Ask most people how many series there are of Some Mother's Do 'Ave 'Em, and the invariable response is loads,but in actual fact, there were only three, and by the time you include Christmas specials, this only totals 22 episodes. So why the anomoly? It is the same with Fawlty Towers, and the answer probably lies partly to do with popularity and partly to do with repeats, which is usually reliant on how popular a show was to start with.
As a character, Frank Spencer is not that likeable, but is says a lot for the effort that Michael Crawford put into the character, often risking his life for the role, that a person that normally people would cross a street to avoid was welcomed into so many households. It also says a lot about the character that it has been the subject of so many impersonations, and was, at one time, stock in trade, along with Steptoe and Son and Basil Fawlty, for Mike Yarwood.
As with a recent addition to the sitcom stable, The Worst Week of My Life, the show is centred around someone who is trying their best to do the right thing and please, but 'Ave 'Em certainly took this to the extreme and owed more to the classic silent movies of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd than to any other sitcom of its time. The plots were fairly bland, with few storylines even making it past the cup of tea after the show had aired, but the stunts and performance of Crawford endure, and the series is one than any fan of British Comedy will want in their collection.
SERIES 1 | 2 | 3 | Specials
:: Series 1
| Title | TX Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Job Interview | 15.2.73 | 2TV 2011 |
| George's House | 22.2.73 | 2TV 2011 |
| Love Thy Neighbour | 1.3.73 | 2TV 2011 |
| Have A Break, Take A Husband | 8.3.73 | 2TV 2011 |
| The Hospital Visit | 15.3.73 | 2TV 2011 |
| The Psychiatrist | 22.3.73 | 2TV 2011 |
| The Employment Exchange | 29.3.73 |
:: Series 2
| Title | TX Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cliffhanger | 22.11.73 | 2TV 2004 |
| The RAF Reunion | 29.11.73 | 2TV 2004 |
| The Public Relations Course | 6.12.73 | |
| Frank And Marvin | 13.12.73 | |
| Fathers' Clinic | 20.12.73 | 2TV 2004 |
| The Baby Arrives | 27.12.73 |
:: Series 3
| Title | TX Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moving House | 11.11.78 | 2TV 2004 |
| Wendy House | 18.11.78 | |
| Scottish Dancing | 25.11.78 | |
| Men As Women | 2.12.78 | |
| King Of The Road | 9.12.78 | 2TV 2004 |
| Australia House | 16.12.78 |
:: Specials
| Title | TX Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica's First Christmas | 25.12.74 | 2TV 2010 |
| 'Learning To Drive' | 25.12.75 | 2TV 2010 |
| 'Learning To Fly' | 25.12.78 | 2TV 2010 |