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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
Bottle Boys was a British sitcom running on [[ITV]] in the 1980s, the first series running in 1984 and the second and final series in 1985. Starring [[Robin Askwith]] as milkman Dave Deacon, the series mined comedy of the broadest sort from randy Dave's amorous adventures, in a style familiar to viewers from Askwith's earlier Confessions films.
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
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{{More citations needed|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Bottle Boys titles.jpg
| runtime = 30 minutes
| creator = [[Vince Powell]]
| starring = [[Robin Askwith]]
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| company = [[London Weekend Television]]
| network = [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1984|9|1|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1985|8|24|df=y}}
| num_series = 2
| num_episodes = 13
}}
'''''Bottle Boys''''' is a British sitcom which ran for two series on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] between 1 September 1984 and 24 August 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/b/bottleboys_1299000392.shtml |title=BBC – Comedy Guide – Bottle Boys |accessdate=2013-09-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050417222328/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/b/bottleboys_1299000392.shtml |archivedate=17 April 2005 }}</ref> Starring [[Robin Askwith]] as football-mad milkman Dave Deacon, the series mined broad comedy from randy Dave's amorous adventures.


However, as well as the sexual innuendo of his earlier big-screen adventures, Askwith was equally likely to find himself embroiled in more off-the-wall exploits, and found himself at various points in the series dressing up as a cow, inadvertently engaged to Sharon the secretary, and meeting then-Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] (played by an actor).
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The series has acquired something of a reputation as one of the worst British sitcoms ever produced. [[Mark Lewisohn]], writing in the Radio Times Guide to Comedy observes that "ITV sitcoms had often plumbed the depths, but this was the limit", and also notes that Bottle Boys was reputedly despised by comedy executives at ITV. Furthermore, he goes on to pick Bottle Boys as his "worst ever" British sitcom.


The part of Dave Deacon was originally written for [[Jim Davidson]], who was by this time moving into sitcom with ''[[Up the Elephant and Round the Castle]]'', also on ITV. Future BBC controller [[John Birt]], during his tenure at [[London Weekend Television]], suggested that Askwith take the part.
The Bottle Boys theme song sums up the shows ethos:


==Critical reception==
"Milk, eggs and butter, got it all on the float/anything you're short of darling, leave us a note/you'll be glad you wrote it/when you hear the noise/of the rattle of the bottles of the/Bottle Boys!".
⚫
The series has a reputation as one of the worst British sitcoms ever produced. [[Mark Lewisohn]], writing in the ''Radio Times Guide to Comedy'' observes that "ITV sitcoms had often plumbed the depths, but this was the limit", and also observed that ''Bottle Boys'' was reputedly despised by comedy executives at ITV. He described ''Bottle Boys'' as his "worst ever" British sitcom.
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{{Uncategorized|date=September 2007}}

Writer [[Vince Powell]] was no stranger to working on shows that attracted a bad press, however, having created two of the most controversial comedy shows of the 1970s: ''[[Love Thy Neighbour (1972 TV series)|Love Thy Neighbour]]'' and ''[[Mind Your Language]]''.

The programme also made number 97 in Channel Four's ''100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell'' list show, a retrospective of television's low points of the last fifty years.

==Cast==

* [[Robin Askwith]] – Dave Deacon
* [[David Auker]] – Billy Watson
* [[Oscar James]] – Joe Phillips
* [[Phil McCall]] – Jock Collins
* [[Richard Davies (Welsh actor)|Richard Davies]] – Stan Evans
* [[Eve Ferret]] – Sharon Armstrong
* [[Patrick Newell]] – Mr Dawson
* Leo Dolan – Wilf Foley
* Ann Michelle (one episode)
* [[Zara Nutley]] (one episode)
* [[Alan Gear]] (one episode)
* [[Candy Davis]] (one episode)
* [[Pam St. Clement]] (one episode)
* [[Don Henderson]] (one episode)
* [[Bernie Winters]] – himself (one episode)

==Episodes==

Series One (1 Sep – 6 Oct 1984):

*Fools Rush In
*God Save Our Dairy
*Danger Women at Work
*All in a Day's Work
*One Good Turn
*Here Comes the Groom

Series Two (13 July – 24 Aug 1985)

*Things That Go Bump in the Night
*I Gotta Horse
*Out of the Frying Pan
*If the Cap Fits
*High Noon
*I Love Paris
*The Milk Cup Runneth Over

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0086674|title=Bottle Boys}}
*[http://sitcoms.frey-united.com/tv-comedy-series/sitcom/bottle-boys/1808/episodes Bottle Boys episode guide on ComedySeries.info]

{{Vince Powell}}

[[Category:1984 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1985 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1980s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:ITV sitcoms]]
[[Category:Television series by ITV Studios]]
[[Category:London Weekend Television shows]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television shows set in London]]

Latest revision as of 07:48, 6 February 2024

Bottle Boys
Created byVince Powell
StarringRobin Askwith
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes13
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companyLondon Weekend Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release1 September 1984 (1984-09-01) –
24 August 1985 (1985-08-24)

Bottle Boys is a British sitcom which ran for two series on ITV between 1 September 1984 and 24 August 1985.[1] Starring Robin Askwith as football-mad milkman Dave Deacon, the series mined broad comedy from randy Dave's amorous adventures.

However, as well as the sexual innuendo of his earlier big-screen adventures, Askwith was equally likely to find himself embroiled in more off-the-wall exploits, and found himself at various points in the series dressing up as a cow, inadvertently engaged to Sharon the secretary, and meeting then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (played by an actor).

The part of Dave Deacon was originally written for Jim Davidson, who was by this time moving into sitcom with Up the Elephant and Round the Castle, also on ITV. Future BBC controller John Birt, during his tenure at London Weekend Television, suggested that Askwith take the part.

Critical reception

[edit]

The series has a reputation as one of the worst British sitcoms ever produced. Mark Lewisohn, writing in the Radio Times Guide to Comedy observes that "ITV sitcoms had often plumbed the depths, but this was the limit", and also observed that Bottle Boys was reputedly despised by comedy executives at ITV. He described Bottle Boys as his "worst ever" British sitcom.

Writer Vince Powell was no stranger to working on shows that attracted a bad press, however, having created two of the most controversial comedy shows of the 1970s: Love Thy Neighbour and Mind Your Language.

The programme also made number 97 in Channel Four's 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell list show, a retrospective of television's low points of the last fifty years.

Cast

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]

Series One (1 Sep – 6 Oct 1984):

  • Fools Rush In
  • God Save Our Dairy
  • Danger Women at Work
  • All in a Day's Work
  • One Good Turn
  • Here Comes the Groom

Series Two (13 July – 24 Aug 1985)

  • Things That Go Bump in the Night
  • I Gotta Horse
  • Out of the Frying Pan
  • If the Cap Fits
  • High Noon
  • I Love Paris
  • The Milk Cup Runneth Over

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "BBC – Comedy Guide – Bottle Boys". Archived from the original on 17 April 2005. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
[edit]
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