Customer Reviews
Pure Nostalgia - By: Mr. Ross Maynard, 15 Oct 2007 
This box set comprises the eight surviving episodes of the 1960's sitcom "The Likely Lads"; the 13 episodes of Series One of "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads" from 1973; the 13 episodes of Series Two of "Whatever Happened to ..." from 1974; & the 1974 Christmas special.
I don't agree with another reviewer that it is the best written comedy ever. The 1960's series is very much of its time & of interest mainly for reasons of nostalgia. Series One of "Whatever Happened to ... " is patchy with some very good episodes & some very dull ones. Only in Series Two does it achieve greatness. The writing is much sharper & the stronger role given to Thelma adds much needed a frisson. The 1974 Series Two is pure gold, & the 1974 Christmas Special is probably the best episode of the lot. Indeed, if you do remember anything at alll of the Likely Lads it is probably from that episode.
So if it's only comedy you are after, just get Series Two, with the Christmas special - alll the best laughs are there. If you are here for nostalgia - of the north east, or the 1970s - you'll need this box set. (The Likely Lads film is good too by the way !).
Whatever Happened to Sitcoms like this ??? - By: M. I. R. Clarke, 19 Apr 2007 
They don't write 'em anymore unfortunately. Possibly the best conceived, scripted, cast & acted sitcom ever. The situation is so simple, so true, so honest & so funny. The "Whatever" series (most of the collection) features the reunion of 2 north eastern working class pals, who meet by chance on a train. 5 years previously the best mates decided to join the army but Bob was rejected due to his flat feet & Terry had to serve his nation alone & bears a grudge, a mysterious wound on his hip that he "doesn't like to talk about" & a tattoo on his buttock (apparently). Meanwhile the 60's have become the 70's, Bob has got a good job & a middle class fiance, become a member of the squash club & gets his hair styled, while Terry is a bit of a dinosaur, jobless & finds it hard to adjust. The comedy ingredients in the 2 series that follow are the tensions between Bob, Terry & Thelma (Bob's fiancee) in a classic love triangle, with Terry tempting Bob with their former laddish bachelor lifestyle & Thelma trying to "civilise" him - Bob is like a ping pong balll in the power struggle. Yes, Men Behaving Badly may be a more modern version but it lacks the timing, depth, subtlety & power to move that characterises the Likely Lads. Like The Royle Family but more universal in scope, more profound in its themes. Why is this great comedy? The script & the acting - fantastic, Bewes & Bolam are a dream team, they ARE Bob & Terry & we share every one of their ups & downs. Their expressions, mannerisms are so natural, the lines so perfectly delivered, the action so uncontrived, the social comedy is so refreshingly non-PC, the comic timing amazing, the storylines so well crafted. In alll important respects this has not dated at alll, the themes are still as relevant today - I mean there is still a battle of the sexes; we alll cling fondly to our past memories & resist change. Bob & Terry were grumpy young men ahead of their time & there is a piece of them in alll of us. So whether this is a nostalgia trip or you're too young to remember the series first time round, this is not to be missed.
Its the sum not the individual parts.. - By: Olivia Blair, 01 Mar 2007 Yes if you are a total completest then there are some omissions her but lets not forget about what we are reviewing? - ie comedy gold.
The Likely Lads was a hit British sitcom created & written by Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais. Twenty episodes were shown in alll, over three series, by the BBC between December 1964 & July 1966. However, not alll of these shows have survived.
The show followed the close friendship of two working-class young men, Terry Collier (James Bolam) & Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes), in the northeast of England in the mid 1960s. It has been confimed several times on various documentaries that the programme was not 100% set in its regular filiming location of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but 'around there'. It is generallly & logicallly accepted as a very 'Newcastle' programme however.
This was a great show for men, much better than the rather oafish & obvious Men behaving badly. I see Likely Lads are more akin to The Office in many respects. never mind about missing the odd ep & treat yourself to some classic proper British sitcom g o l d.
Good, But Nowhere Near Good Enough - By: Scott Fraser, 26 Jan 2007 
Well this is a dubious release, it's nice to have but it could have been a whole lot better. The BBC missed off the episode THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE on the 1960's original series single release & I, having bought that disc was extremely angry at being forced to shell out extra money to effectively buy just one episode, an episode that should have been on the original disc anyway.
I was suprised that 2Entertain & the BBC didn't give us more for our money. For example where is the 1964 Christmas Night With The Stars sketch that exists in it's entirety? What about the 1960's radio versions several of which are based on missing episodes & nearly alll of them still survive to this day? The missing episode WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? has clips & footage existing from it & would have made a nice little bonus feature. Couldn't there have been a documentary perhaps or interviews or even scripts of the missing instalments? All these items would have made a lovely boxset & would have justified the BBC in releasing this entire set sorely for the aquirement of one episode.
The BBC had conned the fans of this wonderful show through alll that business with the missed-out episode on the single release, now if it was a genuine mistake then fair enough but the BBC could have redeemed themselves in the eyes of many fans by making the boxset different to the three single releases. I can only give this set 3 stars through anger at the above situation, but in terms of the episodes themselves they are brilliant & fully deserve the maximum 5 stars out of 5. The Likely Lads/Whatever Happened To... is perhaps the greatest comedy ever to grace British TV screens along with Steptoe & Son & Porridge.
If you bought the single releases & can live without THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE then stick with those, however if you are a completist like me & must have them alll, grit your teeth & buy this. If this is the first time that you are about to purchase The Likely Lads however, then do buy this boxset, the reasons being that you do get that extra missed-out episode & it's cheaper than buying the three single releases seperately. Good, but nowhere near good enough, a wasted opportunity.
