Off The Telly - Classic Comedies and a bit of Gavin and Stacey

Episode Date: May 29, 2024

What are we watching? Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things telly.This week it’s a classic comedies special where they reminisce about some of their favourite studio sitcoms of all time, including: Blackadder, Only Fools and Horses, The Good Life, 'Allo 'Allo! and many more. Plus Jo tells us what it was like breaking the news of the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special and they both wonder what the finale could entail.In Off the Telly, Natalie and Joanna talk about what they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, and what you’re all watching at home. From new shows to comfort telly to guilty pleasures, there’s no judgement here. What’s kept us all glued to our screens this week?Self-confessed TV addicts and stars of two of the biggest shows on our screens, EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey, Natalie and Joanna are the perfect companions to your weekly viewing habits.Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 03306 784704.Hosts: Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Unit Manager: Lucy Bannister Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. you can do the swearing and spoilers because you sound harder. Be warned, there might be a little bit of swearing because that's what we like and there could be a few spoilers. But actually in this ep I don't think there'll be many spoilers. I don't think there will be any spoilers. How's your week been? It's been nice.

Well, it's lovely now it's sunny. Lovely, isn't it? Yes. Although I've been bitten to death. Have you? Are you a person who gets bitten all the time? They love my blood. Do they?

Now, there is a certain type of blood that they do like, isn't there? Sweet. Is it? Quite apparently. Oh. Well, they always bite my dad, and he's fair. And they always say that they're supposed to bite, like, fair people. But they never bite me, touch wood.

I never get bitten. And I'm a brunette. Yeah. So that's out the window. It is. That can't be true then. Jo, do you remember we covered Made in Chelsea on the pod a couple of weeks ago? Yes, I do.

We've had a voice note from a listener with some behind the scenes info. Oh, I love this stuff. Let's have a listen. Hi, Natalie and Joanna. Thank you so much for your podcast. Talk about binge watching i have binge listened to your podcast in the last couple of weeks and absolutely loved it uh listening to your last episode talking about maiden chelsea took me back to many years ago when i was an extra on maiden chelsea and we did a club scene where the cast were chatting and us in the background

had to dance to no music for the whole day so so that they could obviously pick up with the microphones we would pretend dancing to no music in the background and uh listening to you talking about Maiden Chelsea uh made me laugh uh thinking about that. It is the worst thing. Oh, God, it's awful. It's so embarrassing. We were talking about this the other day. Were you? Yeah, we were having a chat at work, having a coffee, as you do,

waiting to go on. And we had to have the music turned down. And I said, why is it? I feel like they do it on purpose in the edit. You're always dancing off beat because there's no music and then suddenly I always end up dancing like my mum because I feel a bit funny

so I end up just doing, you know, just dancing like my mum. And then when you're acting, you've got to like, you know when they dip the music, but you've got to carry on like you're talking in the middle of a club. And also, sometimes you watch it and you're going, yeah because I said, and the music but you've got to carry on like you're talking in the middle of a club and also sometimes you watch it and you're going yeah because i said and the music's low look like a lunatic oh my god do you know what i mean

is there music on yes because it is you have to commit to something but you don't know what it's going to turn out like do you you've just got to go for it yeah and normally when you're in a club you don't normally have like a massive big conversation anyway do you? You've just got to go for it. Yeah. And normally, when you're in a club, you don't normally have, like, a massive big conversation anyway, do you? No, you'd go outside or you'd go to a restaurant. You would, wouldn't you? My clubbing days are over.

Oh, God. Do you know, right, I haven't been clubbing in years, but every now and then, I just miss dancing. Oh, I love a dance. Yeah. And I'll go out, though,

and I will go and I'll do, like, a night of dancing. I can't say a night of dancing I can't say a night of clubbing because I just because it won't be like it'll be somewhere where I'm just having a dance but where'd you go for that oh god wherever I am if I'm out or I'm having a work drink or it'll it'll tend to be like I've gone for a drink after work and then you'll go on somewhere else and it's not like a regular place although there is a regular place near where I live. There we go.

