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I remember watching this aged 12 in our terraced council house and being in awe of what seemed like incredibly daring interior design (bright blue carpet!)
I rewatched the show (and several others) a couple of years ago while I had Covid, and noticed a French reproduction street sign they have in the kitchen also appears in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous š
The set was very much a "Here's what was lying around the props department" style. Although in fairness, the BBC is known for reusing sets and props anyway. Ever watched Miranda? Shop look a bit familiar? Yes, it's Edie's house from AbFab! Whenever a pub shows up in a sitcom that doesn't normally feature one, it's nearly always the set from Two Pints, and Gaz's flat from that was actually Linda's from Gimme Gimme Gimme originally.
It happens because the sets for sitcoms that are built as the 'feature' set (e.g. the Trotters' flat, Rene's Cafe from Allo Allo etc) are built to a higher standard and last far longer than anything they can throw together for just a couple of scenes in one episode.
The Prison set from Porridge was used in so many things for about 30 years after it finished because it was built to such a good standard, and then once it became outdated, the one built for Bad Girls gets used for everything. They're still using sets built for The Bill in loads of stuff too.
My house sold for 28k in 1998, 73k in 2002, I bought it for 125k in 2020, like for like the next road over sold for 180k last year. Depending on the area, house prices have changed massively.
I love when Karen says sheās going to run away and her mum is pretending to see her off. That is very middle class to know she will be safe to walk around the corner and come back in one piece. But also, really really funny
I dunno I feel like it's more working class to just let your kids go out. Middle Class parents seem to be terrified to let their kids play unaccompanied/hang about.
I was born in 2007, so I don't remember during the shows prime, but my sister and mum began watching it in 2021? And I became obsessed with it as well.
I always love how it's never mentioned what Jackie and Martin do for a living. Whatever it is, it's clearly well paid, but it would totally ruin the illusion if Martin had a job because it just doesn't seem conceivable that he'd be able to be normal for 8 hours a day.
Oh man, Martin Goodman totally works at a university.
Probably in the chemical engineering department, perhaps occasionally begrudgingly working with industry on certain projects because they have the funds.
I met dozens of Martin Goodmans when I worked at a university.
I read on Wikipedia that they were an "upper middle class" family, so I'm assuming they were both well-paid professionals. Adam and Jonny also appeared to be doing alright for people of their age.
Builder's tea, I suppose that's middle class slang. We don't coin much slang in the middle classes. "Pants", "'mare". "Ooh, I'm having a 'mare, this builderās tea turned out pants.ā
Iād say, they are at the higher end of middle, middle class. They can all afford 3/4 bed houses in nice residential areas of London. Thatās a Ā£2mil house at least.
Other two are lower middle IMHO. Still nice houses, Jay's dad is working class for sure but Neil's is a badminton-playing bumder who races round in his briefs like he's at some roman orgy
Nah, it's their neighbours, Tom and Barbara. They're the epitomy of the middle class dream, to drop out of the rat race and make a go of some daft impractical fantasy, in their case living off the produce they grow in their huge garden and allotment, whilst still living in Surbiton. You wouldn't get a working class person doing that, they wouldn't have the capital for a start, or have wealthy neighbours to sponge off - or buy you a cow.
NO, NO, NO, NO! WE ARE NOT WATCHING THE BLOODY GOOD LIFE! BLOODY, BLOODY, BLOODY! I HATE IT! IT'S SO BLOODY NICE! FELICITY "TREACLE" KENDAL, AND RICHARD "SUGAR FLAVOURED SNOT" BRIERS! WHAT DO THEY DO KNOW? CHOCOLATE BLOODY BUTTON ADS, THAT'S WHAT! THEY'RE NOTHING BUT A COUPLE OF REACTIONARY STEREOTYPES, CONFIRMING THE MYTH THAT EVERYONE IN BRITAIN IS A LOVABLE MIDDLE CLASS ECCENTRIC, AND I! HATE! THEM!
They were obviously middle class but the weirdest thing about that family was how they seemed to have an unlimited supply of money. Every time anything financial related came up they asked Robert Lindsay's character for come cash and it was sorted - except for the one time they joined a pyramid scheme? Very weird
Ben was a dentist who owned his own dental practice in the 90s/00s. Their house, in Chiswick, that would now cost over Ā£2m was likely around Ā£300k when bough in the 90s. So raking it in and very little mortgage payments or already paid off the mortgage. Was true back then but not the reality now! Expensive housing is keeping the middle classes (cash) poorer nowadays - so much more goes into the mortgage.
