Another name from my childhood gone Who of my age or older can forget his role in the Likely Lads. I also saw him about 20 years ago doing a one man show of 3 men in a boat. Just him and a boat on stage and it worked brilliantly He made it to a decent age but will still be missed - RIP
I was only thinking about them two the other day. With all the sitcom remakes that are being, a new Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads might just have worked. Sadly too late now. RIP
Me and the Mrs have wanted to see an updated version for years. Terry and Bob as cantankerous old men - but they fell out after a misunderstanding over a press interview nearly 40 years ago.
Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? Would be in my top ten comedies of all time. Shame he and James Bolam fell out.
It would never have been made. Bolam had some kind of rights hold over the whole thing that prevented Bewes from earning a good wedge of money from re-runs, and he certainly would never sanction another series. While Bolam went on to more starring roles, Bewes ended up a struggling actor with nothing significant to follow The Likely Lads. All over an ill-timed joke that Bewes made about a family matter which Bolam took exception to.
I did read this morning that they both had to agree to reruns of the program on network television (although it has been on BBC2 a few times over the years). Bewes wanted it to show, but Bolam objected so it couldn't be shown. The BBC also lost/deleted ~12 of the original 20 episodes too.
I never liked the original, black and white episodes much anyway. It was only when they went colour and "Whatever Happened to.." that it took off for me. One of those things you can watch over and over again and it is still funny.