Only When I Laugh

1979

Only When I Laugh

6.8 | en | Comedy

Only When I Laugh is a British television sitcom. It is set in the ward of an NHS hospital. The title is the answer to the question, "Does it hurt?"

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Seasons & Episodes

EP7 The Reunion

Dec. 16,1982

Figgis, Glover and Norman are about to be discharged from hospital. They consider holding a reunion.

EP6 When Did You Last See Your Father?

Dec. 09,1982

A scruffy old drunkard comes to the hospital looking for his son. Could the son be Figgis, Glover or Norman?

EP5 Escape

Dec. 02,1982

A convicted prisoner is moved into the ward. Glover, Figgis and Norman worry in case he tries to escape.

EP4 In Sickness And In Health

Nov. 25,1982

Norman is planning to marry Deirdre. He wonders if three years is long enough to be engaged.

EP3 All In The Mind

Nov. 18,1982

Figgis becomes interested in psychiatry and sets about psychoanalysing Glover and Norman.

EP2 Conduct Unbecoming

Nov. 11,1982

Dr Thorpe examines a female patient without a nurse being present. Figgis, Glover and Norman try to make sure he doesn't take advantage

EP1 Blood Brothers

Nov. 04,1982

Glover refuses to have a blood transfusion. He's worried that the donor will be from a lower social class.

EP0 Away for Christmas

Dec. 24,1981

A new patient arrives as the ward is decorated for Christmas.

6.8 | en | Comedy | More Info

Released: 1979-10-29 | Released Producted By: Yorkshire Television , Country: United Kingdom Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

Synopsis

Only When I Laugh is a British television sitcom. It is set in the ward of an NHS hospital. The title is the answer to the question, "Does it hurt?"

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Cast

Peter Bowles , James Bolam , Richard Wilson

Director

Producted By

Yorkshire Television ,

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Cast

Peter Bowles

Off the Rails Murder Peterman Lilting Love's Kitchen Ballet Shoes The Bank Job Freebird Colour Me Kubrick

James Bolam

Unconditional The Last Days of Lehman Brothers The Last Days of Lehman Brothers To Kill a King Harold Shipman: Doctor Death Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings Close and True Dirty Tricks The End of the Affair

Richard Wilson

Sherlock Gnomes A Midsummer Night's Dream Gnomeo & Juliet Merlin: Secrets and Magic Britain's Best Drives Merlin Love and Other Disasters A Harlot's Progress Deck Dogz

Reviews

Pussytiddy A dreadful TV series that I used to know as "The Suppurating Bedsores Show".(In those days my family only had one TV and I didn't always get the final say about what we watched).The idea of the three main characters being sat in a hospital bed for the duration of this series honestly made me feel ill! It's been a long time since I've suffered this garbage but I'm sure it never gave me a laugh. Richard Wilson as the curmudgeon of a doctor would later strike TV fame with his portrayal of cynical pensioner Victor Meldrew.Maybe the greatest handicap that the likes of "Only When I Laugh" and the similarly dreadful "Wish You Were Here" had, was that UK TV sitcoms were,in general, better if they WEREN'T made by one of the ITV franchises. (similar era...compare these shows with the BBC's far superior "Porridge" or "Citizen Smith" that were still funnier even as repeats).And is it merely my memory playing tricks or didn't ITV sitcoms have more manic sounding 'canned laughter' as if the makers were desperately trying to convince everyone that these shows were really funny...but only served to put sensible people off watching them.

ShadeGrenade Two years after the end of 'Doctor On The Go', I.T.V. came up with another hit medical sitcom, only this time the main characters were the patients, not the doctors.'Only When I Laugh' was a screamingly funny show from 'Rising Damp' author Eric Chappell. Three patients from differing social backgrounds - trouble making lorry driver Roy Figgis ( James Bolam ), naive Norman Binns ( Christopher Strauli ), and rich hypochondriac Archie Glover ( Peter Bowles ) - share a hospital ward. Their 'nemesis' is the pompous Dr.Gordon Thorpe ( Richard Wilson in what was his best television role before 'One Foot In The Grave' ). The Indian male nurse Gupte ( Derrick Branche ) was well-meaning but incompetent, and this led to the series being branded 'racist' in some quarters. Gupte mysteriously vanished from the later episodes. Bolam's 'Figgis' wasn't far removed from 'Terry Collier' of 'Likely Lads' fame, while Bowles' 'Glover' was a try-out for his later series 'The Bounder'. Although it stretched credibility somewhat that all three men should be confined to hospital for such an incredibly long time, this was one of I.T.V.'s best sitcoms of the late '70's/early '80's. Great theme tune, too!

A. Squadrilli I saw this series when it originally aired many years ago. It was something the folks watched that caught my eye at a young age & it wasn't until recently that I rediscovered this great series on the newly released DVD sets. The show, the cast, the writing, is as funny now as it was way back when. The basis of the series is three hypochondriacs who are under the care of an unsympathetic doctor. The cast couldn't be better & Peter Bowles is as great as always. I wish they could have crammed more than 6 episodes on a 2x DVD set. Seems a bit small.. Regardless, I am glad to get to enjoy this series all over again.

yairm The three hypochondriacs strike again. A good series must make one sit down from the beginning to the end, and this one certainly manages it!