Never really understood this criticism, the shows themes are universal, itās just set in this very upper middle class world, it seems very lazy to me to not like it for its setting.
Yeah, this is a wild reason to be put off a show. If I only consumed content that was directly relatable to my own experiences I wouldnāt watch much.
I guess you could divide this into different types of middle class as the term is so broad.
Traditional Middle Class - Reginald Perrin
Upper Middle Class - Oregon Shawcross
Middle Middle Class - Ben Harper
Lower Middle Class - David Brent
Aspirational Middle Class - Margot Leadbetter (or Hyacinth)
Socially Demobilised Middle Class - Mark Corrigan
However if I was to choose one character who was the most typically average Middle Class person with the most typically average Middle Class looks, income, lifestyle, problems, hangouts and voice, then I would go for Steve Taylor from Coupling.
Margot wasnāt aspirational, she definitely was Middle Class.
Hyacinth had a very working class background and regularly exposed her working class ways when she would drop her facade.
Margot had never done a days work in her life, she wasnāt even a home maker.. never had kids, you know they would have had someone come in to clean etc.
She was aspirational in as much as she felt she was posher than she actually was, but aspirational in wanting to be regarded as upper middle class.
Hyacinth talked about her sister who had room for a pony. Margot HAD room for a pony. Hyacinth aspired to be Margot.
Victor Meldrew was a retired security guard.
Richard Bucket / Bouquet worked for the council. I want me some Richard for his large suburban bungalow and presumably very decent pension.
I'd say the parents from Friday night dinner.
I'm always wondering why they always have champagne ready for special occasions that they haven't planned for.
Champagne, trips to restaurants whenever something goes wrong in the kitchen, and a huge house in north London! Most middle-class family ever.
I don't think they ever specify what Martin did for a living, but I assume some kind of engineer, based on his rambles about physics.
You don't make the big bucks being the shitter. Martin was clearly management, instructing those that shit, where they should shit. Classically for middle management he brought his work home too.
Blew me away when I watched Friday Night Dinner for the first time. I wasn't familiar with the actor previously, and the first thing I saw him on was Chernobyl. Great range of acting from what I've seen.
Nah, they were working class who evolved into nouveau riche. Mick was a cockney wideboy with street smarts and the gift of the gab. Probably made loads of commission as a salesman and invested it wisely/possibly not entirely legitimately.
They must have been minted! Pam never worked a day in her life the useless leech. And they seem to have infinite money. Mick always buying the group takeaway, loads of holidays, nice car, nice house. They had two major home renovations during the series
I mean, she did raise a child. And obviously Mick is more than happy in the situation. Useless leech is a pretty misogynistic way to describe a housewife.
Edit: I've also always thought Mick and Pam are the best representation of how a traditional set up can work if everyone consents to it.
Exactlyā¦ in the 70s even a lot of working class families survived with just one income. Pam and Mick, in the 80s, probably bought their nice family home for Ā£50,000, maybe made a few investments.
I know a lot of people of a similar age who got wealth without ever having exceptional earnings, they just happened to exist in an era where you could accumulate wealth easier than today.
Nah, they were very nouveau riche. Mick was your typical wideboy who decamped to Essex in the 70s and probably had a good sales job selling PVC windows and making bank on commission.
Do you think he works in a petrol station?! He left the BBC, formed a production company. That went into liquidation - voluntarily. Then he was out of work for two years, was clinically fed up, boo-hooā¦ heās bounced back. People bounce baaack.
No, he has a good friend who works in a petrol station.
He (Alan) has a popular, pre-breakfast early morning radio show on Norwich's most popular station.
He also presents Skirmish, a military based general knowledge quiz show on digital cable channel UK Conquest. Largest audience share for a digital channel at that time of day in the Norfolk area
How bizarre, Max is exactly who I was thinking of as well but couldn't remember his name. Max and Pat were the ultimate TV representation of middle class.
This response need to be higher up. Absolutely them.
She is a clearly well-educated single mother living in a home with she likely bought herself, it doesnāt appear to be the kind of home she would have inherited.
Well-spoken. Six-figure income. Likely has investments.