It does stay open. And I think it's full of just, I think it's full of youngsters. It was the first place I went to for a drink after I had my first baby. She was about six months old and my friend took me there. And we were just two women who just had babies who were out for their first night out.

And I can't even admit to what I was like. Well, I was so ill the next morning. She was so ill that she slept on the kitchen floor with a duvet around her. And I was so well that my mum had been babysitting the baby and James had to come and unblock our sink because I'd been sick in it. It's like we literally went back to 17 years old. Good for you. It was a really good night.

I wet myself in a cab once. Oh, my God! That's what happened to me on that night, but I didn't want to admit it on the pod. Oh, my God, because that is what happened to me. I remember going back and I was in the back of a taxi and my legs suddenly felt all really, really cold and it's because I'd wet myself and I felt

such shame that this is the first time I've admitted it. Oh my God, what happened when you wet yourself? Just did it. Oh my God. Got out of the car, paid, said thanks very much, didn't say a word. Oh my God! Oh my God, that's so awful! How drunk were you? Where had you been?

Just out, I can't remember. I was going back a long time. It was only Thursday. No, I'm joking. What's amazing, right, is that we didn't do that when we were like 18. No. We've chosen to do it now, when we're like, you know. No, no, I was young. I was young. I was young.

I might have had Eliza. I might have had Eliza. I might have had Eliza. I can't remember. Oh, God. But anyway, it's good to have a good old boogie. You need to. You need to go somewhere. Get it out of your system.

And hopefully in time to the music. Yes. Unlike these TV shows. Yes. So I feel your pain. We feel your pain. Lots of you have said how much you loved our quizzes special. So we decided to do another special about classic comedies.

Because you are, you love your comedy. I am so... Absolutely love it. It is my absolute favourite. You know the ones you can watch over and over and over again and then never get old? Yes, absolutely. So when we were planning this episode, we realised there are just so many comedies that fit into this category that we're not going to be able to get through them all. So we will probably have to do another comedy special at some other time as well.

I think, yeah, I think it'll be a running theme. It will, won't it? Yeah, every few months, every quarter or something, we'll have to do a comedy special. We'll have to. We'll have to right before we get into it seeing as we're talking about comedies this seems like a very good opportunity to find out a bit more about the gavin and stacy christmas special because i haven't spoken to you about it i know i sent you a voice note i've lied to you for a while it's so hard though yeah because for years people have been going are you going to do another one you're going to do another one and you go no no I genuinely don't know I don't know and then you know

when you find out oh gosh it looks like we are going to and you've just got to you know everything's got to just get sorted and then they're doing the last bits and bobs all I've been thinking about is I'm very open and I'm very honest and I don't keep secrets and when you're like oh my god please don't let it

be me just don't let me mess up don't let me and you've still got to. And I don't keep secrets. And when you're like, oh, my God, please don't let it be me. Just don't let me mess up. Don't let me in. You've still got to go, oh, I don't know. Well, you did very well here because I believe that there was nothing going on. Well, I was terrified because I woke up and then it was about five past eight and Ruth had sent me a message saying, we've just released the news. So feel free, you know, to say whatever you want. And so I went to put it on my Instagram.

And then I was about to press you know go or whatever it is to you know put a post and I suddenly thought I don't know if this is a dream because I've only just woken up right and what if it is and I've just literally woken up and that was a dream or I'm hallucinating and I think that she has just said you can say that we're doing a spare show and she's not really allowed me to do that and so what if i post and then suddenly turns around and i get a phone call from the bbc going right that's it you're fired how dare you it's gavin and no one it's gavin so what did you do have a little cup of coffee wake up yes and then send it coffee wake up got my head together. Double checked.

Like over and over and over. Like, okay, okay, okay. I think it's okay. Okay. Post. Not for a very, very long time have I gone onto social media. And every single person's Instagram was Ruth and James and that script. Every single person.

