The phrase "nearest and dearest" often evokes a sense of warmth, family, and close relationships. It's a term that brings to mind the people we hold closest to our hearts—our family, friends, and loved ones. However, in the context of British television, "Nearest and Dearest" takes on a different meaning, referring to a classic sitcom that captured the hearts of many.
"Nearest and Dearest" was a British television sitcom that aired from 1968 to 1973. The show starred Hylda Baker and Jimmy Jewel as Nellie and Eli Pledge, siblings who inherit their father's pickle business in Colne, Lancashire. The series was known for its humor derived from the characters' squabbles, malapropisms, and the unique dynamics of a family-run business.
The premise of the show was simple yet effective: Nellie, a hard-working spinster, and Eli, a womanizing slacker, must run the family business together to inherit their father's fortune. This setup led to comedic situations and memorable catchphrases that are still recognized by fans of classic British comedy.
Despite the on-screen chemistry between Baker and Jewel, it was widely reported that the two did not get along off-screen, adding a layer of intrigue to the show's history. Their tumultuous relationship is often cited as one of the most toxic in British sitcom history.
"Nearest and Dearest" also serves as a cultural touchstone, reflecting the era's social norms and the changing landscape of British comedy. It's a show that, while rooted in the 1960s and 70s, continues to find new audiences who appreciate its wit and charm.
For those who grew up watching "Nearest and Dearest," the show remains a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era of television. And for newcomers, it offers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of British humor and the timeless appeal of family dynamics in storytelling.
Whether you're revisiting the series or discovering it for the first time, "Nearest and Dearest" stands as a testament to the enduring nature of well-crafted comedy and the universal themes of family and ambition. It's a piece of television history that continues to be nearest and dearest to many viewers' hearts.
Listen to our radio station Old Time Radio https://link.radioking.com/otradio
Listen to other Shows at My Classic Radio https://www.myclassicradio.net/
Entertainment Radio | Broadcasting Classic Radio Shows | Patreon
Remember that times have changed, and some shows might not reflect the standards of today’s politically correct society. The shows do not necessarily reflect the views, standards, or beliefs of Entertainment Radio
"Nearest and Dearest" was a British television sitcom that aired from 1968 to 1973. The show starred Hylda Baker and Jimmy Jewel as Nellie and Eli Pledge, siblings who inherit their father's pickle business in Colne, Lancashire. The series was known for its humor derived from the characters' squabbles, malapropisms, and the unique dynamics of a family-run business.
The premise of the show was simple yet effective: Nellie, a hard-working spinster, and Eli, a womanizing slacker, must run the family business together to inherit their father's fortune. This setup led to comedic situations and memorable catchphrases that are still recognized by fans of classic British comedy.
Despite the on-screen chemistry between Baker and Jewel, it was widely reported that the two did not get along off-screen, adding a layer of intrigue to the show's history. Their tumultuous relationship is often cited as one of the most toxic in British sitcom history.
"Nearest and Dearest" also serves as a cultural touchstone, reflecting the era's social norms and the changing landscape of British comedy. It's a show that, while rooted in the 1960s and 70s, continues to find new audiences who appreciate its wit and charm.
For those who grew up watching "Nearest and Dearest," the show remains a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era of television. And for newcomers, it offers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of British humor and the timeless appeal of family dynamics in storytelling.
Whether you're revisiting the series or discovering it for the first time, "Nearest and Dearest" stands as a testament to the enduring nature of well-crafted comedy and the universal themes of family and ambition. It's a piece of television history that continues to be nearest and dearest to many viewers' hearts.
Listen to our radio station Old Time Radio https://link.radioking.com/otradio
Listen to other Shows at My Classic Radio https://www.myclassicradio.net/
Entertainment Radio | Broadcasting Classic Radio Shows | Patreon
Remember that times have changed, and some shows might not reflect the standards of today’s politically correct society. The shows do not necessarily reflect the views, standards, or beliefs of Entertainment Radio
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FunTranscript
00:00♪
00:29Oh, shh, shh. That's it.
00:32Oh, wait a minute. Let's see if it's got the fish in.
00:35That's it.
00:36Oh, now, what else? Oh, yes.
