Steptoe and Son in Murder at Oil Drum Lane

Synopsis

In the quiet streets of Oil Drum Lane in London stands a house, once belonging to a father and unmarried son who ran a decrepit rag-and-bone business. Today, the Steptoe house is now in the safe and loving hands of the National Trust as the last remaining example of a typical totter's yard. Late one afternoon a lone figure arrives at the house. Who is he? Why has he such an interest in the house? And what does he know about a certain murder that took place there?

Our Review:

23 February 2006

One of the truly innovative things about the Ray Galton and Alan Simpson writing team was that they took the catchphrase out of radio and television comedy in the 1950s and 60s. By and large, they relied instead on strong characters, believable situations and truthful comedy acting rather than slick gags every 20 seconds.

Watch Wilfred Brambell and Harry H Corbett in any of the reruns of Steptoe and Son - quite rightly hailed as one of the most successful and popular TV sitcoms of all time - and there are whole sequences when no one in the studio audience is required to laugh at all at whatever’s going on between lonely old father Albert and his aspirational, culture-loving son Harold in their grim junk yard somewhere off the Goldhawk Road. As one critic wrote at the time, the series virtually "obliterates the division between drama and comedy".

There was, however, one phrase that always got a huge reaction in every episode. Whenever put-upon Harold turned on his...

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Latest User Review

62.255.32.15) - 3 April 2006:

Saw the show on the evening of Saturday 25th March. Brilliant acting, genuine laugh-out-loud moments, in fact tears of laughter on several occasions, Harold & Albert are back! Fans of 'Allo 'Allo will be pleased; you've got to see the show to find out. I hope it goes on tour after the London run. A maximum 5 stars because the audience was fantastic, including someone blessed with one of those hilarious one-off laughs....

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