In Sickness and in Health
Encyclopedia
In Sickness and in Health was a BBC
television sitcom
which ran between 1985 and 1992. It was also a sequel to both the highly successful Til Death Us Do Part
which ran between 1966 and 1975 and Till Death...
which ran for one series (six episodes) in 1981.
) and his wife Else (Dandy Nichols
) from their Wapping
house to a lower class one-level flat in West Ham
. Else now uses a wheelchair
due to Nichols' real-life ill health.
The council sends a black, gay man named Winston (Eamonn Walker
), to do the housework and help care for Else. Despite Alf's dual prejudices against Winston, eventually the two become used to one another, and Winston takes Alf to watch his beloved West Ham United
. Nevertheless, Alf gives Winston the nickname
"Marigold".
Alf and Else's daughter Rita (Una Stubbs
) now lives with her husband Mike in his hometown of Liverpool
and often visits her parents, although Mike does not appear (as Antony Booth had no interest in reprising the role). Usually, Alf is seen drinking with his friend Arthur (Arthur English
) in the local pub.
Although his beloved Conservative Party
has returned to power, Alf is not happy with Margaret Thatcher
being Prime Minister
because, according to him, "a woman's place is in the home". He's also unhappy about Else needing to use a wheelchair and the fact he has to push her around everywhere and that, after a lifetime of hard work and paying contributions to the Welfare State
, he has to fight the social security
system for a decent living allowance.
Across the road lives Fred Johnson (Ken Campbell
), a man stubborn like Alf, whom he rarely gets along with. When angry, Johnson bumps his head on the wall. His wife (first played by Eileen Kennally from Series 1 to 3, then by Tricia Kelly from Series 4 to 5, and Yvonne D'Alpra in Series 6) is an odd woman who suffers from nerves. Much of the comedy surrounding the Johnsons is based on Mrs. Johnson's sympathy towards Alf, often letting him walk all over them and much to the anger of Mr. Johnson.
a Christmas special was aired, which was also successful. But just as plans for a second series began tragedy struck. Dandy Nichols died on 6 February 1986, aged 78.
When Dandy Nichols died, the decision was taken to continue the series, as the ratings and audience appreciation had been excellent. By the first episode of series two, her character has died of natural causes. Left alone after all the other mourners have gone home, Alf, the belligerent old curmudgeon who always treated his wife appallingly, gently touches the handle of her (now empty) wheelchair and sobs "Silly old moo!".
In series two, Carmel McSharry
became a permanent member of the cast playing Mrs Hollingbery, a gossipy, Catholic
pensioner who lives in the flat upstairs. She did make an appearance in the first series but this was very low-key, and she had not been named as Mrs.Hollingbery either yet. Alf and Mrs Hollingbery don't get on at first but later become close. The roles of the Johnsons increased, and several recurring characters were added including Mr Rabinsky (a tightfisted Jew
), Mr Kittel (Renu Setna
) a Muslim shopkeeper, Winston's cousin, and the milkman.
to marry a doctor (although Una Stubbs did not appear in the show after series two). Eamonn Walker also left the series, Alf got a new lodger, Pele, and Mrs Hollingbery starts to get closer to Alf. Eventually, Alf begins courting her, and in the fourth series, they travel to the Outback
to meet her long-lost brother and to get married; however, Alf gets jilted and moves back to London.
Series five was broadcast in 1990, these episodes focused on the build-up to Alf and Mrs.Hollingbery's big day which would end in disaster when the pair fall out at the altar over the revised terms and conditions of the ceremony. Alf objecting to the removal of the "I obey" clause by the wife. Just as she rejects and abandons him in the church, Alf is reminded by Fred that he has had a "lucky escape", to which Alf angrily replies, "what do you mean? I could have watched the bloody football!!".
Three characters from the 1970s Till Death Us Do Part also made a comeback - Mrs. Carey and her henpecked husband Wally (Pat Coombs and Hugh Lloyd) and Alf's crazy former neighbour Min Reed (Patricia Hayes).
In 1992, after two years off the air, the sitcom returned for the sixth and final series of seven episodes in which Alf discovers a ton of banknotes and becomes very rich. During the final series, Arthur did not appear due to Arthur English
suffering from ill health, and so Alf gained a new friend, the Irishman Michael (played by James Ellis). Tricia Kelly departed, so Mrs. Johnson runs off with another woman. The character did briefly appear in this series, but was portrayed by Yvonne D'Alpra (the third person to play the role). The last episode aired on 3 April 1992.
.
