What rivals? Sanctioned practitioners have become (mostly) indistinguishable, and as the mad among them grow worse, the easier it is for extremists to appear moderate. Calculated, ever diminishing returns. You've raised another key point, are Steptoe episodes like "Tea For Two" and "My Old Man's A Tory" apolitical? Perhaps, yet they have a comedic conscience that cannot be denied and do not age.[/quote]
agree with your first point totally! but what are we gonna DO about it?
i certainly hope i dont start any kind of Steptoe fan flame war over politics or anything (our Steptoe BOND is worth more than that eh?) but i cant help wondering how many on here would side with Albert and how many with Harold (or the yellow-bellies in between)?

Steptoe strikes me as apolitical. if G & S ever tried to promote any kind of ideological stance in their writing then it was -at least for this thicko - too subtle to register.
and therefore, from their point of view, a failure.
Yank, you were also bang on about the 1. laudable "comedic conscience" and 2. the timelessness of Steptoe i thought.
the series confronts the viewer with despairing social issues of the day, like poverty (ditto 2013) but also addresses the (often dysfunctional) complexity of close familial relationships - an issue relevant to any social class that will continue for as long as there are human beans (IE before we become digital flesh robots or summat).
Steptoe And Son remains relevant!
BTW Harry and Phil and my earlier OFAH 'fart' post:
youre probably right guys, the memorys not so good these days.........
im an old man!!!!