00:39Well, they're hot.
00:49Hang on. Short house.
00:52Do you think there's enough in there for two of us?
00:55Well, if you're too lazy to go out and sell them,
00:57you'll just have to stop at home and eat them, won't you?
01:00Like me mam says.
01:01Waste not, want not. Pick it up and eat it.
01:04Nellie, does it have to be fish and chips again tonight?
01:07I thought we could go out and try that new restaurant next at Town Hall.
01:10New restaurant?
01:11Oh, very unusual. It's English.
01:15Well, it's nice of you to want to take your sister out after our day's pickling.
01:19Well, come on, then.
01:20You won't have to lend me more than a tenner.
01:22Go on.
01:23Yes, you won't.
01:25Get off you scrounging teleman's door, Matthew.
01:30Well, you'd lend your own brother a few, Bob, wouldn't you?
01:33I wouldn't give you a button off my grandad's vest
01:36when it had been thrown in the midden for scrap.
01:40Sit yourself down and get your fish and chips here.
01:42Yeah, rotten thing, yeah.
01:43Come on, rotten.
01:44Come on, pass this vinegar.
01:45Pass it, vinegar. I won't give you a pickle.
01:48There's vinegar.
01:49Go on, get on with it.
01:52There.
01:53Oh, good God.
01:57Hey, that breaking next door.
02:00Hey, it's not just an insulated case.
02:04It says here there's been a lot of burglaries around here.
02:07Yeah, it says here that the vicar took the cub mistress up the bell tower.
02:12And the burglar still hasn't been caught.
02:14Watch this.
02:15The police are on the loo.
02:17Oh, just a minute.
02:20Oh, on the loo count.
02:23It says here the vicar wanted to show her the ropes.
02:27The police allege what?
02:29And he was pulling with both hands.
02:33The police are trying to get a description of him.
02:35They don't know where he's going to strike next.
02:38It says the vicar told the cub mistress he wanted her help in getting his...
02:42Hey.
02:44They never had a badge like that when I were in cubs.
02:46Hey, where's the tanner? I'll go and get some more chips.
02:49What, are you still hungry?
02:50No, you daft old bat.
02:51I want to get the next page of paper and see if the vicar rang the bell.
02:55Sit yourself down.
02:56You've not been listening, have you?
02:58Don't you realise that we could be the next to be, er...
03:02broken into and entered by this criminal who is in my chip paper?
03:07Does it say he's working on his own or is he controlled by Mr Big from Burry?
03:11Oh.
03:12Yeah, if he'd never break his ears, it's not worth pinching.
03:14Yeah, that's all you think.
03:16You what?
03:17I mean...
03:18Well, I mean, if you know or knew there was something,
03:21I mean, you'd have pinched it already, wouldn't you?
03:23Louie, anybody at home?
03:26Bloody hell.
03:31It's pointless peasant.
03:35Oh, what's to do, Lily?
03:36Oh, I'm glad I've caught you.
03:38You'll never guess what's happened to me.
03:40I were turned over last night.
03:43What?
03:44While I were in bed.
03:47I had to fetch police.
03:49Oh, what happened?
03:50Well, it was them what told me I'd been turned over.
03:54Why, didn't you know?
03:56Oi, cloghead.
03:57That's what the police say when you've been broken into.
04:00Oh, I see.
04:01Yeah.
04:02Well, come and sit down.
04:03Hey, do you mean to say this fella that's been going creepy crawling into other folks' houses
04:08did it to you in your sleep?
04:11Did you see his face?
04:12Did I, heck?
04:13I had my eyes shut tight, but I felt his hot breath on me face.
04:18Oh, that's how you knew it weren't Walter?
04:21Didn't you get a look at him?
04:23Because the police are looking for an eyeball witness.
04:28Just saying, Walter, the police are looking for an eyeball witness.
04:31Did you see anything?
04:33I mean, when you turned round, have you been?
04:37Burglar, I mean.
04:39Oh, and he wrote I had to make a list out of all the things for the insurance.
04:43Oh, yes?
04:44You see, Walter's covered for every emergency.
04:47Ah, everything but flood damage. Even Lloyd's won't cover him for that.