Although the final show was broadcast in 1992, Warren Mitchell would continue to perform as Alf Garnett on special occasions; this meant on stage in front of a live audience, and similarly to an invited audience consisting largely of celebrities and public figures.
In 1997, a number of special shows were arranged for Granada Television
, in which Alf would be in his front room in the company of Mrs Hollingbery or in the pub with a drinking partner. The material was written by Johnny Speight
and Alf now grumbles about the Labour Party
being returned to power under Tony Blair
.
After Johnny Speight's death in 1998, Warren Mitchell decided that he no longer wanted to play Alf.
version of the series, In voor en tegenspoed ("In good times and in bad"), debuted on Dutch TV. According to the end credits only the first 12 episodes were based on Speight's original scripts. Two more series of episodes were written by Paul-Jan Nelissen and Marc Nelissen. The Dutch Alf Garnett is called Fred Schuit (played by Rijk de Gooyer
). He lives in Amsterdam, supports AFC Ajax, drinks jenever
for medicinal reasons, and doesn't trust a TV-set unless it's made in Eindhoven
. The series was awarded two Awards of the Dutch Academy.
The American counterpart to this series was Archie Bunker's Place
, which preceded In Sickness and in Health by six years. The episode of In Sickness and in Health in which Else has died appears to be based on the Archie Bunker's Place episode "Archie Alone," which featured the same scenario.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television sitcom
British sitcom
A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
which ran between 1985 and 1992. It was also a sequel to both the highly successful Til Death Us Do Part
Til Death Us Do Part
Till Death Us Do Part is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1968, 1970, and from 1972 to 1975. First airing as a Comedy Playhouse pilot, the show aired in seven series until 1975. Six years later, ITV continued the sitcom, calling it Till Death......
which ran between 1966 and 1975 and Till Death...
Till Death...
Till Death... was an ITV sitcom that aired from 22 May to 3 July 1981.-Series:In 1981, the popular TV sitcom Till Death Us Do Part was picked up by ITV company ATV and brought back for a further six episodes, this time under the title Till Death... as the title Till Death Us Do Part was controlled...
which ran for one series (six episodes) in 1981.
Series 1
This comedy series debuted in 1985 and took the former Till Death Us Do Part characters Alf Garnett (Warren MitchellWarren Mitchell
Warren Mitchell is an English actor who rose to initial prominence in the role of bigoted cockney Alf Garnett in the BBC television sitcom Till Death Us Do Part , and its sequels Till Death... and In Sickness and in Health , all of which were written by Johnny Speight...
) and his wife Else (Dandy Nichols
Dandy Nichols
-References:* Dandy Nichols at screenonline.* Dandy Nichols at The Museum of Broadcast Communications.-External links:...
) from their Wapping
Wapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
house to a lower class one-level flat in West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
. Else now uses a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
due to Nichols' real-life ill health.
The council sends a black, gay man named Winston (Eamonn Walker
Eamonn Walker
Eamonn Walker is an English film, television and theatre actor. In the United States, he is known for playing Kareem Said in the HBO television series Oz, for which he won a CableACE Award, and elsewere as Winston, the gay, black thorn in Alf Garnett's side in In Sickness and in Health and John...
), to do the housework and help care for Else. Despite Alf's dual prejudices against Winston, eventually the two become used to one another, and Winston takes Alf to watch his beloved West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. Nevertheless, Alf gives Winston the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
"Marigold".
Alf and Else's daughter Rita (Una Stubbs
Una Stubbs
Una Stubbs is an English actress and former dancer who has appeared extensively on British television and in the theatre, and less frequently in films. She is particularly known for her roles in the sitcom Till Death Us Do Part and Aunt Sally in the children's series Worzel Gummidge.-Film and...
) now lives with her husband Mike in his hometown of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and often visits her parents, although Mike does not appear (as Antony Booth had no interest in reprising the role). Usually, Alf is seen drinking with his friend Arthur (Arthur English
Arthur English
Arthur Leslie Norman English was an English actor and comedian from the music hall tradition.English was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. After serving in the army in World War II, reaching the rank of sergeant, English worked as a painter and decorator in his native town...
) in the local pub.
Although his beloved Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
has returned to power, Alf is not happy with Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
being Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
because, according to him, "a woman's place is in the home". He's also unhappy about Else needing to use a wheelchair and the fact he has to push her around everywhere and that, after a lifetime of hard work and paying contributions to the Welfare State
Welfare State
The Welfare State is a commitment to health, education, employment and social security in the United Kingdom.-Background:The United Kingdom, as a welfare state, was prefigured in the William Beveridge Report in 1942, which identified five "Giant Evils" in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness...
