Only When I Laugh [1979]

The lowdown: 'Only When I Laugh' was produced by Yorkshire Television and was broadcast on ITV1 betwen 29 October 1979
and 16 December 1982. Set in a National Health Service hospital, it ran for four seasons and one Christmas special, and starred
Richard Wilson as Dr Gordon Thorpe. Three very different patients shared a ward: Archie Glover (Peter Bowles), an upper-class
hypochondriac; Roy Figgis (James Bolam), a working-class man who hated the capitalist system; and Norman Binns (Christopher
Strauli), a young man who acts as a foil for the frequent verbal sparring matches between Glover and Figgis.

'Where There's a Will' was the second episode of Season 2, and was first broadcast on 6 May 1980. Patrick Troughton features
as a hospital patient named Perkins, who has a severe odour problem and shows signs of mental instability (Perkins believes
that he has an invisible dog), and Dr Thorpe plans to send him to the local psychiatric hospital, Greenlawns. Glover in particular
does not like Perkins, and complains to Thorpe about his body odour. However, when Figgis discovers that Perkins appears to be
very wealthy, Glover suddenly becomes exceedingly nice to Perkins, especially as Perkins has decided to make a will. Trouble
brews when Perkins names one of the patients as his sole beneficiary.

The verdict: 'Only When I Laugh' is not one of the better-known British sitcoms of the 1980s, which is a pity as it is much better
than some from this era. I had not seen it for many years when I came across it again. However, it is an entertaining series and has
not dated as much as some shows of the era. The humour is understated rather than being over the top, and the cast are very good.
One of the appeals of watching this show is seeing actors such as Richard Wilkins and James Bolam (who is now best known for
'New Tricks') when they were much younger. Definitely worth discovering or reliving again if you love British comedy.