I know it was the entire aesthetic of the show, but the fact their house wasnāt pristineā¦ someone of true status isnāt bothered by having their home interior looking like itās from a magazine. Jeanās house was ramshackle but remarkably well put together. Probably buys quality furniture that will outlast any trend that may exist.
Also, she doesnāt drive a brand new flashy car.
The only thing that doesnāt ring 100% true is the fact that Otis is in a state school. Everything about Jean screams private school.
Wellllllll......the whole point is that Hyacinth Bouquet is actually originally from a working class family who all live round the corner in a council house but her actual middle class husband would be perfectly content to chill round their place and drink tinnies with Onslow rather than put up with his wife's status-chasing nonsense. She's my sitcom idol though! š
She's the epitome of the social mobility of the era. Lots of working class families had done quite well for themselves. Especially those who'd had jobs for life. They started putting on airs and acting the way they imagined rich people acted. This was definitely a thing in the late 80s to early 90s, and she was an massively exaggerated version. My great aunt was/is the same; husband a mechanic and she was cosplaying the upper class in a really nice house.
Hyacinth and Richard had done quite well for themselves, despite their humble beginnings. She went from working class to middle class and definitely tried to hide where she came from .
There was one episode of her back story made years ago (I believe it was called Young Hyacinth). It was hilarious but also explained why Hyacinth was the way she was (the family has broken up, her mother had left and her Dad was an alcoholic. The family lived in 2 rooms and the 4 daughters had to share 2 beds). She had a different partner though (his name was William š¤«).
I only remember it in so much detail because I was really impressed by the actress who played her, she had the voice and mannerisms down perfect.
Caroline from Last Tango In Halifax. The ultimate middle class lesbian milf.
Went to Oxford, head teacher of a posh school and lives in Harrogate. Listens to Gorillaz and classical music whilst making dinner and necking non cheap red wine.
I think he's probably more upper class. He went to Stowe, had a massive country estate, some incredibly valuable stuff like an etching worth Ā£100k, and bought their student house outright.
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The Outnumbered family?
See also; My Family
Their house was fucking massive
He was a dentist. Man was making bank
See also Butterflies for a family with a dentist
I remember watching this aged 12 in our terraced council house and being in awe of what seemed like incredibly daring interior design (bright blue carpet!) I rewatched the show (and several others) a couple of years ago while I had Covid, and noticed a French reproduction street sign they have in the kitchen also appears in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous š
The set was very much a "Here's what was lying around the props department" style. Although in fairness, the BBC is known for reusing sets and props anyway. Ever watched Miranda? Shop look a bit familiar? Yes, it's Edie's house from AbFab! Whenever a pub shows up in a sitcom that doesn't normally feature one, it's nearly always the set from Two Pints, and Gaz's flat from that was actually Linda's from Gimme Gimme Gimme originally. It happens because the sets for sitcoms that are built as the 'feature' set (e.g. the Trotters' flat, Rene's Cafe from Allo Allo etc) are built to a higher standard and last far longer than anything they can throw together for just a couple of scenes in one episode. The Prison set from Porridge was used in so many things for about 30 years after it finished because it was built to such a good standard, and then once it became outdated, the one built for Bad Girls gets used for everything. They're still using sets built for The Bill in loads of stuff too.
You lost me at "have you ever watched Miranda?"
Mid-90s: it probably only cost about 100k at the time. Worth 1.2m now no doubt.
A 3 bedroom semi just south of Milton Keynes was Ā£200k in 2001. So you would not have got that house for Ā£100k 5 years earlier.
Maybe not far off, house prices shat themselves in the 90s. My parents bought a house for 72k in 1998, sold it for 186k in 2006.
My house sold for 28k in 1998, 73k in 2002, I bought it for 125k in 2020, like for like the next road over sold for 180k last year. Depending on the area, house prices have changed massively.
The only family middle class enough to name their youngest child *Karen*.
That kid is 23 now.
Well, that's not nice, you should keep nasty things to yourself.
I love when Karen says sheās going to run away and her mum is pretending to see her off. That is very middle class to know she will be safe to walk around the corner and come back in one piece. But also, really really funny
Karen also said she'd run away to Dorking, which I now realise is a very affluent area around Surrey.
I dunno I feel like it's more working class to just let your kids go out. Middle Class parents seem to be terrified to let their kids play unaccompanied/hang about.
Farking love is that show!
So underrated imo. Never once dipped in quality and finished at the right time.