, he has to fight the social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
system for a decent living allowance.
Across the road lives Fred Johnson (Ken Campbell
Ken Campbell (actor)
Kenneth Victor Campbell was an English writer, actor, director and comedian known for his work in experimental theatre...
), a man stubborn like Alf, whom he rarely gets along with. When angry, Johnson bumps his head on the wall. His wife (first played by Eileen Kennally from Series 1 to 3, then by Tricia Kelly from Series 4 to 5, and Yvonne D'Alpra in Series 6) is an odd woman who suffers from nerves. Much of the comedy surrounding the Johnsons is based on Mrs. Johnson's sympathy towards Alf, often letting him walk all over them and much to the anger of Mr. Johnson.
Series 2
The first series ended on 13 October 1985 and was very popular in the ratings. On Boxing DayBoxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
a Christmas special was aired, which was also successful. But just as plans for a second series began tragedy struck. Dandy Nichols died on 6 February 1986, aged 78.
When Dandy Nichols died, the decision was taken to continue the series, as the ratings and audience appreciation had been excellent. By the first episode of series two, her character has died of natural causes. Left alone after all the other mourners have gone home, Alf, the belligerent old curmudgeon who always treated his wife appallingly, gently touches the handle of her (now empty) wheelchair and sobs "Silly old moo!".
In series two, Carmel McSharry
Carmel McSharry
Carmel McSharry is an Irish character actress, best-known for her roles portrayals of Beryl Humphries in Beryl's Lot, and as Mrs. Hollingbery in In Sickness and in Health....
became a permanent member of the cast playing Mrs Hollingbery, a gossipy, Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
pensioner who lives in the flat upstairs. She did make an appearance in the first series but this was very low-key, and she had not been named as Mrs.Hollingbery either yet. Alf and Mrs Hollingbery don't get on at first but later become close. The roles of the Johnsons increased, and several recurring characters were added including Mr Rabinsky (a tightfisted Jew
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
), Mr Kittel (Renu Setna
Renu Setna
Renu Setna is a Pakistani actor, perhaps best known for his appearance as the shopkeeper Mr. Kittel in In Sickness and in Health.Setna made an appearance in the british BBC Sictom Only Fools And Horses, in the episode "Cash and Curry", where he played a con-artist who cons Del and Rodney out of Two...
) a Muslim shopkeeper, Winston's cousin, and the milkman.
Series 3-6
During the third series, Rita divorces Mike and moves back to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to marry a doctor (although Una Stubbs did not appear in the show after series two). Eamonn Walker also left the series, Alf got a new lodger, Pele, and Mrs Hollingbery starts to get closer to Alf. Eventually, Alf begins courting her, and in the fourth series, they travel to the Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
to meet her long-lost brother and to get married; however, Alf gets jilted and moves back to London.
Series five was broadcast in 1990, these episodes focused on the build-up to Alf and Mrs.Hollingbery's big day which would end in disaster when the pair fall out at the altar over the revised terms and conditions of the ceremony. Alf objecting to the removal of the "I obey" clause by the wife. Just as she rejects and abandons him in the church, Alf is reminded by Fred that he has had a "lucky escape", to which Alf angrily replies, "what do you mean? I could have watched the bloody football!!".
Three characters from the 1970s Till Death Us Do Part also made a comeback - Mrs. Carey and her henpecked husband Wally (Pat Coombs and Hugh Lloyd) and Alf's crazy former neighbour Min Reed (Patricia Hayes).
In 1992, after two years off the air, the sitcom returned for the sixth and final series of seven episodes in which Alf discovers a ton of banknotes and becomes very rich. During the final series, Arthur did not appear due to Arthur English
Arthur English
Arthur Leslie Norman English was an English actor and comedian from the music hall tradition.English was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. After serving in the army in World War II, reaching the rank of sergeant, English worked as a painter and decorator in his native town...
suffering from ill health, and so Alf gained a new friend, the Irishman Michael (played by James Ellis). Tricia Kelly departed, so Mrs. Johnson runs off with another woman. The character did briefly appear in this series, but was portrayed by Yvonne D'Alpra (the third person to play the role). The last episode aired on 3 April 1992.
After the cancellation
The series had 47 episodes, and unlike its predecessor, all the episodes are known to have survived. The show is rarely repeated on television due to political incorrectness however, all of the episodes are now available on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Although the final show was broadcast in 1992, Warren Mitchell would continue to perform as Alf Garnett on special occasions; this meant on stage in front of a live audience, and similarly to an invited audience consisting largely of celebrities and public figures.
