The Liver Birds (1969-1979)

Retrowow Rating:Retrowow rating 4 Star

Insight into life in the 70s


The Liver Birds tells the story of two young women who share a flat in Liverpool. They are, in the original series Dawn (Pauline Collins) and Beryl Hennessey (Polly James). Later Dawn leaves and it's Beryl and Sandra Hutchinson (Nerys Hughes). Finally Beryl leaves and Carol Boswell (Elizabeth Estensen) becomes Sandra's new flatmate.

This was a new way of life in the sixties. The girls shared experiences of work, fashion, eating out and mostly men, or fellas, as Beryl preferred to call them. The series was set in Liverpool, still at the height of its Beatles fame. Its swinging sixties and early seventies trendiness was sealed by the series theme tune is by the Scaffold, of Lily the Pink fame.

The Liver Birds depicts ordinary life for young people in the early seventies. It story lines centre around the girls' search for suitable boyfriends, and sometimes how to get rid of unsuitable ones. It is a female equivalent of the Likely Lads, set on the other side of the country.

The Liver Birds was written by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor. In spite of Carla Lane's later output, some of the plots are weak. It is great for nostalgic viewing, but does not match up the Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?.

Add your comments

Name:

If you have comments about the Liver Birds, memories of Liverpool in the 70s, or perhaps you even saw the Liver Birds being filmed in Liverpool, please complete the box below.

Warning: If a blank email appears in your mail client, the information has not been sent to us. Please email directly to steven@retrowow.co.uk

We reserve the right not to publish any submissions we regard as unsuitable. We may also edit any text submitted.