So glad there is someone that has the same calibre of comedy taste. It was a favourite of my fathers too. I loved The Good Life, but this is one my favourite comedies ever. I was going to say my favourite British comedy, but is one of the greatest comedies full stop. Every character is loveable and you care about them, you never dislike Paul with his smoothness because Peter Egan plays him perfectly, and it would have been a mistake to make him an unlikeable character, in the way of Dad's Army's Hodges was. Penelope Wilton is great as his suffering wife, so are Stanley Lebor and Geraldine Newman as their friends Howard and Hilda Hughes. I even liked Martins work nemesis Rex Tyler, simply because he had a cool eighties .name ..lol
My idea of perfection, ever since the original broadcasts when I was 10 or so. Then I just loved Howard & Hilda, but grew to love Penelope Wilton's frustrations, and Peter Egan's smirks, as I gently wore out my VHS tapes. Was so glad when they finally issued the DVDs. Watched them on a loop. However, Rex Tyler will always just be K9 to me ;)
Had the pleasure of getting to know the director. A truly wonderful man. A neighbour of mine. Sadly not so well these days. Told me so many stores and showed me backstage photos. This was his favourite to work on.
I guess you mean there Harold Snoad of course who did the later series of EDC; as alas Sydney Lotterby of course who did the first two series sadly died a few years ago so I read. But both of them like many producers and directors of old-indeed along with the actors and writers too-did of course work on other series such as at the BBC so then too. I know ITV often had much the same people too for their series at times too. A shame in a way that today's series don't really seem to come up to as it was then somehow too. Thank you though too.
Never took the trouble to watch it when it first aired. Recently stumbled across it on RUclips and have been watching all the episodes. Very finely observed comedy.
Yes BBC Four did show it a while ago; apart alas from the last longer episode-presumably alas because it did not fit the 30 minute time slot I guess oddly so then too of course?
In my all time top three sitcoms - possibly no1. So subtle and so beautifully written and acted. The relationship between Martin and Paul, for me, is matched only by that between Fletcher and McKay in Porridge for laugh-out-loud moments.
i actually think they went off together happy. Because Martin finally relised that Ann was more important to him then anything. Paul in the series won at everything except Ann
And snooker, he lost to Martin at that. Anne asked Paul to throw the match so that Martin could win just once, but after the game Paul admitted he didn't have to try and lose because he was genuinely rubbish at the game. That's the only time Martin got the better of him.
@@justmyster1976 There's nothing wrong with using your imagination to develop the after-story. That's the beauty of fiction. You don't have to be cynical about it.
Something so endearing about that series, the main protagonist as off-kilter as he was carried a stoic romanticism that you couldn't help admiring and even applauding, like a hark back to some foundation or retreat from the chaos and quiet desperation that every man desires
The original idea was for Anne to go off with Paul to end the series.... but the success of the series made the writers have a rethink for the finale. That's a true fact.
It would have ruined what was a charming comedy series. Anne stuck by Martin because she knew he was dependable and for all his faults, would always be there for her. Paul on the other hand, a serial womaniser, might have been infatuated for a while and then moved on, leaving her with no-one. She just couldn't take the risk, and she would have felt intense guilt for destroying Martin's life.
I remember watching this at the time because the trail for Richard and Judy gave the impression that there was going to another series of EDC. It was an early tv version of click bait.
Well they did 27 episodes-four series and an ending special too. It ran of course on BBC1 from 1984 to 1989 originally; although of course it has been reshown many times since, most recently on BBC Four. Thank you too!
@@Isleofskye Yes, he was sacked for 'failing to give direction to a principal actor' which, one would presume, is a thinly veiled excuse for saying he and Richard didn't see eye to eye.
@@genesis1765 I loved EDC but The Office UK will live much longer in people's memory. No-one ever mentions EDC now ( I know it was the 1980's) but The Office UK still gets millions of views on here alone and generates much debate...
Richard Briers didn't say he dislikes Ricky Gervais. If you listen carefully behind the chortling he actually says it's "brilliant comedy" but he can't stand the type of person David Brent represents.
I love how Richard Briers' first priority is to credit the writers. Absolute class.
Well said sir.
Ever decreasing circles was one of the greatest British sitcoms ever .
Couldn't agree more!
So glad there is someone that has the same calibre of comedy taste. It was a favourite of my fathers too. I loved The Good Life, but this is one my favourite comedies ever. I was going to say my favourite British comedy, but is one of the greatest comedies full stop. Every character is loveable and you care about them, you never dislike Paul with his smoothness because Peter Egan plays him perfectly, and it would have been a mistake to make him an unlikeable character, in the way of Dad's Army's Hodges was. Penelope Wilton is great as his suffering wife, so are Stanley Lebor and Geraldine Newman as their friends Howard and Hilda Hughes. I even liked Martins work nemesis Rex Tyler, simply because he had a cool eighties .name ..lol
My idea of perfection, ever since the original broadcasts when I was 10 or so. Then I just loved Howard & Hilda, but grew to love Penelope Wilton's frustrations, and Peter Egan's smirks, as I gently wore out my VHS tapes. Was so glad when they finally issued the DVDs. Watched them on a loop.
However, Rex Tyler will always just be K9 to me ;)
I grew up practically watching this. My childhood memories contain it a lot.
Definiteley in my top 10, and I can go back nearly 60 years,
Had the pleasure of getting to know the director. A truly wonderful man. A neighbour of mine. Sadly not so well these days. Told me so many stores and showed me backstage photos. This was his favourite to work on.
Lucky you.
