The Last Man on Earth (4 Jun. 1974)

Writers:

Ray Galton (script), Alan Simpson (script)

Stars:

Dandy Nichols, Ronald Fraser

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Dandy Nichols
Ronald Fraser

Storyline

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Release Date:

4 June 1974 (UK)

Company Credits

User Reviews

Where Has Everybody Gone?

Ray Galton and Alan Simpson wrote this very funny, one-off comedy pilot in which Ronald Fraser and Dandy Nichols play a mother and son who return from a caravan holiday in Frinton to discover that everyone in the world has mysteriously disappeared. As it opens, Henry gets ready to go shopping and takes a sub-machine gun along in case of trouble. Loading up his trolley with goods, he brazenly walks out of the supermarket without paying! And helps himself to 'Green Shield' stamps!

Despite having the whole world to choose from, they still live in their tatty old council house. Over dinner that evening ( Mother is decked out in expensive jewellery and fur coat ), Henry speculates on the reasons for their bizarre predicament. "Its a Biblical prophecy come true! I am Adam, and somewhere out there is...Eve!". To which Mother replies: "And what am I supposed to be? The serpent?".

At the climax, they discover they are not as alone as they thought. The last shot is of them driving out of their garage in an armoured car! As you'd expect from a Galton and Simpson script, the dialogue is top notch, and the acting from Fraser and Nichols superb. A more unlikely pair of survivors is hard to imagine.

The B.B.C. passed over the chance to turn this into a series, opting for 'Happy Ever After' ( starring Terry Scott and June Whitfield ) instead. While this was a shame, it was in many ways understandable, as the premise seemed to hold little room for development.

However, years later, I.T.V. made a sitcom based on a similar idea - 'Not With A Bang' starring Stephen Rea and Josie Lawrence. And of course, there was 'Red Dwarf' which also used as a starting point the accidental demise of the entire Human Race.