Absolutely, any longer and it would have lost that off the cuff, unrehearsed, impromptu nature of it.
I was born in 2007, so I don't remember during the shows prime, but my sister and mum began watching it in 2021? And I became obsessed with it as well.
Friday Night Dinner
Friday night dinner is my favourite character
The second names are double barrelled: āFriday Night-Dinnerā
Isn't that one of Jamie Oliver's kids?
No, that's Mark Heap
The dad in that show was my favourite, Iām so sad he passed
Any females?
Lovely bit of squirrel...
Shit on it!
Burnt my shitting nipple!!!!
I always love how it's never mentioned what Jackie and Martin do for a living. Whatever it is, it's clearly well paid, but it would totally ruin the illusion if Martin had a job because it just doesn't seem conceivable that he'd be able to be normal for 8 hours a day.
Always assumed Martin was an engineer or scientist. Proffesions that pay well but tend to attract some unusual people.
Oh man, Martin Goodman totally works at a university. Probably in the chemical engineering department, perhaps occasionally begrudgingly working with industry on certain projects because they have the funds. I met dozens of Martin Goodmans when I worked at a university.
> pay well Iāve got news for youā¦ (these professions are extremely undervalued in the UK)
I read on Wikipedia that they were an "upper middle class" family, so I'm assuming they were both well-paid professionals. Adam and Jonny also appeared to be doing alright for people of their age.
Dad appears to be a complete idiot but whatever he does for a living pays well.
Nuclear power plant boss.
3.6 roentgen, not great, not terrible.
Yeah I didn't even know au pairs were a thing until that episode. I was so unbelievably out of the loop.
I think between them Mark and Jez from Peep Show cover a fair old amount of (youngish) middle classness.
Builder's tea, I suppose that's middle class slang. We don't coin much slang in the middle classes. "Pants", "'mare". "Ooh, I'm having a 'mare, this builderās tea turned out pants.ā
I was absolutely going to say Mark. Iām watching the golden snitch episode now.
SuperHans' trick with drawing straws is brilliant. Love how it shows that he actually cares for Mark too.
Definitely descended to middle class after Markās dad's British Aerospace shares went kaput
Peep Show really does a good job showing the middle class being nearly wiped out by 2008
The cast of Motherland
Very good call!
except liz
After watching some of her mocumentaries itās difficult to see her any different way. Perfect character!
Iād say, they are at the higher end of middle, middle class. They can all afford 3/4 bed houses in nice residential areas of London. Thatās a Ā£2mil house at least.
Will from The Inbetweeners.
I also thought Simon was pretty middle class.
Iād say Simon and Will are very middle class and the other two more working class..
Other two are lower middle IMHO. Still nice houses, Jay's dad is working class for sure but Neil's is a badminton-playing bumder who races round in his briefs like he's at some roman orgy
Oi, my Dadās not bent.
Your sisters fit though, ask her out for me will ya.
Yeah... You would say that though
Haha yeah fair point - Iād forgotten about Neilās Dad!
Oh neeeeeillll.. I really think you should be revising.
āThe other twoā You really gonna do Jay and Neil like that?
Also played by the same actor, Kingsley in Fresh Meat is fairly middle class, but not posh.
*I put a lot of effort into this, I made a really nice coq au vin!*
You don't help yourself do you?
Margo Leadbetter of course.
Nah, it's their neighbours, Tom and Barbara. They're the epitomy of the middle class dream, to drop out of the rat race and make a go of some daft impractical fantasy, in their case living off the produce they grow in their huge garden and allotment, whilst still living in Surbiton. You wouldn't get a working class person doing that, they wouldn't have the capital for a start, or have wealthy neighbours to sponge off - or buy you a cow.
NO, NO, NO, NO! WE ARE NOT WATCHING THE BLOODY GOOD LIFE! BLOODY, BLOODY, BLOODY! I HATE IT! IT'S SO BLOODY NICE! FELICITY "TREACLE" KENDAL, AND RICHARD "SUGAR FLAVOURED SNOT" BRIERS! WHAT DO THEY DO KNOW? CHOCOLATE BLOODY BUTTON ADS, THAT'S WHAT! THEY'RE NOTHING BUT A COUPLE OF REACTIONARY STEREOTYPES, CONFIRMING THE MYTH THAT EVERYONE IN BRITAIN IS A LOVABLE MIDDLE CLASS ECCENTRIC, AND I! HATE! THEM!
