Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - Series 1-3 + Christmas Specials [DVD] [1973]

Grandkids love this. Good clean old-fashioned slap stick comedy.

A very nice, compact bix set of all the episodes from this series. If you’re a fan then this is an ideal set in terms of both price and its compact size.

Frank's the best a pure classic

Works in UK and wide screen. Very pleased. Funny and takes me back to childhood.

'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em', certainly from the view of hindsight, with regard to much of what has constituted situation comedy in the last twenty or so years, is yet another marvellous example of a period when comedy writers and producers, truly had a firm handle on how to deliver the goods. The seventies was unquestionably some kind of golden era in comedy terms, before a cynical later attitude set in, and a more politically correct outlook also made its presence known, where seemingly everything, however innocently portrayed, somehow managed to be deemed offensive. 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em', at its best is one of the most hilariously funny sitcoms ever, and the ingenuity of choosing Michael Crawford initially as Frank Spencer, one of the greatest pieces of casting. Crawford certainly managed to make Frank a unique and unforgettable character in terms of his mannerisms, whether visual or in a vocal sense (which has resulted in him being the victim of a thousand impersonators!), and his daring stunt activities throughout the series, helped to make the show instantly memorable. Many of the stories took on a similar theme, where Frank was being interviewed for a job, or visiting hospital, or participating in some social gathering, and everything seems to end in chaos due to his haphazard ways, driving those in a position of authority to despair. Of course his wife Betty was always on hand to offer her support (where she found the patience was a miracle in itself!). Over the three series and three christmas specials (22 episodes), Frank pretty much managed to get himself in almost as many crazy situations as it is possible to think of. However, in a number of respects the series did actually change over time, and not necessarily for the better, and whereas the first two series (and two christmas specials) find Frank the eternally loveable fool, pretty much incapable of doing anything right, when the series returned after a three year break, arguably Frank was no longer so loveable, and the scripts pretty much becoming more and more just a basis for Crawford to display his talent for taking on ever more elaborate stunts. Much of the problem with the third series is Crawford's insistance that Frank becomes subtely more confident and assertive, in light of him taking on the responsibility of becoming a father. However, one gets the feeling the character of Frank had become that touch too arrogant, and the naivety and charm from those early days, which endeared him so much to the audience, had started to dwindle somewhat. Somehow the stunts, however elaborate and clever, started to become tiresome too, as they took up an ever increasing role within the show, at the cost of good solid scripts. However, the show still managed to pull in some excellent viewing figures, although it was probably wise that it never made it to a fourth series. Overall this comedy has so many highlights, and especially during series one and two. A comedy classic, certainly of sorts, before becoming rather repetitive and tiresome towards the end. It is also rather disappointing that this DVD box set contains no extras.

Good

But not with this Box Set! I remember sitting in my grandmother's house as a child, watching Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and laughing at all the calamities Frank Spencer got himself into. Now twenty-odd years later,I showed a couple of episodes to my Egyptian wife and she thought it was hilarious, so I bought her this set for Christmas. I recently read somewhere that Norman Wisdom was offered the role of Frank put turned it down because he thought it was too rude. "Rude?" I thought. I have no memories of rudeness when I watched it as a child! Watching it now as an adult however, the innuendos and euphemisms come thick and fast; however, the writing is done so well that it does not lower the tone of the program and can still be watched by the whole family. This set contains the complete three series, running into a total of 19 episodes plus the three Christmas specials. As a child I loved the episode 'George's House' in series one,in which Frank manages to destroy his brother-in-law's high-tech house, but now this episode seems a bit flat and dated, however, 'Have a break, take a husband' in the same series is timeless and an example of British comedy at its best. Other noteworthy episodes are 'The Public Relations Course' and 'Frank and Marvin' in series two. Worth every penny!

So many classic moments to mention. From sticking people to a bus stop with superglue to making a house so unsafe, it collapses just as he moves out. What a comedy gem this is. Frank Spencer, the ultimate simpleton moves next to Mr Lewis, a very short tempered bully of a neighbour. Mr Lewis's first encounter with Frank is fantastic. First Frank turns on the water which had been turned off by Mr Lewis who was repairing a pipe in huis kitchen. He then goes into the loft and proceeds to fall through the Lewis' ceiling. In another episode Frank gets a job as a motorcycle courier and ends up getting arrested for delivering dodgy photos. Watch and enjoy

Enjoyed this on TV when it first came out and still makes me laugh. His wife deserves 5 medals

Michael Crawford är kanske mest känd fantomen i originalet av Phantom of the Opera, men innan det gjorde han rollen så var han Frank Spencer i den här härligt roliga komediserien. Han är en fullständig katastrof, men han har ett gott hjärta så man får väl förlåta honom även om det kan vara svårt. Han förstörde svärmors alla tekannor och dörren till skjulet där hon förvarade ved försvann. Man njuter när man ser den här serien.

il est super et a certainemant inspiré MR Bean! Un grand moment de plaisir et de fou rire...seule condition il faut maitriser l'anglais!

Wonderfull

wer Mr. Bean kennt, ist hier genau richtig. Frank ist so naiv/dumm, dass man ihm das abnimmt. Ein ganz harmloser Spass für die ganze Familie. Leider nur in Englisch, aber schon ohne Ton ist es sehenswert