Bottle Boys

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 football-mad 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.

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

Theme Song

Bottle Boys had a very catchy theme song, played over an animated title sequence of milkman Dave going about his rounds. The theme song sums up the shows ethos:

"Bottle boys, bottle boys,

Up with the lark,

Who cares if it's raining,

Who cares if it's dark,

There's a whole lot of bottle boys taking a pride,

In making sure each customer is satisfied!

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!".

Episodes

Series One (1 Sep - 6 Oct 1984):

• Fools Rush In
• God Save Our Dairy
• Danger, Woman 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