228:
fallout shelters. But the "missiles" turned out to be aeroplanes full of paratroopers who parachuted to land and calmly sealed off the entrances to the shelters, so removing all the powerful people from the picture at a single stroke and enabling the
Russians to take control. (This explanatory pilot was remade as the opening episode of the series which began just over a year later, with slight changes in the cast and format).
346:. The writers claimed that George Cole did not get on well with the rest of the cast. David Garlick, who played Bob Dudgeon, remembered Cole more favourably, but noted that he appeared to struggle with the process of filming a sitcom for a live audience. Garlick also recalls deliberately fluffing his own lines in order to generate bigger laughs from the studio audience.
40:
236:
The series is about Reg
Dudgeon, a working-class man who thinks that the Soviet takeover is wonderful and tries to champion the work of his rulers and party line. Unfortunately, his beliefs are tested as the excesses of life under the communists – food shortages, long queues, low wages – begin to
227:
The pilot episode explains how the
Soviets have managed a remarkable bloodless coup – the revolution took place on 27 June 1987, when, upon learning that thousands of Russian missiles were approaching, the government and all the other "important" members of British society took refuge in nuclear
349:
The show was not renewed for a second series. Ian
Davidson claims that the BBC lost interest in making further series when George Cole declined to appear in a second series, while Peter Vincent says that the rise to power of
237:
take their toll. Undeterred, Reg manages to keep his faith, despite even discovering that there exists another side of the USSR-GB where elaborate garden parties take place, attended by a few privileged party members.
341:
The series was created by writers Ian
Davidson and Peter Vincent. Although inspired by the-then possible threat of a Soviet takeover of the United Kingdom, the series also reflected the writers' experiences of
381:, visiting Britain at the time of the show's broadcast, criticised the show for being "unfriendly" and "not conducive to an improvement in Anglo-Soviet relations".
424:
402:
514:
378:
509:
539:
442:
361:
in the show's opening titles was a rendered 3D model added onto the filmed footage. The show's theme music is a version of "
534:
524:
362:
343:
519:
460:
529:
50:
202:
set in 1999 in
Londongrad, the capital of the USSR-GB, after the United Kingdom has been invaded by the
282:
377:
The show received a mixed reception from critics, while then-deputy Soviet foreign minister
494:
443:"Comrade Dad, the chilling BBC sitcom that gave us 'Londongrad' – and enraged the Soviets"
8:
366:
246:
211:
70:
358:
483:
418:
351:
252:
294:
Eight episodes (including the pilot) were broadcast, each thirty minutes in length.
17:
503:
258:
74:
488:
203:
477:
270:
78:
264:
207:
354:
in the Soviet Union rendered the show's subject matter irrelevant.
156:
199:
214:
as Reg
Dudgeon) and their attempts to adapt to the new order.
210:
state. The programme focussed on the
Dudgeon family (starring
39:
332:
Episode 7: "Cars That Pass in the Night" 24 February 1986
329:
Episode 6: "My
Vegetable Love" 17 February 1986
326:
323:
Episode 4: "Of Gods and Heroes" 3 February 1986
320:
Episode 3: "The Lost Domain" 28 January 1986
317:
Episode 2: "Don't Feel Bad, Dad" 21 January 1986
314:
Episode 1: "Londongrad 1999" 13 January 1986
195:
501:
423:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
405:. Archived from the original on 12 October 2003
302:Broadcast on Monday 17 December 1984 BBC2 8pm
436:
434:
310:All episodes were broadcast on BBC2 at 9pm
20:, another sitcom also starring George Cole.
38:
431:
289:
515:1986 British television series endings
502:
510:1984 British television series debuts
440:
403:"BBC – Comedy – Guide – Comrade Dad"
25:1984 British TV series or programme
13:
255:– Treen Dudgeon (Mum) (pilot only)
14:
551:
471:
357:The rotating red star on top of
453:
391:
261:– Treen Dudgeon (Mum) (series)
116:
105:
1:
540:Television series set in 1999
384:
344:rationing during World War II
336:
305:
400:on the BBCi Guide to Comedy
372:
363:It's a Long Way to Tipperary
7:
535:Dystopian television series
441:Fordy, Tom (6 April 2022).
