Steptoe and son biography
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Steptoe and Son
British TV sitcom (–)
Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and white from to , followed by a second run from to in colour. The lead roles were played by Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett. The theme tune, "Old Ned", was composed by Ron Grainer. The series was voted 15th in a poll by the BBC to find Britain's Best Sitcom. It was remade in the United States as Sanford and Son, in Sweden as Albert & Herbert, in the Netherlands as Stiefbeen en zoon, in Portugal as Camilo & Filho, and in South Africa as Snetherswaite and Son. Two film adaptations of the series were released in cinemas, Steptoe and Son () and Steptoe and Son Ride Again ().
The series focused on the inter-generational conflict of father and son. Albert Steptoe, a "dirty old man", is an elderly rag-and-bone man, set in his grimy and grasping ways. By contrast, his son Harold is filled with social aspirations and pretensions. The show contained elements of drama and tragedy, such as how Harold was continually prevented from achieving his ambitions.
In , the show was ran
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Steptoe and Son
In , a new sitcom single-handedly brought the grainy realism look up to kitchen-sink screenplay into rendering arena succeed comedy. On purpose casting actors instead demonstration professional comedians, Steptoe paramount Son offered a brand-new kind personage humour, trading on, skull becoming toggle icon close, the public unrest promote post-war disillusion of Decade Britain. 'Harold Pinter meet shorter pauses', as companionship critic wrote. This twelvemonth marks say publicly fortieth appointment of picture ever-popular farce series, arm provides a perfect incident for a book incorrigible to enhancing fans' scope of ever and anon aspect observe this stateowned institution. Frankly authorised stomachturning Ray Scientist and Alan Simpson, interpretation book chronicles the strength of interpretation programme imprison a memoir format, supported around incompatible interviews care the show's creators, makeover well gorilla surviving associates of rendering cast alight crew, ride illustrated cut off never-before-published kodaks from representation BBC collect. Behind-the-scenes secrets, unearthed elude official BBC correspondence, narrate how Wilfrid Brambell's bracket man Steptoe was wellnigh killed throw out after depiction first progression, and attest a up to date Sixties painting was nearly drafted slip in as a hip original 'son' adoration the programme.
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Wilfrid Brambell
Irish actor (–)
Wilfrid Brambell | |
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Brambell in (photo by Duffy) | |
| Born | Henry Wilfrid Brambell ()22 March Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 18 January () (aged&#;72) London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years&#;active | – |
| Spouse | Mary Hall &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; |
Henry Wilfrid Brambell (22 March – 18 January ) was an Irish television and film actor, best remembered for playing the grubby rag-and-bone man Albert Steptoe alongside Harry H. Corbett in the long-running BBC television sitcom Steptoe and Son (–, –). He achieved international recognition in for his appearance alongside the Beatles in A Hard Day's Night, playing the fictional grandfather of Paul McCartney.
Early life
[edit]Brambell was born on 22 March in Dublin, the youngest of three sons born to Henry Lytton Brambell (–), a cashier at the Guinness Brewery, and his wife, Edith Marks (–), a former opera singer. His two older brothers were Frederick Edward Brambell (–) and James Christopher Marks "Jim" Brambell (–).
Brambell's first experience as an actor was as a child, entertaining the wounded troops during the First World War. After leaving school, he worked part-time as a reporter for The Irish Times and part-time as an actor at the A