I guess you mean there Harold Snoad of course who did the later series of EDC; as alas Sydney Lotterby of course who did the first two series sadly died a few years ago so I read. But both of them like many producers and directors of old-indeed along with the actors and writers too-did of course work on other series such as at the BBC so then too. I know ITV often had much the same people too for their series at times too. A shame in a way that today's series don't really seem to come up to as it was then somehow too. Thank you though too.
great, just discovered the show is here on RUclips..
and thankyou for sharing this.. 🙂
Not just the writers. The casting is spot on.
I'm still watching hen now on record on sky gold absolutely brilliant brings back so many good times thankyou ❤❤❤❤❤
Never took the trouble to watch it when it first aired. Recently stumbled across it on RUclips and have been watching all the episodes. Very finely observed comedy.
Indeed. A wonderful little series.
It is being shown again on BBC 4 at the moment and I'd forgotten how superb it is and how wonderful the actors were.
Yes BBC Four did show it a while ago; apart alas from the last longer episode-presumably alas because it did not fit the 30 minute time slot I guess oddly so then too of course?
Two very talented actors. Penelope Wilton of course is still going strong.
Yes she did very well later on of course on Downton Abbey on ITV; of which Peter Egan also turned up later on in the series so then too.
In my all time top three sitcoms - possibly no1. So subtle and so beautifully written and acted. The relationship between Martin and Paul, for me, is matched only by that between Fletcher and McKay in Porridge for laugh-out-loud moments.
Completely agree with you.
i actually think they went off together happy. Because Martin finally relised that Ann was more important to him then anything. Paul in the series won at everything except Ann
And snooker, he lost to Martin at that. Anne asked Paul to throw the match so that Martin could win just once, but after the game Paul admitted he didn't have to try and lose because he was genuinely rubbish at the game. That's the only time Martin got the better of him.
As Penelope said... It's a script.
@@justmyster1976 There's nothing wrong with using your imagination to develop the after-story. That's the beauty of fiction. You don't have to be cynical about it.
She may have liked Paul, but was written that she were totally loyal to Martin. The last episode wrapped it up brilliant.
Something so endearing about that series, the main protagonist as off-kilter as he was carried a stoic romanticism that you couldn't help admiring and even applauding, like a hark back to some foundation or retreat from the chaos and quiet desperation that every man desires
Lol now Penelope is in Ricky Gervais' latest series Life After, which is excellent.
With peter Egan as well series 2
@@greg-x3z no way! Haven't watched it yet
@@greg-x3z Plus both their characters names are the same as in EDC.
And in downton for a few episodes
She's awful, her scenes spoil the series.
The original idea was for Anne to go off with Paul to end the series.... but the success of the series made the writers have a rethink for the finale. That's a true fact.
I'm glad they rethought that, the tension between Anne and Paul was one of the show's strongest points.
It would have ruined what was a charming comedy series. Anne stuck by Martin because she knew he was dependable and for all his faults, would always be there for her. Paul on the other hand, a serial womaniser, might have been infatuated for a while and then moved on, leaving her with no-one. She just couldn't take the risk, and she would have felt intense guilt for destroying Martin's life.
@@Wally-H that's the perfect way of looking at it. When martin and pen are in the telephone box and Paul smiles and says "drive on" that's perfect
So sad Peter Egan (amazing in AfterLife) just lost his wife to cancer.
It would have nice if they showed the clips the host kept referring up.
I remember watching this at the time because the trail for Richard and Judy gave the impression that there was going to another series of EDC. It was an early tv version of click bait.
There should have been more👍😊
Well they did 27 episodes-four series and an ending special too. It ran of course on BBC1 from 1984 to 1989 originally; although of course it has been reshown many times since, most recently on BBC Four. Thank you too!
Something about Madeley that grates on me, reminds me of nick clegg. 🤔😂🤣
The Office. Wow. Love these two.
Rather good interview.
You don't get comedy anymore
Have you seen the three series of Detectorists? Right up there with this comedy.
We have rubbish writers these days that might have something to do with
😍
When is it going to be available on iTunes?
Harriet Jones, former prime minister
Watching it again on tv now , Drama channel I think
Why did you cut the clips out? Copyright?
Yup.
@@ppotter I think you’d get away with it now. Just put some sort of animated thing on top.
Sydney Lotterby. Why was he sacked? Ask Richard that one !
Really ?
@@Isleofskye Yes, he was sacked for 'failing to give direction to a principal actor' which, one would presume, is a thinly veiled excuse for saying he and Richard didn't see eye to eye.
@@Wally-H Thanks.
Very sad and now they have both passed...
yes and left Last Of The Summer Wine after 4 Series
@@Wally-H Yes I remember seeing in the series Comedy Connections some years ago on BBC1 that that was the case so then too. Odd though really somehow?
All of those questions could be reversed and asked of Dick and Judy. Just sayin. See what I did there? You're welcome.
Penelope looks better !
ricky gervais brilliant - NO! They both thought he was shit in honesty
fair play what Richard said but Ricky puts EDC as a master piece of British comedy
@@genesis1765 cool
@@genesis1765 I loved EDC but The Office UK will live much longer in people's memory. No-one ever mentions EDC now ( I know it was the 1980's) but The Office UK still gets millions of views on here alone and generates much debate...
@@Isleofskye
I disagree. Saw 1 episode of the office & that was enough. EDC was far more subtle & altogether more sophisticated.
1 Episode ??? Hardly a large sample :)
They were right about Gervaise, not funny at all.
Don't be ridiculous. Gervais is a genius.
@@johnireland448 No, he's appalling. A real sign of the times. The times has no genius.
@@Lytton333 Wrong. If you don't like Gervais, then you don't understand comedy.
Richard Briers didn't say he dislikes Ricky Gervais. If you listen carefully behind the chortling he actually says it's "brilliant comedy" but he can't stand the type of person David Brent represents.
Well they never made an American version of EDC.
Never found it funny