365:" sung in the style of the
279:David Garlick – Bob Dudgeon
10:
556:
297:
276:Claire Toeman – Zo Dudgeon
217:
15:
231:
162:
152:
147:
139:
131:
126:
115:
104:
96:
88:
66:
58:
46:
37:
30:
222:
16:Not to be confused with
240:
525:BBC television sitcoms
520:1980s British sitcoms
530:Communism in fiction
495:British Comedy Guide
461:"Comrade Dad (1986)"
290:Transmission details
267:– Gran (pilot only)
249:– Reg Dudgeon (Dad)
206:and turned into a
352:Mikhail Gorbachev
187:
186:
97:Original language
89:Country of origin
547:
465:
464:
457:
451:
450:
438:
429:
428:
422:
414:
412:
410:
395:
183:
181:
176:24 February 1986
173:
171:
166:17 December 1984
148:Original release
118:
107:
42:
28:
27:
555:
554:
550:
549:
548:
546:
545:
544:
500:
499:
474:
469:
468:
459:
458:
454:
439:
432:
416:
415:
408:
406:
401:
396:
392:
387:
375:
359:Nelson's Column
339:
308:
300:
292:
283:Danielle Carter
273:– Gran (series)
243:
234:
225:
220:
179:
177:
175:
169:
167:
83:
81:
77:
73:
53:
26:
21:
12:
11:
5:
553:
543:
542:
537:
532:
527:
522:
517:
512:
498:
497:
486:
473:
472:External links
470:
467:
466:
452:
430:
389:
388:
386:
383:
374:
371:
367:Red Army Choir
338:
335:
334:
333:
330:
327:
324:
321:
318:
315:
307:
304:
299:
296:
291:
288:
287:
286:
280:
277:
274:
268:
262:
256:
253:Colette O'Neil
250:
242:
239:
233:
230:
224:
221:
219:
216:
185:
184:
164:
160:
159:
154:
150:
149:
145:
144:
141:
137:
136:
133:
129:
128:
124:
123:
120:
113:
112:
109:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
92:United Kingdom
90:
86:
85:
68:
64:
63:
60:
56:
55:
48:
44:
43:
35:
34:
24:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
552:
541:
538:
536:
533:
531:
528:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
513:
511:
508:
507:
505:
496:
492:
491:
487:
485:
481:
480:
476:
475:
462:
456:
448:
447:The Telegraph
444:
437:
435:
426:
420:
404:
399:
394:
390:
382:
380:
379:Nikita Ryzhov
370:
368:
364:
360:
355:
353:
347:
345:
331:
328:
325:
322:
319:
316:
313:
312:
311:
303:
295:
284:
281:
278:
275:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
259:Barbara Ewing
257:
254:
251:
248:
245:
244:
238:
229:
215:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
192:
165:
161:
158:
155:
151:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
125:
121:
114:
110:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
84:David Garlick
82:Claire Toeman
80:
76:
75:Barbara Ewing
72:
69:
65:
61:
57:
54:Peter Vincent
52:
49:
45:
41:
36:
33:
29:
23:
19:
489:
478:
455:
446:
407:. Retrieved
397:
393:
376:
356:
348:
340:
309:
301:
293:
285:– Cosackette
235:
226:
204:Soviet Union
190:
189:
188:
140:Running time
51:Ian Davidson
31:
22:
490:Comrade Dad
479:Comrade Dad
398:Comrade Dad
247:George Cole
212:George Cole
191:Comrade Dad
119:of episodes
71:George Cole
59:Directed by
32:Comrade Dad
504:Categories
409:16 January
385:References
337:Production
306:Series one
271:Doris Hare
198:satirical
180:1986-02-24
170:1984-12-17
143:30 minutes
135:John Kilby
127:Production
79:Doris Hare
62:John Kilby
47:Written by
373:Reception
265:Anna Wing
208:communist
108:of series
419:cite web
132:Producer
67:Starring
218:History
178: (
174: –
168: (
163:Release
153:Network
100:English
232:Series
200:sitcom
298:Pilot
223:Pilot
194:is a
484:IMDb
425:link
411:2007
241:Cast
157:BBC2
493:at
482:at
196:BBC
117:No.
106:No.
18:Dad
506::
445:.
433:^
421:}}
417:{{
369:.
463:.
449:.
427:)
413:.
182:)
172:)
122:8
111:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