Everyone I know just posted it. Everyone is so excited. my family are very excited unbelievably excited but i'm excited because i don't know what's going to be in it i know but you're in it it's brilliant i can't i tell you what i cannot wait to get the script when we did the last special i remember reading that script and i was just about to go in for a midsummer murders read through and i was sitting in the car parking the car and i was scrolling through reading the script on my phone and then I got to the last, I didn't know it was the last

page because it was on my phone, and I got to the bit and it says Nesta goes down on one knee and says will you marry me? And then I carried on scrolling and then I was like, what? Oh my god, where's the rest? Oh my god, what? What? What? And then I realised that that was the end and I was like, oh my god, what's the end? And I'm so

excited. I am, and obviously it is the finale. It's it, what's the end? And I'm so excited. I am. And obviously it is the finale. It's it. That's it. The finale. The last one. When do you say that? No, I genuinely think that.

Do you? Yeah. This is it. I do 100% think that this is it. Oh my gosh. What are they going to do with all of us? I don't know, but I'm super excited. Do you think that he said yes?

Do you think that they're married? I don't know. I really don't know. Neither do I. They could be married with another kid. I mean, are we going to flash forward a lot of years? I don't know. Who knows? Who knows what's going to have happened? Are we going to find out what happened on the boat

trip? I don't know. I don't think so. No. I don't think so. I don't think so. I'm going to have like kind of more grown up kids now, aren't I? Yes. I mean, how old was my boy? He must have been about nine, ten? Yeah, because when you were getting fruity on the bed, do you remember? Yes. And they

kept coming in saying, Mum, Dad. Yeah. I remember filming that, right? And yeah, and Stacey has got to pull her pants down, hasn't she? And then check her, yeah, and Stacey's got to pull her pants down isn't she and then check her yeah so she goes like this to check her pants off

and I remember we were rehearsing and everything and Chris Gurley the director was sitting on the bed and she went I'll catch you now

and then she started chatting and she went you are wearing knickers under there aren't you because you've just taken your knickers off and put them over there and I went

no I'm not I'm not wearing any knickers and she was like oh my god are you and I was like of course I'm doubled up of course I'm wearing knickers I'm wearing my knickers and I was wearing those knickers on top and I'm not wearing any knickers and she was like oh my god are you right and I was like of course I'm doubled up of course I'm wearing knickers

I'm wearing my knickers and I was wearing those knickers on top and I'm only standing here in this room in the middle of everybody with no knickers on brilliant oh I really can't wait to see what Stacey and Gavin are up to oh god knows and everybody else

yeah I wonder what Pam and Mick are up to. Honestly, I'm so excited. And what's happening with Bryn? Poor Bryn. Yes. I wonder if he's, you know... I wonder if he's got a fella.

I wonder if he has. I wonder if Gwen's got a partner. I mean, there's so much they could do, isn't there? So much. Oh, I'm so excited. There's got to be a big event, right? There's got to. There's got to be something.

I don't know. We've had christenings. We've had weddings. Maybe. Do we need it? Do we need a to. I don't know. We've had christenings. We've had weddings. Do we need it? Do we need a big... I don't feel like you need it. The event for me is them just sitting around a table and finding out what's happened.

Well, that's true. Do you remember that episode? We're all sitting around eating chips and Doris is on the sofa and then everybody thinks that Doris has died because she's so still and she's so quiet and then they go to wake her up and I think Stacey goes,

Doris is dead! And then she goes, oh, like that, and then she wakes up and she's so quiet and then they go to wake her up and then we go and I think Stacey goes Doris is dead and then she goes all like that and then she wakes up and she's fallen asleep on the sofa. No why can't I remember that? Because there's so many different little bits and bobs I feel like I'm going to go back to the beginning before the Christmas special and I'm going to re-watch

because I haven't watched some of it for a very long time. Oh it's brilliant very very excited and congratulations on your job. Can you believe, though, when me going back filming now, I'm older now playing Stacey than Mel was playing Gwen on the first ever series. Really? Yes.

