The Steam Video Company was a 1984 comedy series produced by Thames Television

Thames Television

Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....

 for ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

 written by Andrew Marshall

Andrew Marshall (writer)

Andrew Marshall is an English comedy screenwriter, most noted for the domestic sitcom 2point4 children. He was also the inspiration for Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...

 and David Renwick

David Renwick

David Peter Renwick is an English television writer, best known for creation of the sitcom One Foot in the Grave and the mystery series Jonathan Creek....

.

The six episode series was a low budget spoof of the horror

Horror film

Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 genre, intermingled with spoofs on contemporary television programmes, such as Nationwide

Nationwide (TV series)

Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...

. The programmes starred the same repertory cast of comic actors in a variety of roles. The cast included: William Franklyn

William Franklyn

William Leo Franklyn was a British actor, perhaps best known for voicing the "Schhh... You Know Who" adverts for Schweppes from 1965 to 1973...

, Barry Cryer

Barry Cryer

Barry Charles Cryer OBE is a British writer and comedian. Cryer has written for many noted performers, including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie...

, Anna Dawson

Anna Dawson

Anna Dawson is an English actress and singer.Dawson starred in several West End musicals. She featured in episodes of Dixon of Dock Green during the 1960s, The Benny Hill Show during the 1980s, and played Hyacinth's sister Violet in the final series of the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, though her...

, Bob Todd

Bob Todd

Bob Todd was an English comedy actor, mostly known for appearing as a straight man in the sketch shows of Benny Hill and Spike Milligan. For many years he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent....

, Madeline Smith

Madeline Smith

Madeline Smith is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2 August 1949 in Hartfield, Sussex) is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2...

 and Jimmy Mulville

Jimmy Mulville

James Thomas "Jimmy" Mulville is an English comedian, comedy writer, producer and television presenter. Jimmy Mulville is best known for co-founding in 1986 the British independent television production company Hat Trick Productions with Denise O'Donoghue and Rory McGrath...

. The title is thought to be a reference to 'the golden age of steam railways', with the 'steam video' apparently a spoof on the multitude of low-budget horror and exploitation films available during the early days of the British home video boom.

Catchphrases and running jokes

William Franklyn responds to at least one double entendre in each episode by looking at the camera and muttering "tempting, isn't it?"

Each episode begins with glimpses of non-existent films as a way of introducing the cast members, such as "Gentlemen Prefer Ladies starring Anna Dawson and Madeline Smith", and closes with a spoof 'teaser' of next week's episode, such as the Loneliness of the Long Distance Garlic Eater.

Bob Todd is the only actor referred to by name in the episodes, usually by an exasperated cast member expressing dismay at his shoddy disguises.

Episode list

• The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll
• Creature From The Black Forest Gateau
• I Was Hitler's Bookie
• The Secret Of Plankton Lodge
• Amityville II - Luton Town 3
• The Fall Of The House Of Franklyn