WHEN STEPTOE MET SON tells of the real lives of Harry H. Corbett and Wilfred Brambell, the two actors who immortalized the characters of Steptoe and Son in the long-running British sitcom. The format was imported to US television and renamed SANDFORD AND SON, but achieved nothing like the same reputation. The documentary traces a familiar tale of typecasting: Corbett in particular was an accomplished Shakespearean actor, with considerable experience of performing in Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in London's Stratford East. Brambell was more of a bit-part player with long experience in low-budget British movies. The two were brought together in 1962, and the series subsequently ran for twelve years on television and radio. By the end, however, both actors had become so typecast in their roles that they were imprisoned by them; this made for a combustible working relationship, with Brambell in particular turning to excessive amounts of drink. The two were reduced to a tour of Australia's seedier music- halls in the late Seventies, performing a vaudeville-style program that could only be described as tatty. Perhaps one thing to note is that, like Tony Hancock, the star of comedy writers' Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's other big hit (HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR/ HABCOCK), Brambell and Corbett were imprisoned by the quality of their scripts, all of which portrayed men trying and perpetually failing to improve themselves. A cast of life imitating art too closely, perhaps. The documentary is available to view on You Tube.
2 Reviews
an excellent, revealing & thoroughly engrossing documentary.
is_dis_d_way2amarrillo26 July 2008
STEPTOE & SON is regarded as one of the greatest UK TV comedy sitcoms ever & this interesting, frank & highly watchable channel 4 programme certainly covers familiar ground albeit with a biting edge. the clips from the series make it worth watching alone & certain aspects IE homosexuality, infidelity & the shows humble beginning does indeed make great copy. wilfred brambell & harry h. corbett's personnal lives are looked into with terrific insight & the duos much publicised loathing of each other is also well documented. complete with insightful interviews by STEPTOE scriptwriters ray galton & alan simpson; one could hardly expect a better TV biographical treatment. sadly, this superb programme is to date unavailable on DVD & i luckily managed to obtain a private promo copy from it's makers: fulmar television & film limited. my only complaint is that i wish it were longer!
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