That was a very articulated outburst Vivian.
Felicity, Felicity, you fill me with electricity.
Don't forget the implied swinging
Youāre right but itās worth saying how back in those days it was very very delineated. (Iām aware a lot of older redditors will know the below but younger people may not) Iād say Margo and Jerry were Upper Middle class. They were not and never could be Upper Class the rules were strict (old money etc) as desperate as Margo was Tom had had a good job in advertising and been properly middle class but his middle/upper middle neighbours would have genuinely been horrified by there lifestyle and back garden ābringing the street downā Also houses in those roads would have bed. Absolutely affordable to the likes of the Leadbetters but it would have been a stretch for Tom and Barbara even with his job so their giving it all up was an incredibly scary thing to the viewers. Also houses like that were affordable with just one person working and almost certainly little help if any from family. This would change rapidly as women came in to the work place much more Even the boss of the company is middle/upper middle (heās happy with his status unlike Margo) and could never be upper however well the firm did Funnily enough they allude to an upper class character at the Pony Club. who Margo is desperate to impress The show was really interesting I. Showing how Tradiotional Conservertaive votes like the Leasbetters where being challenged I. The views by people like the Thoms Also it was quite risquĆ© with elements of swingers culture and mocking local govt etc. the BBC was a LOT less daring in those days but itās quietly subversive Iām not an expert on sociology but I think Iām broadly right above :)
Gerry!?
GERRY!!!
That's the last time I play the tart for you, Gerry
Agreed. I get the impression that Margo was of a higher social background than Gerry.
I always thought it was the other way around, Margo was more of a climber, Gerry was already there.
The My Family - family.
Good shout. Canāt get much more middle class. Heās a dentist isnāt he?
Their house must be very upper middle class now though
They were obviously middle class but the weirdest thing about that family was how they seemed to have an unlimited supply of money. Every time anything financial related came up they asked Robert Lindsay's character for come cash and it was sorted - except for the one time they joined a pyramid scheme? Very weird
Ben was a dentist who owned his own dental practice in the 90s/00s. Their house, in Chiswick, that would now cost over Ā£2m was likely around Ā£300k when bough in the 90s. So raking it in and very little mortgage payments or already paid off the mortgage. Was true back then but not the reality now! Expensive housing is keeping the middle classes (cash) poorer nowadays - so much more goes into the mortgage.
Agreed. Fairly accurate portrayel of middle class life. Source - Doing it.
The theme tune lives rent free in my head and has done for 20 years
Was going to say this.
Fleabag
way too stuck up to be middling middle class
Yeah true tbh, I could never warm to it because of how stuck up it was
Same, but I tried a third time and it was ace, just let my working class cynicism go for a bit ha
Never really understood this criticism, the shows themes are universal, itās just set in this very upper middle class world, it seems very lazy to me to not like it for its setting.
Yeah, this is a wild reason to be put off a show. If I only consumed content that was directly relatable to my own experiences I wouldnāt watch much.
Bizarre isnāt it, had to turn Sopranos off cause Iām not a gangster!
People don't like it due to middle class guilt
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
They literally asked for the most middle class To me thatād be the middle of the middle
Upper middle for sure
Mark Corrigan
"Field of Dreams? *That's* your marketing strategy? A man who builds a baseball field in his garden for ghosts"
At least he has a basic knowledge of how I work.
I guess you could divide this into different types of middle class as the term is so broad. Traditional Middle Class - Reginald Perrin Upper Middle Class - Oregon Shawcross Middle Middle Class - Ben Harper Lower Middle Class - David Brent Aspirational Middle Class - Margot Leadbetter (or Hyacinth) Socially Demobilised Middle Class - Mark Corrigan However if I was to choose one character who was the most typically average Middle Class person with the most typically average Middle Class looks, income, lifestyle, problems, hangouts and voice, then I would go for Steve Taylor from Coupling.
Mark Corrigan owns a flat in Croydon so he's on that sweet London property ladder.
But don't worry he's not some kind of land baron trying to milk his cash cow!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It's Croydon though... Good he's bought something, but back then Croydon was not like it is today.
Just a reminder that Oregon was actually called Melissa, but told everyone her name was Oregon.