In 1997, a number of special shows were arranged for Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
, in which Alf would be in his front room in the company of Mrs Hollingbery or in the pub with a drinking partner. The material was written by Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight , was a British television scriptwriter of many classic British sitcoms.He emerged in the mid 1950s. He wrote for the radio comics; Frankie Howerd, Vic Oliver, Arthur Askey, and Cyril Fletcher. For television he wrote for the Arthur Haynes Show, Morecambe & Wise, and Peter Sellers...
and Alf now grumbles about the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
being returned to power under Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
After Johnny Speight's death in 1998, Warren Mitchell decided that he no longer wanted to play Alf.
Series 1
- Episode 1 (1 September 1985)
- Episode 2 (8 September 1985)
- Episode 3 (15 September 1985)
- Episode 4 (29 September 1985)
- Episode 5 (6 October 1985)
- Episode 6 (13 October 1985)
Series 2
- Episode 1 (4 September 1986)
- Episode 2 (11 September 1986)
- Episode 3 (18 September 1986)
- Episode 4 (25 September 1986)
- Episode 5 (2 October 1986)
- Episode 6 (9 October 1986)
Series 3
- Episode 1 (22 October 1987)
- Episode 2 (29 October 1987)
- Episode 3 (5 November 1987)
- Episode 4 (12 November 1987)
- Episode 5 (19 November 1987)
- Episode 6 (26 November 1987)
Series 4
- Episode 1 (7 September 1989)
- Episode 2 (14 September 1989)
- Episode 3 (21 September 1989)
- Episode 4 (28 September 1989)
- Episode 5 (5 October 1989)
- Episode 6 (12 October 1989)
- Episode 7 (19 October 1989)
Series 5
- Episode 1 (1 September 1990)
- Episode 2 (8 September 1990)
- Episode 3 (15 September 1990)
- Episode 4 (22 September 1990)
- Episode 5 (29 September 1990)
- Episode 6 (6 October 1990)
- Episode 7 (13 October 1990)
- Episode 8 (20 October 1990)
- Episode 9 (27 October 1990)
- Episode 10 (3 November 1990)
Series 6
- Episode 1 (21 February 1992)
- Episode 2 (28 February 1992)
- Episode 3 (6 March 1992)
- Episode 4 (13 March 1992)
- Episode 5 (20 March 1992)
- Episode 6 (27 March 1992)
- Episode 7 (3 April 1992)
Theme tune
The theme tune to the programme was written and performed by Chas & Dave, although they changed the lyrics when the character of Else died and Alf was left alone. The lyrics were changed again for the episodes set in Australia during the Fourth series.International versions
In 1991 a DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
version of the series, In voor en tegenspoed ("In good times and in bad"), debuted on Dutch TV. According to the end credits only the first 12 episodes were based on Speight's original scripts. Two more series of episodes were written by Paul-Jan Nelissen and Marc Nelissen. The Dutch Alf Garnett is called Fred Schuit (played by Rijk de Gooyer
Rijk de Gooyer
Rijk de Gooyer was a Dutch Golden Calf- winning actor, writer, comedian and singer. From the 1950s until the early 1970s, he became well known in The Netherlands as part of a comic duo with John Kraaijkamp, Sr...
). He lives in Amsterdam, supports AFC Ajax, drinks jenever
Jenever
Jenever , is the juniper-flavored and strongly alcoholic traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium, from which gin evolved...
for medicinal reasons, and doesn't trust a TV-set unless it's made in Eindhoven
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
. The series was awarded two Awards of the Dutch Academy.
The American counterpart to this series was Archie Bunker's Place
Archie Bunker's Place
Archie Bunker's Place is an American sitcom originally broadcast on the CBS network, conceived in 1979 as a spin-off and continuation of All in the Family. While not as popular as its predecessor, the show maintained a large enough audience to last for four seasons, until its cancellation in 1983...
, which preceded In Sickness and in Health by six years. The episode of In Sickness and in Health in which Else has died appears to be based on the Archie Bunker's Place episode "Archie Alone," which featured the same scenario.
DVD releases
- Series 1: 9 June, 2008
- Series 2: 22 September, 2008
- Christmas Specials: 3 November, 2008
- Series 3: 23 March, 2009
- Series 4: 13 July, 2009
- Series 5: 12 July, 2010
- Series 6: 13 September, 2010
- The Complete Collection: 13 September, 2010