Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em 

Accident-prone Frank Spencer fails to navigate the simplest tasks of daily life, while also trying to look after his wife and baby.

Stars:

Michael Crawford, Michele Dotrice, Jessica Forte

5 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Michael Crawford	...	Frank Spencer 23 episodes, 1973-2016
Michele Dotrice	...	Betty Spencer 23 episodes, 1973-2016

Storyline

Frank Spencer's more than just a accident-prone; everything he touches falls apart, and he can't keep a job for more than a day. The only thing which keeps him going is his long-suffering wife Betty, who somehow manages to cope with his disaster-prone life-style.

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Plot Keywords:

accident prone | 1970s | british comedy | incompetent man | job | 

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Taglines:

...starring Michael Crawford like you've never seen him before.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The house which collapsed around Franks ears was in the "Black Tom" area of Bedford. The site was being cleared for re-development.

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Goofs

Christmas '75 - Learning to Drive (special episode). When Frank is taking his driving test in the Hillman Imp, he is driving slowly down a narrow and winding road. He is being followed by the green van, flashing its lights at him, and as the van turns off Frank hears a train hoot, then drives round the barriers at a level crossing. The terrain suddenly changes from a narrow road in the hills, to a wide road on flat land. Then while Frank is driving to the sea, he passes the same parked brown Vauxhall Victor twice.

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Connections

Referenced in Cash Trapped: Episode #2.17 (2017)

User Reviews

Crawford shone in this brilliant British comedy!

Nearly 30 years ago, a skinny, 30 something unproven British comedian called Michael Crawford, graced our screens in a show with a funny name, but with no huge raps. But after just a few screenings, Frank Spencer was a star, an idiot too, but hey I would not have minded being in his comical shows, because he was hilarious. This show would have to go down as one of the top comedy show to have come out of England, which made people laugh all over the world.

Meet Frank Spenser. He is the world's most clumsiest person, someone who people are out to try and avoid at all cost. Everything he touches falls apart, and he can't keep a job for more than a day. The only thing that keeps him going is his long-suffering wife Betty, who somehow manages to cope with his disaster-prone life-style.

I remember watching this show as a youngster, and did it make me laugh. All of Franks Spenser's idiotic lines and antics were a good chance to allow myself escape my own ‘crazy' world. That is the great part about this character. He must have had a huge affect on many walks of life, including the young, sick and elderly, who at some stage needed a laugh to forget there blues they were suffering in life. I think that most people see a lot of Frank Spenser in themselves, that I am sure is one of the reasons why he is still so popular today.

Then think about the man behind Frank, that being Michael Crawford. He is a talent, who makes the screen a different experience. For memory, I really loved how he would jump onto our screens and say ‘good mornin'. Then as we get to love his antics, Frank is adored more and more. Crawford was born to be like this, yet he also had another calling in life. I am of course talking about being the leading man in the Andrew Lloyd Webber music sensation, ‘The Phantom Of The Opera'. From all reports he was brilliant as the ‘Phantom', and I can see why. Then take his onscreen partner on Some mothers, that being Michelle Dotrice. She was incredible as the patient and ever reliable Betty. I would be betting that she would have had some funny moments on set with Michael. She was a perfect choice as Betty.

Then take some of the episodes that this show had. When Betty is in hospital after giving birth to the Spenser's first child it was hilarious what Frank went through while living on his own. I can always remember the catch cry of ‘plus, I blew the pudding up'. But he was also so funny, in many situations that would usually require a ‘please answer'. Going through walls, crashing cars, cooking disasters in the kitchen are all traits that Frank was jinxed to live with. I am not so sure that anyone would like to have that bad a luck.

Yet a few years later a funny man, with about the same amount of luck as Frank, graced our screens, that being the hilarious ‘Mr. Bean'. He was played by Rowan Atkinson, who like Crawford is a comedy genius, although his character was greatly different to Frank Spenser. With no voice, he made it up in silly antics and stupid little scenarios that he got himself into, that again had people crying in laughter all over the world. It is no wonder that Atkinson is British as well. What is it that makes these men so funny over in England, the water or what?

In summary, last year in Australia, we were lucky to see Michael Crawford in a one on one interview with popular Australian TV journalist, Ray Martin. In this interview we got to see not only how funny Michael was and still is, but how compassionate he is toward many charities and what a terrific vocalist he is. We are really lucky to have had someone like Frank Spencer on our small screens, because if we didn't, we might never have met the remarkable man behind the fool, called Michael Crawford.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 February 1973 (UK)

Also Known As:

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Filming Locations:

Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (22 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1