As a long time lover of the sitcom, I've seen many of these Forgotten Sitcoms come and go and it's a delight to find that many of them can now be seen for the first time in years on DVD or YouTube. Some, however, are really hard to find clips of, let alone the whole thing. These are the Lost Sitcoms. I have some favourites. In no particular order, the first is Mornin' Sarge.
Created by the Cliff Hanger comedy team of Tony Haase, Pete McCarthy, Robin Driscoll (all three pictured above, with guest actor Tony Hawks) and Rebecca Stevens, it was set in a police station and was very much the forerunner of the Thin Blue Line, without the advantage of being written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton and starring Rowan Atkinson. Which is a shame, as those of us who remember it do so more favourably than we do the TBL. Google Mornin Sarge on Youtube and you can now find the complete series (though no DVD as of yet).
If you would like to create the next great lost sitcom, The Sitcom Trials are running this summer in Birmingham, Cardiff & Manchester. Deadline for scripts is May 22nd. See here for details.
Next shows:
June 21 2015 - Manchester Sitcom Trials
Kings Arms Salford
July 3 2015 - 1st Midlands Sitcom Trials
Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham
July tbc - 1st Cardiff Sitcom Trials
Porters Bar, Cardiff
Remember Mornin' Sarge very fondly. Was a funnier and edgier than TBL... and you're right; nothing on YouTube! Have just found Cliffhangers earlier offering 'They Came From Somewhere Else' on there though... also based in Middleton and Rebecca Stevens playing Wendy!
ReplyDeleteI did tape the whole series but goodness knows what became of them. I'll see if I've still got the cassette and if I can 'rescue' the episodes.
The episode 'Operation Football Match' was always a favourite.
And I still sometimes order a 'tea flavoured drink'.