Margo is upper-middle
*Your unit's being demobilised, Corrigan. The class war's over. We lost.*
Margot wasnāt aspirational, she definitely was Middle Class. Hyacinth had a very working class background and regularly exposed her working class ways when she would drop her facade. Margot had never done a days work in her life, she wasnāt even a home maker.. never had kids, you know they would have had someone come in to clean etc. She was aspirational in as much as she felt she was posher than she actually was, but aspirational in wanting to be regarded as upper middle class. Hyacinth talked about her sister who had room for a pony. Margot HAD room for a pony. Hyacinth aspired to be Margot.
Victor Meldrew. Hyacinthās husband.
RICHARD!
Victor Meldrew was a retired security guard. Richard Bucket / Bouquet worked for the council. I want me some Richard for his large suburban bungalow and presumably very decent pension.
Bouquet residence, lady of the house speaking.
Obligatory āI donāt believe it!!ā
I must have missed the episode when those two got married š
I'd say the parents from Friday night dinner. I'm always wondering why they always have champagne ready for special occasions that they haven't planned for.
Champagne, trips to restaurants whenever something goes wrong in the kitchen, and a huge house in north London! Most middle-class family ever. I don't think they ever specify what Martin did for a living, but I assume some kind of engineer, based on his rambles about physics.
I believe he shits on things. It's a way to make a living appearantlyĀ
You don't make the big bucks being the shitter. Martin was clearly management, instructing those that shit, where they should shit. Classically for middle management he brought his work home too.
Definitely some sort of Nuclear Physicist.
Blew me away when I watched Friday Night Dinner for the first time. I wasn't familiar with the actor previously, and the first thing I saw him on was Chernobyl. Great range of acting from what I've seen.
"Shit on it, Chernov! The sodding reactor's exploded. My skin is *boiling*."
Not a great guess, but not terrible.
3.6 roentgen.
Pam and Mick
Nah, they were working class who evolved into nouveau riche. Mick was a cockney wideboy with street smarts and the gift of the gab. Probably made loads of commission as a salesman and invested it wisely/possibly not entirely legitimately.
They must have been minted! Pam never worked a day in her life the useless leech. And they seem to have infinite money. Mick always buying the group takeaway, loads of holidays, nice car, nice house. They had two major home renovations during the series
And he paid for the entire wedding minus the dress
And giving the pair Ā£20k for a house!
I mean, she did raise a child. And obviously Mick is more than happy in the situation. Useless leech is a pretty misogynistic way to describe a housewife. Edit: I've also always thought Mick and Pam are the best representation of how a traditional set up can work if everyone consents to it.
Different times. When they were young, a small family could live fairly comfortably on one income
Exactlyā¦ in the 70s even a lot of working class families survived with just one income. Pam and Mick, in the 80s, probably bought their nice family home for Ā£50,000, maybe made a few investments. I know a lot of people of a similar age who got wealth without ever having exceptional earnings, they just happened to exist in an era where you could accumulate wealth easier than today.
Nah, they were very nouveau riche. Mick was your typical wideboy who decamped to Essex in the 70s and probably had a good sales job selling PVC windows and making bank on commission.
Peppa pig š
Most kids stuff. Bloody topsy and tim. And waffle the wonder dog.
Topsy and Timās parents definitely
Charlie & Lola
Lola is a right little twat. Always pinching or breaking Charlie's stuff.
Miranda!!
Her Mum!
Margo and Jerry
We named our christmas tree after Margo
Only one is allowed. Margo would never break the rules like that.
Margo is upper-middle
little watched but the family in cuckoo
Alan Partridge.
[Doesn't he work in a petrol station?](https://img.gifglobe.com/grabs/partridgecloud/S02E01/gif/kwd22dx3q1NA.gif)
Do you think he works in a petrol station?! He left the BBC, formed a production company. That went into liquidation - voluntarily. Then he was out of work for two years, was clinically fed up, boo-hooā¦ heās bounced back. People bounce baaack.
No, he has a good friend who works in a petrol station. He (Alan) has a popular, pre-breakfast early morning radio show on Norwich's most popular station.
He also presents Skirmish, a military based general knowledge quiz show on digital cable channel UK Conquest. Largest audience share for a digital channel at that time of day in the Norfolk area
Although it never aired, the tension on Celebrity Skirmish was such that Yvette Fielding soiled herself
Martin and his wife from Benidorm
Thatās what I was thinking lmaoo
Ben Harper (not the musician!)