Can you believe that? That is crazy, isn't it? And it's also so funny because I'm like, oh, my gosh, Stacey is so sort of ditzy and enthusiastic and all like that. And I was first playing her when I was like in my 20s. And now I'm playing her when I'm like, oh my gosh, Stacey is so sort of ditzy and enthusiastic and all like that. And I was first playing her when I was like in my 20s. And now I'm playing her when I'm in my 40s. And then I was like, oh my God, is that going to be difficult?

Because, you know, how do you play a 40-odd-year-old woman like that? You know, surely she will have grown up. And then I thought, well, look at you. Look at me. I'm basically doing it now, aren't I? Yeah. I think you'll be all right. I think you'll cope.

Right, on with the up all right yes so we've obviously had so many of you get in touch after the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special announcements a few weeks ago including this voice note from Jenna hi Natalie and Jo um I just wanted to say I'm so excited about the Gavin and Stacey Christmas episode um I'm such a Gavin and Stacey fan and me and my husband even had the Gavin and Stacey Christmas episode. I'm such a Gavin and Stacey fan and me and my husband even had the Gavin and Stacey theme tune for our wedding, for our first dance at our wedding.

So we really love it. I hope you both were. I love listening to your podcast. And this is Jenna in Christchurch in Dorset. Bye. How lovely though that they had that. Tell me. Oh, that's so sweet.

It's a great song. It is. It's a good song, isn't it? Very, very, very good. Right, back to the pod. This week we're going to focus on mostly studio comedies. So they are the ones, studio sitcoms, that are filmed in front of an audience. So to give you a taste, we're going to be chatting about shows

like Blackadder, Forty Towers, The Good Life, loads and loads more. Yes. Right, there's so many. What are we going to be chatting about shows like Blackadder, 40 Towers, The Good Life, loads and loads more. Yes. Right. There's so many. What are we going to talk about first? Well, I think this is going to shock you. Yes. Father Ted and Blackadder.

Now, Father Ted, I've probably watched a couple or a few. But I haven't. And I love it. But I haven't. It's not one that I've sat and watched. Blackadder, I've watched very, very little. Oh, my God. You've got to watch Blackadder.

I will. I think you should talk about Blackadder before I go into something else. Well, I just remember, and it's a specific series of Blackadder. Okay. It's when he's, is he always Edmund Blackadder in all of them? I think he is. But it's the one, it's the whole Queen Elizabeth I one, with Queenie and with Nursie,

and then with Rowan Atkinson looking so damn dashing as Blackadder, with Baldrick. It is that particular series. That's Ben Elton, isn't it, Baldrick? No. No. Baldrick is Tony... Oh, Tony Robinson. Robinson, yes. And so it's that particular series. That's Ben Elton, isn't it, Baldrick? No. No. Baldrick is Tony... Oh, Tony Robinson. Robinson, yes. And so it's that

particular series. Because that particular series, I ended up somehow watching when I was still quite young. Sort of when you're just starting to notice things and you're starting to see things that you enjoy watching. And the fact that I got to stay up and watch it, and my parents were watching

it, was kind of always quite exciting. Yes, yeah. Because I didn't know, because then you couldn't stream anything. No, no, no. So I never knew when it was going to come on. It was slightly dangerous. And then there was this actress, I didn't even know who she was, and it was Miranda Richardson playing Queenie.

Yes. You have to watch it, right? I've seen clips of this. Just a fracking performance. That, what you've just described, is Blackadder me yeah so again for me that must be the stuff that i've seen bits and pieces of yeah so it would i never would know when it was coming on and then i would catch it and i would watch it so i've not watched it linear like from the first episode all the way through or anything i've just caught you know bits. And then you've got, right, which one was it now?

