Lost Sitcoms: Steptoe And Son – A Winter’s Tale (BBC-4 14 Sep 2016, Jeff Rawle)

A Winter’s Tale is the second of three recreations of lost sitcoms put together as part of the BBC’s Sitcom Season. This Steptoe and Son revival, along with Hancock’ Half Hour and Til Death Us Do Part, used the original scripts to remake episodes that have unfortunately been lost forever. This episode is actually the second episode of the fifth season and was originally broadcast 13 March 1970.

The fifth series marked a return for the series after some years away (both Harry H. Corbett and Wilfred Brambell had felt completely constrained by their characters and at the end of 1965 called it quits on the series, bar a 5 minute sketch for a 1967 Christmas Night With The Stars, but neither were really able to escape from the roles.)

The episode’s plotline is classic Steptoe and Son with Harold desperate to get away for a skiing holiday – without Albert of course! Along with Hancock’s Half Hour this is the second to feature a script from Galton and Simpson.

production details
UK / BBC Four / 1×30 minute episode  / Broadcast Wednesday 14 September 2016 at 9.00pm

Writers: Ray Galton, Alan Simpson / Executive Producer: Steven Canny / Producer: Owen Bell

cast
Jeff Rawle as Albert Steptoe
Ed Coleman as Harold Steptoe