It was very common for some of the most popular sitcoms in the 1970s, in particular, to have a big screen version made. The end results were most often critical failures but their success at the box office meant that they kept coming until the early 80s. Recently we have had the very funny Alan Partridge movie and In the Loop (The Thick of It) and a I have a fondness for the Whoops Apocalypse film made in 1986. As far back as in the 50s, The Larkins was very successfully spun off into Inn For Trouble, but the heyday of this tendency was in the 70s and the first year of the next decade. I find pleasure in some of the most derided examples that don’t make my list (the On the Buses trilogy despite some awful sexism and Rising Damp that nowhere near reached the heights of the series it was based on) but here are my favourite 10 from that time…
10. Are You Being Served. Often cited as the worst example of a spun off film, and the plot line of sending the characters on holiday is seen as a sign of desperation, but it still has funny gags.
9. Man About the House. The original sitcom hasn’t stood the test of time as well as some of its contemporaries, but it benefits from the presence of Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy (see #7 below).
8. Steptoe and Son / Steptoe and Son Ride Again. More coarser than the series, this pair of films benefit from the performances of Harry H Corbett and Wilfred Brambell
7. George and Mildred. Overshadowed by the death of star Yootha Joyce before its release and critically panned at the time, I still enjoy seeing the interaction between Joyce and the brilliant Brian Murphy
6. Up Pompei. Doesn’t deviate at all from the format of the TV series, but with the great Frankie Howerd centre stage, that isn’t a problem.
5. Father Dear Father. A largely forgotten sitcom and therefore a neglected film take on the same story covered in the first 2 series. Directed by William G Stewart, who later found fame as the presenter of 15 to 1.
4. Bless This House. Largely because it showcases the talents of the great Sid James outside of the Carry On films.
3. Dad’s Army. Back in 1971 there was another film version of Dad’s Army released. An origin story, this featured all of the regulars and has the best production values of all of the films on the list.
2. The Likely Lads. Actually, technically a spin off of the superior Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, this is both very funny, and a great snapshot of a bleak time.
1. Porridge. Apart from Fawlty Towers, this is my favourite British sitcom and the film version is a huge success, perfect for long time fans and newcomers. Featuring some great lines….”It’s a desperate place”….”Buck Tarbuck”…it reaches the same heights as the best episodes of the series and gives Ronnie Barker his best big screen role.