Rick Mayle. You've got Rick Mayle then playing Lord Flashheart and he just goes, ruff, all the time, thrusting. Which is just so good and so attractive and just so, just amazing. And I just remember watching and just thinking, oh my God, this is something else and Miranda Richardson is so beautiful she is amazing and she was so young and her face is just her little

features she's so dainty and beautiful and gorgeous and utterly terrifying I think it was the first time I'd watched a woman in something who had scared the shit out of me I I she's she's so frightening she plays Queenie like um she's a toddler who can turn around and just go right I'm cutting your head off right you're dead you're dead I've had enough Edmund why didn't you come back here you haven't brought me anything right that's it go to the tower I'm killing you and she's terrifying terrifying. And then you've got Nursey, who is just beyond wonderful. She sits there next to Queenie. She's still her nurse and she's still... Oh, my God, Nursey probably is going to be me

because I think she still offers up to breastfeed even when she's like Queenie's grown and everything. And I'm not joking, right? That's not far away from me now. I mean, I'm still breastfeeding Beau. And if I just continue, I could be like a flipping nursing something. I just love the character. And the characters are just so vibrant.

And there's just a slight edge of danger all the way through it. And then, obviously, it is so well written and flipping hilarious. And how can Rowan Atkinson morph from, you know, playing Mr Bean to just being Edmund Blackadder and just so huge gorgeous it's quite quite amazing and then Miriam Margulies and then he did May Gray did he oh yes he did do May Gray didn't he yes he just like morphs into just different things very very fun he's fantastic and there's just this one particular episode with Miriam Margulies where she comes in as like his great aunt.

And you keep thinking everybody's utterly terrified all the time. Because she's got her cross and she's very virginal. And she says, you naughty boy, and she slaps him across the face. And Maria Margulies is just beyond wonderful in it. And then at the end it cuts off just as she's about to swear. And it just reminds me of just being young and first of all, discovering the sort of comedy that I love. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Love it. You've got to watch it. It's just fab.

No, I absolutely will. I absolutely will. I would say, for me, one of the first things that I used to sit and watch with my mum and dad that was risque, and I used to think, oh, I'm not going to bed. They're not sending me to bed. But I know this is something quite grown up. And I must have been six, seven.

I was born in 83. So, yeah, I must have been about six. And it was Only Fools and Horses. Oh. I remember the Blow Up Dole episode. Yes. And I remember watching it for the first time with my mum and I think my mum nearly wet herself I remember the tears rolling down her face and you know you just look back at those

things and you know it is so nostalgic for me everything about that, I can almost smell the next head. Yes. And the furniture. And now when I watch it, and don't get me wrong, we're living in a different age now, so there are certain things that have really aged badly and what have you, but for me, every single character in that is absolutely perfect. Every set is dressed so cleverly that when you watch it now i go i can't believe that they're flat in nelson mandela house every single week the furniture

was changed there'd be a different table or a different sofa and all of the knockoff stuff they're selling god because i know it so well it so well, I now look for the details of just how much went into it. And I even know camera people that worked at the BBC all that time ago that worked on the shows. And I just... They're my stars. Yeah. And I talked to them and I said,

what was it like filming that? And that was a studio sitcom, obviously, with an stars. Yeah. And I talked to them and I said, what was it like filming that? And that was a studio sitcom, obviously, with an audience. Yeah. Isn't it funny, right, because it makes me slightly sad because I think, because that, to me, I would sit on the sofa with mum and dad and would just sit and watch it. And I mean, that makes me a bit sad because I think,

oh, my God, there really isn't anything like that these days. Or is it because everything is streamed? You can watch it whenever you want. There isn't. There might be, you know. I suppose there's the odd live show, which is still appointment to view telly, but it is few and far between now

because we do watch things when we want to. Yeah. Will there ever be a moment for, like, our children, it's like, oh, my God, I remember when I watched this and... Yes, the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special of 2024. Everyone's going to be on the edge of their seats. It's true. It's true.

That has got the biggest viewing figures in the last 10 years for appointments of View Telly. But it's like, that's what you used to do, you'd sit there and you'd watch stuff, wouldn't you, with your parents and it was just, oh. That trigger. Imagine getting the scripts in and reading that. Oh, my God.