04:52What's this? He stole your ring?
04:54It says here it was a perfectly cut single diamond,
04:57encrusted in sapphires and mounted in a solid gold setting.
05:02You know the one.
05:04I know the one.
05:05I was there when he got it out of that Christmas cracker.
05:10Hey, it says in the pocket of a fur coat. What fur coat?
05:14A Persian lamb, of course.
05:16Persian lamb?
05:18That coat had never even seen the leg of a lamb.
05:21And he wrote all I came to say was that if the police do find anything,
05:25I've given them your address.
05:27Of course, I'm taking Walter away to get over the shock.
05:30Where are you taking him, then?
05:32Well, if you must know, Walter and me are becoming naturists.
05:37We're going to Salford Sun Club.
05:40Salford? Lily!
05:42Well, what's wrong with that?
05:44Well, isn't that that place where you all hang about, you know,
05:48in the nude, short of nothing on?
05:51So what? Well, Walter's popped in there once before, you know.
05:55What for? To size it up?
06:00He's never talked about hotels since.
06:02Likes the sun on his back, does Walter.
06:05Lily, you're not going to disobligate yourself, are you?
06:09And go there, stretched out, lay lying on the wet grass,
06:13without even your vest on?
06:16Walter wouldn't notice even if grass was wet.
06:19They don't just lie around, you know, when you've got your clothes off, do they not?
06:25What do they do, then?
06:27They do all sorts of things.
06:30Play games, for instance.
06:33Ooh, not leapfrog.
06:38No. Cricket.
06:42Cricket?
06:44Not with a hard ball.
06:51And then you do all your own cooking.
06:54All your own cooking?
06:56Without even a pinion?
06:59Of course.
07:00Ooh, I'll bet when that hot fat starts spitting out at Brian, fam,
07:05the bloody galloping gourmet's not in it.
07:09Oh, come on, Walter, there's no talking to some folk.
07:12It would be you who've got to let the sun kiss your body.
07:15Now then, Lily, look.
07:17I was created a woman, not a flaming Jaffa Orange.
07:23Get away. The sun'll never kiss Walter's body.
07:25When he takes his clothes off, there'll be a bloody total eclipse.
07:30There's an inspector to see you, Miss Nellie.
07:33Oh, well, if it's a sanitary inspector, tell him I'm out.
07:36I'm not a sanitary inspector, I'm a detective inspector,
07:39and I'm here in pursuance of my inquiries.
07:41Are you Lily and Agnes Clare of Greta Tattersall?
07:44No, I'm Aranelli. I mean...
07:46I don't even know all those names of those people.
07:49Oi, it means I'm Lily, you daft old bat.
07:52Oh, I'm Lily and Agnes Clare of Greta Tattersall.
07:55Oh, you're not.
07:57Oh, Lily, you never said.
08:00Is it to do with the burglary?
08:02It is indeed. Acting upon information received, I understood I'd find you here.
08:06Oh, and, er, officer,
08:08have you, er, sort of found this fellow that's going about doing it?
08:12No, the alleged thief has not as yet been apprehended,
08:15but we believe we have discovered some of your stolen property.
08:18Oh, and have you sort of apprehended our Lily's maternity ring?
08:24No, we've discovered this.
08:29Can you identify it?
08:31Because it was not among your list of stolen articles.
08:33Well, I didn't notice it. I've been missing, like.
08:36It was located by a police dog in the park shelter behind the licensed tea bar.
08:41I wonder whose fingerprints are on it.
08:44Hey, will you have a new rehearsal for Southwark Sun Club?
08:47Did you say something, sir?
08:48Who, sir? Me, sir? No, sir.
08:50Well, unless you have something to say that would materially assist in these criminal investigations.
08:54Belt up.
08:56Well, it is mine.
08:57We found a few other discarded articles in the shelter.
09:00I bet you didn't know.
09:01We believe the suspect dropped them whilst on the run.
09:04What's that you said?
09:05Ah, nothing, officer, sir.
09:06So I should be grateful if you would accompany me to the police headquarters
09:09to see if you can identify them as yours.
09:11I've got a police car waiting outside.
