Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973 & 1974)

Retrowow Rating:

Great storylines, great for reliving the 70s.

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? was a sequel to The Likely Lads, a long running series about two Jack the Lads about town, Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes) and Terry Collier (James Bolam).

Five years have passed and Terry has been in the Army. He returns home to Newcastle to find it a much changed city: streets demolished and new flats being built. Bob is engaged to marry Thelma Chambers and they have purchased a new semi-detached home on the Elm Lodge Housing Estate. The permissive society has passed Terry by. Bob takes him on a tour of Newcastle, including the famous Get Carter Car Park.

The programme has a strong theme of recapturing lost youth echoed in the programme's theme tune, with the line "the only thing to look forward to - the past". There are also some strong pointers to life in the 70s. Bob has become middle class. He enjoys meals out, the badminton club and owns a car, a Vauxhall Viva. Terry is very much true to his working class roots, though for most of the series he is unemployed. Both go out drinking on a Friday night; usually pints of 'special' which looks like mild.

Nevertheless, there are some clear signs of progress. Bob enjoys a curry. Terry prefers egg and chips. Indian food still had an air of sophistication in the early seventies. No doubt, had the show been made today Terry would been a lager and vindaloo man.

Bob also talks about organic food. This seems very advanced for the 70s. May be in some trendy quarter of London, but Newcastle in the early 70s.....