It just makes you... You can put it on now and watch an episode and you are just laughing. You're just in it and you're laughing and it's brilliant. But you know what, right? You know when you catch old episodes? Because Del Boy, to me, and probably because I was young, is always quite you know, quite old, like an older man. But you watch the early episodes and he was so young.

He was so young. So, so young. And he was brilliant because he'd done, well, talking of situation comedies, he'd been in Open All Hours with Ronnie Barker. Yes. And that was his mentor and he taught him and all of that. And then he got that role and that made him. So it's quite amazing. You think about all of the different moments like Batman and Robin, the blow-up doll in the back of the car.

Raquel, first of all, came in as a stripper, didn't she? That's right, she was a stripper. I remember. And then, you know, the chandelier. Oh my God, the chandelier. Do you know that happened to me in real life and all we talked about was only fools and horses? Really?

When we lived in East Ehrlich, I'd gone off somewhere to work and we'd only just moved in and I wanted like a chandelier we had an old terraced house and so we didn't have a light in there and so my dad and James were hanging a chandelier and James is all like pernickety and wanting to do it all perfect and my dad just likes to just get stuff up get it done yeah and so they sort of drilled it sort of in and they were gluing it and so they glued up like get it done. And so they sort of drilled it sort of in and they were gluing it. And so they glued up like the ceiling rose. And then they'd sort of put the chandelier.

It was all glued up. And then he was supposed to like hold it or whatever and then leave it. You're supposed to glue the ceiling rose up and then wait 24 hours or something and then put the chandelier. My dad was like, get it all up, get it all up. And then James was very concerned as well. I just get it up before she comes home. So they really wanted to show me the whole thing James was halfway down the ladder dad was standing back and mum was standing back and suddenly they said the ceiling rose just went and then the whole

thing went boof and James ran and it smashed on the floor and he sort of half caught it and he hurt all of his arm and I walked in literally just as that had happened and the silence that was in the room, no one was laughing. Nobody, the day after we were talking about Only Fools and Horsemen, nobody was laughing. Everybody was just so solemn and just, it was awful. It was awful. Talking of being solemn, if you watch that scene now,

you can see they are nearly laughing when that happens. Can you? I'm going to have to have a look at that on YouTube. You can see they can't quite look at each other in the eye. Oh, my God. And there's quite a few moments like that. My God. Yeah. But I'm not, you know, I love it.

I'm not a massive geek. Yeah. And my brother and my nephew, they know everything. Do they? You could ask them anything. And my friend Jamie Borthwick at work. Oh, my God. Anything. They're my God. Anything.

They're super fans. Do you sit down and watch episodes now? Yeah, I haven't done for a little while, purely because we're watching so much telly. Yeah. But it is a lovely, it's an absolute favourite of mine. It's just one of the greats. Love it.

It is. It really is, isn't it? Oh, my gosh. What about The Good Life? I loved The Good Life. It was so... I loved it. Felicity Kendall with the best hair and dungarees. Wasn't she amazing?

Beautiful. And Richard Bryars. Yes. And Penelope Keith as Margot. Oh, what an amazing character. They were really great. Even when you watch it now, those people still exist. Yeah.

The really country ones and the ones that are from the city. Yeah. They're trying to fit in. It's still actually quite relevant. Yeah, it is, isn't it? But then that makes me think as well about when I was small, I always used to watch the one of, you know, the men who were in the hospital.

Now, I'm older than you, so you might not remember this. And the theme tune was, I'm H-A-P-P-Y, I'm H-A-P-P-Y, only when I laugh. I used to love Only When I Laugh. Don't know that one at all. I think I was very, very young. Do you remember that then, if we're going to swing some oddballs out there, Dear John. Dear John.

Do you know what? Right, I used to love Dear John. And then, years ago, I... I was really little. I must have been about four. But I remember Dear John on the telly. Oh, my God. I used to absolutely love Dear John.

And I loved Belinda Lang in it. And she was so beautiful. So, just so beautiful and then years later I was in What the Beckler Saw with Belinda Lange. I was so starstruck because I used to watch it when I was a little girl.