09:14Oh, just a minute, defective inspector.
09:18You say this fellow that's going about doing it
09:21is still going about doing it?
09:23Well, that's a fair summary of the current situation.
09:27Do you think he'd turn me over?
09:30If he did, he'd bloody soon turn you back again.
09:34Nobody's safe. All we know is he's operating in this area
09:37and all I can say is, look out, there's a thief about.
09:40And do you expect to take him into custard very imminently?
09:45Well, I wouldn't say that, but we have quite a description of him.
09:48Well, why don't you give it to us?
09:50Because, I mean, if somebody comes in to burgle us,
09:52we'll want to know it's the right fellow.
09:54Well, now, let's see.
09:57Well, he's small in stature, getting on in years,
10:00wears glasses and dresses very smartly.
10:03Oh, he has a habit of whistling.
10:04Whistling?
10:05Yes, usually selections from Gilbert and Sullivan.
10:07Oh, Gilbert and Sullivan, yes.
10:09And do you have any idea what he does for a living?
10:12He burgles, you daft old nit.
10:15During the day, he probably does a perfectly normal job
10:17and leads a perfectly normal life.
10:19Oh, yes.
10:20Oh, it's like, you mean he's one of those schizophrenics.
10:25Like that Dr Jelly and Mr Tide.
10:29Whatever you do, don't try to apprehend him on your own.
10:32No, you mean don't have a go, Joe?
10:34No, Joe.
10:35I mean, the only thing to do is to humour him
10:37until Elp arrives, otherwise he might turn very violent.
10:40And we don't want a dead-eye ball witness, do we?
10:44Excuse me, Inspector, while you're here and you've got the police car,
10:47could we interest you in a couple of jars of Bledgis Bura pickles
10:50for the police canteen?
10:52I'll show you through the door.
10:56To think, this fellow, who's going about doing it,
11:00he could come pussyfooting in here any minute.
11:05Tonight...
11:21Nobody's going to get their hands on my precious property.
11:30Where shall I put it?
11:34Somewhere where nobody will think of going.
11:37I know.
11:39Between my sheets.
11:43And if some man should get his hand on it there...
11:48..it'll be over my dead body.
11:51Nellie, what are you saying?
12:05I think that's a hot water bottle.
12:09No maniacal maniac will get his hands on that.
12:14Ah, not even the Boston Dangler.
12:20Ah!
12:24Ah!
12:27Ah!
12:30Ah!
12:34Well, how's it with you, Nellie?
12:36Son of your Eli.
12:37You Fleming fool, you could have been Jack the Zipper.
12:41Nellie, you haven't got a few quid stashed away in mothballs, have you, anyway?
12:46I mean, you know, something to tide me over like.
12:49A couple of Nickers would do.
12:51If I've told you once, I've told you twice over.
12:54I haven't had a Nicker all week.
12:57I'm absolutely Nickerless.
13:00Well, I'm feeling the draft myself, you know.
13:03I thought you might have something tucked away like in the back pocket of your bloomers.
13:07Get off, you!
13:08Ingellibly no.
13:11Well...
13:12That's it, isn't it, then?
13:13Yes, well, if you finish your scrounging, that is it.
13:17Yes, well.
13:19Now the end is near.
13:21And I face the final curtain.
13:24My friend, I'll say it clear.
13:27I'll say it clear.
13:28I'll state my case.
13:30Of which I'm certain.
13:32Well, then, go on. State your case, then. Go on.
13:35All I can say, Nellie, is...
13:38I've lived a life that's full.
13:41I've travelled each and every highway.
13:44But more, much more than this.
13:47I did it my way.
13:51Well, that serves you right, then. You've nobody to blame.
13:58Well, where the hell do you think you're going?
14:00I'm catching the all-night bus to Manchester, Nellie.
14:03And when the dawn comes up, overheating more gasworks,
14:08where will I be?
14:10Flogging me gherkins all over Ashton Market.
14:13Do you mean to say you're going and leaving me on my own, by myself, with nobody with me?
14:18In this uninhabitable house, at a time like now?
14:22Well, Nellie, if you'd sub me a few bob,
14:24I wouldn't have to leave you, a defenceless woman,
14:27in a spooky place like this.
