Sykes (TV Series) Job (1972) User Reviews

Sykes gets a job.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 17 March 2023]

Sykes is struggling to play the housekeeper come cooker whilst Hattie is out at work, tired of being hen pecked, Hattie convinces him to get a job at The Factory, Sykes proves something of a perfectionist.

Very funny episode, it's an amusing setup, with some terrific physical comedy from Sykes, he really does get the chance to go to town with his physical antics, he is terrific here, it was obvious he was going to cause chaos in the factory. Sykes seemed to get repetitive strain injuries before it was a thing.

Definitely a few Carry on at your convenience vibes here, a sign of the times, and the powers that The Unions had.

Some good comedy acting here, two BBC comedy stalwarts were very good I thought, George A. Cooper and Felix Bowness. Jinmy Edwards was great as the stressed out factory boss, Graham Stark also.

There was of course some content that doesn't sit well with us today.

8/10.

Job

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 17 February 2021]

Sykes has been dealing with domestic duties while Hattie goes out to work so they can save up enough money for a new television and a record player.

Hattie takes Eric to her factory which makes washers.

Only Eric cannot get the hang of working in a production line. Instead of making 2000 washer a day, he only makes 12 as he takes pride in his work.

Eric upsets both the union shop steward for his low output and the factory boss. However when the boss sacks Eric, the union threatens to go out on strike when the replacemant worker is a black man.

There is some typical Sykes humour as all the workers operate the machine in unison to the music. It is almost Chaplinesque.

Jimmy Edwards plays the factory boss who is exasperated by the trade unions.

Both Edwards and Sykes were right wingers. Both supported the Apartheid regime in South Africa and Ian Smith's Rhodesia. So I guess the trade unions at the time must have been really awful when Eric Sykes accused them of being racist!