I was so starstruck and I used to watch her in 2.4 Children. Oh, I loved 2.4. John Pickard. Yeah. And then you had lovely Gary Olsen who passed away. But 2.4 Children was brilliant. Oh, my God, they were such good sitcoms. What was the other one on ITV?

With the McGann brother and Kelly Bright, my friend who I work with now, Kelly. Oh, The Upper Hand. I met Kelly Bright years ago. We were either doing a job together, like some radio thing, or it was something like that. And I was just so excited because I was just like, it's Kelly Bright. And I was probably, yeah, about the same age as her.

So I used to watch her and I used to love her really, really, really long blonde hair. Yes. And she was in the same age as me and she was so flipping brilliant. She was absolutely. She's always been brilliant. You know, she was so flipping brilliant she was absolutely she's always been brilliant you know she was

in tea bags was she yeah she played one of the main parts god what was tea bags the witch children's programme

oh my god with the witch yeah tea bag the witch no that was grot bags who the hell

is tea bags tea bag am I right who's tea bag the witch grot bag wasn't in tea bags Who the hell is tea bags? Tea bag. Am I right? Who's tea bag the witch? Grot bag wasn't in tea bags. Who the hell is tea bag? Maybe grot bag was in tea bags.

Or tea bag. All I can think of is grot bag. She must have had to have green makeup on every time she filmed. All the time. Oh my God. An early-day Shrek. An early-day Shrek or an early-day thing from... Do you know why I was starstruck about Kelly Bright?

Why? Because when she came into EastEnders, she'd done a programme called Rock and Chips, which was the prequel to Only Fools and Horses. Yes. So she played Derek Trotter's mum. Yes, that's pretty damn cool. And that was a great programme.

But not a comedy, so we won't go into it now. Yeah. But she's done some great work. But yeah, The Upper Hand. The Upper Hand. And then you go on to Hello, Hello. Yes. These are all when we were young and Vicky Michelle.

I've just worked with Renee Stenders. Have you? What a legend what's she like? she's just lovely she's like hello darling she's so old school she's so lovely

really lovely and I worked with Sue Holderness who played Marlene oh yes and Sue we did the vagina monologue the theatre monologue the tour yeah

and she texted me on my birthday happy birthday lovely Natalie loves love Sue. That's so lovely. I always think we should maybe get her on. We should. I think Sue would come on and talk about her Only Fools and Horses days. Oh my gosh, that would be so good.

Wouldn't that be fun? Yes. Because she was amazing. I bet she's got some stories. I bet she does have some stories, yeah. We could get Sue on, lovely Sue Holderness. But yeah, do you remember Alo Alo and Rene? I will only see this once. And everyone fancied him. Yeah, I will

only see this once. Why did everyone fancy him? Everybody fancied him. Well, I think he probably had, well he had charisma. Well he was kind. And probably he had power. He owned the bar. Because he owned the bar. But everybody fell, you

know, for Rene, didn't they? Oh, my God. And then what about Heidi High? Oh, Heidi High. I remember working with Ruth Maddock. She played my grandmother in this thing called Mine All Mine. And it was just like a rite of passage. I was so excited.

I just thought, I cannot believe that the legend that is Ruth Maddock is playing my grandmother. That is amazing. And she was a woman to just like not mess with. She was wonderful. Lovely Sue Pollard comes from Islington like me. Does she? I believe so.

If not, she lived there and she used to strut up Upper Street. She used to be up there and she's crazy. She wears amazing outfits Sue Pollard and what have you. No, I still think she just wanders about up Upper Street. She used to be up there and she's crazy. She wears amazing outfits, Sue Pollard and what have you. Isn't it? Yeah. No, I still think she just wanders about with true style

and she is like the character she used to play, you know. We all used to feel so much for Peggy, didn't we? Yeah. How they'd never give her a coat and my God,

we felt for her, didn't we? It was so unjust. Yeah. And it worked. Everything back then was just so much simpler, wasn't it? Do you remember Ted?