14:31Yes, well...
14:33So that's your game, is it?
14:36If you think you can squeeze some money out of me,
14:40you've got another thing to thunk.
14:44Because I can look after myself and defend for myself.
14:50All right, then. I'd best be off.
14:53Well, if that's the way you feel...
14:55Get gone!
15:01Aye, aye, aye! Come back, come back!
15:24That's the last one.
15:30I'd just like to see anybody get in here now.
15:33Hello, Miss Nellie.
15:37How the hell did you get in?
15:39The front door was open.
15:42Get in, for...
15:43Aye, aye, aye.
15:45I'm not going in.
15:47I'm not going in.
15:49I'm not going in.
15:51Aye, aye, aye.
15:53Don't worry.
15:55I've double-bolted it, put chain on and turned key.
15:59It'll be safest with me.
16:02There's nobody'll get into this house tonight.
16:06We're all alone.
16:08Just the two of us.
16:12So we are.
16:14Aren't we?
16:16The two of us.
16:18What's that specky-eyed manual carrier doing here at this time of night?
16:22Something very auspicious about this.
16:27Aye, stop it off, Nellie.
16:29Next you'll be imagining that Stan is the Boston Dangler.
16:36I've known him all me life.
16:38No, never Stan.
16:42WHISTLING
16:47Flaming Nora, that's from the mickadoo.
16:50That defective inspector said the criminal liked a whistle-gilded Miss Holloman.
16:58He is looking well dis-scruffed.
17:01It's a smart suit.
17:03Let's see, small in stature, getting on in years.
17:06Worse glasses, very smartly dressed.
17:09Are you feeling all right, Miss Nellie?
17:11Oh, yes, yes.
17:13I was just having a see at your suit.
17:16It's very cute.
17:18And suits you to boot.
17:21I'll bet it costs you more than a woman's wages that I pay you.
17:25Oh, I can't tell you how much, but it's worth it.
17:29At night, I become a difficult person, you know.
17:34What's the matter, Miss Nellie?
17:36Oh, nothing. I just got fed up with sat sitting there.
17:39And I don't feel like stood standing here.
17:42So I think I'll take a walk round the rug.
17:49Sit yourself down and relax.
17:52I know what you need.
17:54Oh, you do?
17:56Yes. Here.
17:59What's this?
18:00A drop of good stuff, is this.
18:05If that doesn't knock her out, I don't know what will.
18:11Aren't you going to have some?
18:13Me? No. I'll have all I want later.
18:17Here you are.
18:19Can't you see he's trying to slip you a drop-out knock?
18:22Well, I'm not going to.
18:24Can't you see he's trying to slip you a drop-out knock?
18:27Well, I'm not drinking it.
18:33Oh, is that real Dresden silver?
18:36What? Oh, the whisky flask.
18:39I think so.
18:42Hey, that didn't last long, did it?
18:45Have another.
18:54It looks more like genuine Chipperfield to me.
19:01Aye, it might be.
19:07You're going it a bit, aren't you?
19:10Have another.
19:17Well, cheers.
19:25That was very delectable.
19:31Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Nelly, it's all finished.
19:34Oh, good. I mean, oh, what a pity.
19:37I tell you what, why don't you go out and make a cup of cocoa?
19:41Cocoa?
19:43Yes.
19:45Cocoa.
19:47With a capital K.
19:55To stay or not to stay, that is the question.
19:59Whether to go and leave my treasured possession
20:04for him to hold, or shall I stay
20:09and maybe become an indolent victim
20:13to his horrible skulldruggeries?
20:18I think I'll go.
20:21Ah!
20:25What did you do with her?
20:27I only wanted to know, should I cut her a booty?
20:32What did you do with her?
20:34I only wanted to know, should I cut her a booty?
21:01Ah!
21:19Nobody can get at me now.
21:27There it is, all safe and sound.
21:37I think I'll just be lay-lying here
21:40until he terrible-ises somebody else.
21:54Yeah!
21:56Yeah!
21:58Yeah!
22:00He's bringing it! Bloody hell!
22:10What the hell in Carnation are you doing in my bedroom?
