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Remade in Sweden as Albert & Herbert. Also served as a "blueprint" for the long-running American series Sanford and Son.
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Wilfrid Brambell's character was often referred to as a dirty old man. In a little in-joke, his character in A Hard Day's Night was referred to as a very clean man.
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The series began life as a 1962 segment of the BBC's "Comedy Playhouse" strand, in the episode Comedy Playhouse: The Offer.
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The Steptoes' fictitious residence is Mews Cottage, Oil Drum Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London.
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Oil Drum Lane was mentioned by Tony Hancock in Hancock episode Hancock's Half Hour: The Missing Page (broadcast 11 March 1960) as being the residence of the reader who borrowed the library book before him. This was also written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Additionally, Steptoe and Son: Tea for Two makes mention of Harold's acquaintance Dolly Clackett, herself referenced several times in their East Cheam sitcom.
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Unlike most BBC sitcoms from the 1960s, all of the episodes exist. However 14 editions (one from the 1965 run and the remainder from the two colour 1970 seasons) only exist in the archives as relatively low-definition monochrome Shibaden copies dubbed from the master tapes, courtesy of the private collection of writers Galton and Simpson. In 2007 the opening fifteen minutes of Steptoe and Son: A Winter's Tale was recovered as a 16mm b/w film print, the only such telerecording known to be in existence.
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The "Steptoe and Son" on the junkyard gates are not Albert and Harold Steptoe: "Steptoe" is Albert's father and the "Son" is Albert (Old Man Steptoe).
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Wilfrid Brambell planned to leave the series in 1965 because he had been offered a part in the Broadway musical "Kelly" by Eddie Lawrence and Moose Charlap. Realising that they would not be able to re-cast the part of Old Man Steptoe, Galton and Simpson wrote an episode showing Harold at Albert's grave, followed by the introduction of a new character, the illegitimate son of Harold whose existence he never knew about. However "Kelly" folded after only one performance, and Brambell asked for his old job back as Old Man Steptoe.
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In real life Wilfred was only 13 years older than Harry, but yet played his dad in the series.
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The title Steptoe and Son came from a real-life photographer's shop called Steptoe and Figge. As Alan Simpson later noted, "We didn't for one moment consider calling the series Figge and Son".
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Brambell and Corbett reprised their rôles in the 52 BBC Radio adaptations which aired across six seasons on the Light Programme (July 1966-July 1967) and Radio 2 (March 1971-December 1976).
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