And everyone fancied Ted. Yeah, Ted. I mean, when you look at, like, things these days. I know. And everybody fancied Ted. Things were simpler back then. They were simpler, weren't they? They really were.

And I just remember all of their little chalets and the ball dancing couple. Simpler but very inappropriate. And Geoffrey, who was just really sweet. Geoffrey was cute, wasn't he? Yeah. Oh, it was great. Oh, what about Fawlty Towers?

Oh, well, again, just... Now, they only made a very, very small amount. I think it's 12 episodes. The whole thing about Fawly Towers that I love is it's really only set in a few different rooms. Yeah. And then every now and then you might get a shot of him running down the drive. Yes, yes.

But it was just in a few rooms. Or when he ran into the restaurant to go and get the food. Do you remember? Because it all dropped on the floor. Yes. Or was it the... There was a rat as well, wasn't there? Oh, the rat. It was absolutely brilliant.

I wonder if Andrew Sachs really got hit. I bet, you know, he did. In all the whatever of everything, I bet he got a few sacks. I reckon he did. I worked with Andrew Sachs. On what? EastEnders. Oh, God!

What was he like? He was wonderful. Lovely, lovely man. Did you quiz him loads? Not really no Because I was just really respectful He was quite old at the time And he came in to do Not a big part

But I was Obviously Sonia's a nurse And he was in the hospital And I was looking after him And I just thought I can't believe I'm here with this man I mean sometimes There are certain actors...

Blows you away. It really, really does, that you just think, I can't believe that I'm either working with you or I've just met you all. Yes. Because they mean so much to you from what you watched, from, you know, coming out of your childhood. Absolutely.

I've never met David Jason. Oh, my God. I don't think I'd be able to talk to him. I really would like to, though. Yeah, I would just end up just being like, oh, hello, nice to meet you. I'd meet him. I would. God, can you imagine?

Yeah, my Mark worked on Open All Hours and he worked with him. Really? And he spoke to him, yeah. Oh, God, what did he say? What did he say to him? I think he played it quite cool. Yes. Because he was, you know... Because can you imagine? Can you imagine?

Because my Mark Mark really like me loves Overforce and Horses oh god yeah and the other one we haven't mentioned Nicholas Lindhurst

who is obviously amazing as Rodney but we love Goodnight Sweetheart yeah isn't that amazing that he can go from such an iconic

character like Rodney and then in Goodnight Sweetheart you just completely and utterly believe him in that as well. Fantastic actor. Fantastic actor.

He was great in Rock and Chips as well. Oh. Oh, my God, there's just so many. Well, I could rattle on for another four hours. Yeah, me too. So we're just going to have to do another special. We are. But please let us know your favourite comedies.

Yeah. Let us know what brings joy into your life that reminds you of sitting on the sofa with your parents or your gran or your grandad

and just that lovely warm feeling you get from studio sitcom comedies. We'd love to hear. Also, we put a call out last week for voice notes about your favourite

childhood telly. Well, we've had some absolute crackers so far. Thank you so much and please do keep them coming and then we probably will include them in our next bonus ep of Off the Telly. What shall we watch? Right, that's enough

from us this week. Wasn't that lovely, Jo? That was really nice. Thank you so much for listening. Yeah, we love hearing from you guys as well. So please do send us a message or voice note on WhatsApp about the telly. The number is 033 06 784 704. Now next week,

we'll be back to our usual weekly routine, having a natter about what shows we've been watching. I can't wait for that, Jo. We hope you've had a lovely bank holiday and we'll see you next Wednesday on BBC Sounds.

Bye! See ya! Off the Telly is hosted by Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page. The producer is Georgia Keating. The commissioning editor is Rhian Roberts and it's a BBC Studios audio production for BBC Sounds. From BBC Radio 4, Britain's biggest paranormal podcast is going on a road trip. I thought in that moment, oh my God, we've summoned something from this board.

This is Uncanny USA. He says, somebody's in the house, and I screamed. Listen to Uncanny USA on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. If you dare.