22:13Exclaim yourself!
22:15Well, how can I put it?
22:17Yeah, well, don't worry.
22:19Don't try and tell me why you're here.
22:21Oh, I don't have to, do I? I'll see you morning then.
22:23Yeah, just a minute.
22:24You stay stood standing where you stood
22:26because I've stood as much as I can stand.
22:29And now why you sent Stan over there
22:31to hold my attentions in the lounge
22:34while you came into my bedroom
22:37to get your hands on my personal defects.
22:40You've got some invaluable idea.
22:41You sleep with it under your pillow, don't you?
22:43And I thought you were trying to sneak up the stairs with it.
22:45What is it?
22:46Something my dad said you ought never to get your hands on
22:49because he said if you did like a flash
22:51you would cop it, hop it and pop it.
22:54Well, what is it, Nelly? Come here.
22:56That is a monument to a man
22:58who has piddled on this sod non-stop
23:02for 63 years.
23:06Here's Golden Gherkin.
23:13I'll see you again
23:16whenever spring breaks through again.
23:21Time I may have a between.
23:24But has he been
23:26ever there
23:29to kiss me?
23:32Oh, wasn't that good of Stan, eh?
23:35To take us out to dinner like that.
23:37Aye.
23:38All the time I thought he was the Boston Dangler.
23:42And all the time he was getting his money
23:44backing greyhounds.
23:46No, not backing them, Nelly. Doping them.
23:48Oh.
23:49Oh, well.
23:50We've got nothing to worry about now.
23:52Everything's over, eh?
23:53Yes.
23:54We can sleep in our beds tonight
23:55without fear or flavour.
23:57Yes.
24:02Oh, you're back over last, are you?
24:04Well, I've got some bad news for you.
24:06You're the first victims of a new crime wave.
24:08Hey, they haven't pinched my Golden Gherkin.
24:11Well, there are one or two things missing.
24:13Take a look inside.
24:24Bloody Lord.
24:28You must have milked...
24:29Hey, come here.
24:30How did he get in?
24:32A clever stroke, sir,
24:33and executed with devastating cunning.
24:35Somebody left the front door wide open.
24:39You bus-eyed,
24:40ball-legged tripe-hound, you.
24:42You said you locked that door.
24:44You're not me knackered old knolls-bag.
24:46You said you locked it.
24:47I didn't.
24:48You didn't.
24:49Didn't.
24:50Didn't.
24:51Didn't.
24:52Didn't.
25:22Look at this.
25:40That's it.
25:41Oh, wait a minute.
25:42Let's see if it's got the fish in.
25:44What is this?
25:45Oh, now, what else?
25:46Oh, yes.
25:48Well, they're hot.
25:49Hey, short house, do you think there's enough in there for two of us?
26:03Well, if you're too lazy to go out and sell them, you'll just have to stop at home and
26:06eat them, won't you? Like me mam says, waste not, want not, pick it up and eat it.
26:12Nellie, does it have to be fish and chips again tonight? I thought we could go out and
26:17try that new restaurant next to town hall. New restaurant? Oh, very unusual. It's English.
26:21Well, it's nice of you to want to take your sister out after our day's pickling. Well,
26:28come on then. You won't have to lend me more than a tenner. Go on. Yes, you won't.
26:34There off you scrounging teleman's doormat, you. Well, you wouldn't. You'd lend your own
26:40brother a few, Bob, wouldn't you? I wouldn't give you a button off me grandad's vest when
26:45it had been thrown in the midden for scrap. Seat off down and get your fish and chips
26:50here. Yeah, rotten thing, you are. And I'm rotten. Come on, pass this vinegar. Pass it
26:54vinegar. I won't give you a pickle. There's vinegar. Go on, get on with it. There. Oh,
27:02my God. Hey, that breaking next door, it's not just an insulated case. It says here there's
27:13been a lot of burglaries around here. Yeah, it says here that the vicar took the cubmistress
27:18up the bell tower. And the burglar still hasn't been caught. Watch this. The police are on
27:24the loo. Oh, just a minute. Oh, on the loo count. It says here the vicar wanted to show
27:33the ropes. The police alleged what? And he was pulling.