephen Rea's.
All four seasons came out on D.V.D. a while back. Sadly missing was 'Tinniswood Country', a 1989 programme in which the author revisited childhood haunts and the Brandons appeared in new sketches ( minus Les, as John Comer had died by then ), with singer Peter Skellern as 'Carter'. It would have made a nice extra.
The women were the dominant characters in this show alright. The men could do nothing except sup pints and reflect on their tragic plight. Oh yes, there was also Uncle Stavely ( Bert Palmer, then Leslie Sarony ), a senile ex-soldier who wore a box containing the ashes of his late commanding officer round his neck and usually replied to questions with: "I heard that. Pardon?". Vanda Godsell played Pat's stuck-up mother in a number of episodes.
The show mixed comedy with lovely poetic observations of life. It was full of wonderful one-liners, such as Annie boasting about her son: "There's not many men round here who've still got their Meccano sets, you know!". The first two seasons rank with the best B.B.C. comedy the '70's produced. The last two were unfortunately marred by cast changes, in particular Keith Drinkel's 'Carter' lacked the marvellous gormless quality of Stephen Rea's.
All four seasons came out on D.V.D. a while back. Sadly missing was 'Tinniswood Country', a 1989 programme in which the author revisited childhood haunts and the Brandons appeared in new sketches ( minus Les, as John Comer had died by then ), with singer Peter Skellern as 'Carter'. It would have made a nice extra.