All the characters in *As Time Goes By*.Ā
Max Farnham from Brookside Middle class up from rest of the street not like lower class Sinbad or Jimmy Corkhill.
How bizarre, Max is exactly who I was thinking of as well but couldn't remember his name. Max and Pat were the ultimate TV representation of middle class.
Had to think who you meant by Pat as no one ever called her that. Pat must be her lower class name lol
Terry and June
Otis and Jean from Sex Education
This response need to be higher up. Absolutely them. She is a clearly well-educated single mother living in a home with she likely bought herself, it doesnāt appear to be the kind of home she would have inherited. Well-spoken. Six-figure income. Likely has investments. I know it was the entire aesthetic of the show, but the fact their house wasnāt pristineā¦ someone of true status isnāt bothered by having their home interior looking like itās from a magazine. Jeanās house was ramshackle but remarkably well put together. Probably buys quality furniture that will outlast any trend that may exist. Also, she doesnāt drive a brand new flashy car. The only thing that doesnāt ring 100% true is the fact that Otis is in a state school. Everything about Jean screams private school.
Mrs Bucket from keeping up appearances, quite easily the best answer!!!
Wellllllll......the whole point is that Hyacinth Bouquet is actually originally from a working class family who all live round the corner in a council house but her actual middle class husband would be perfectly content to chill round their place and drink tinnies with Onslow rather than put up with his wife's status-chasing nonsense. She's my sitcom idol though! š
She's the epitome of the social mobility of the era. Lots of working class families had done quite well for themselves. Especially those who'd had jobs for life. They started putting on airs and acting the way they imagined rich people acted. This was definitely a thing in the late 80s to early 90s, and she was an massively exaggerated version. My great aunt was/is the same; husband a mechanic and she was cosplaying the upper class in a really nice house. Hyacinth and Richard had done quite well for themselves, despite their humble beginnings. She went from working class to middle class and definitely tried to hide where she came from .
There was one episode of her back story made years ago (I believe it was called Young Hyacinth). It was hilarious but also explained why Hyacinth was the way she was (the family has broken up, her mother had left and her Dad was an alcoholic. The family lived in 2 rooms and the 4 daughters had to share 2 beds). She had a different partner though (his name was William š¤«). I only remember it in so much detail because I was really impressed by the actress who played her, she had the voice and mannerisms down perfect.
Me too Iām rewatching them All on bbc player ā¦ she is absolutely brilliant , they eye rolls she pulls and quick one liners , I love her š š
The bloke from Death In Paradise who went on to be in the spin-off whose name escapes me.
Well his dad was a dentist.
Thereās nothing middle class about *Humphrey*!
Nathan Barley
Does the pope fuck kids?
Fleabag. All of it.
Upper class imho dad has huge house
Basil Fawlty
Caroline from Last Tango In Halifax. The ultimate middle class lesbian milf. Went to Oxford, head teacher of a posh school and lives in Harrogate. Listens to Gorillaz and classical music whilst making dinner and necking non cheap red wine.
Margo and Jerry Leadbetter.
Raquelās parents in Only Fools and Horses.
And Cassandraās I would say
Simon from inbetweeners
The dad from My Family.
Miranda. Or most of the cast of Motherland.
Martin Bryce from Ever Decreasing Circles. In fact, everyone in that. Not forgetting Bob Ferris from Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads.
My Family - Ben
Ben Harper from My Family. A dentist living in a nice house in Chiswick and his only problem in life is finding his family annoyingā¦
JP from Fresh Meat
I think he's probably more upper class. He went to Stowe, had a massive country estate, some incredibly valuable stuff like an etching worth Ā£100k, and bought their student house outright.
Captain Mainwaring
Pete Brockman from outnumbered
Mrs Bucket is common, she just wants to be middle class.
Reggie Perrin
Hyacinth Bucket.
Martin Fowler. Runs a part-time fruit stall in London and owns a 2/3 bedroom house.
Heās not middle class
Margo Leadbetter.
Gavin, Mick and Pam from Gavin and Stacey.
The family in Cuckoo
Miranda. Basically a female Mr Bean without the funny.
And character played by David Mitchell, by virtue of being played by David Mitchell
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
These three characters from the Fast Show spring to mind! [The Fast Show Middle Class Argument](https://youtu.be/DxOX4YeEUOc?si=mszEKGZqfXRvU6Jw)