ANDY CAPP (1988) – Okay. I’ve put this off long enough. Time to just review Andy Capp and be done with it.
Am I referring to the original Andy Capp comic strip, which premiered in the 1950s? No.
Am I referring to the line of Andy Capp snacks, like Hot Fries, Cheddar Fries, etc.? No.
Am I referring to the 1982 stage comedy starring Tom Courtenay as Andy Capp? No.
I’m referring to the 6-episode British Television live-action sitcom Andy Capp. Each episode filled a half-hour timeslot and featured all the layabout, boozing, betting, philandering fun (?) that the comic strip did. For newbies, the comic strip character Andy Capp wallowed in never looking for a job, in sleeping all day, boozing and babe-chasing all night and losing any money he had to his bookie.
Meanwhile, his wife Flo put the bread on the table and clashed with Andy on a regular basis.
I was actually kind of chuffed (as our British cousins say) about watching this obscure television series. The Brits are usually geniuses when it comes to making what sound like thoroughly disgusting characters into oddly charming figures who endear themselves to audiences despite themselves. Think of the brilliant Absolutely Fabulous for just one example.
I went into this Andy Capp sitcom fully open to the possibility that it might be pretty damn good. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This series was years too late in coming to the small screen.
In real life, 1988 was the year that the comic strip Andy Capp caved to pressure and stopped drawing the character with a fag cigarette dangling from his mouth. Wife-beating, marital cheating, rugby hooliganism, and letting one’s wife work multiple jobs while the husband sleeps all day and boozes all night was still okay, oddly enough.
My tongue-in-cheek point there is that Andy Capp came to television the same year that there were already signs that the character’s own handlers were getting less receptive to crucial elements of the I.P. It would have required the uncompromising yet deft hand that Jennifer Saunders brought to Patsy and Edina to make this series win over viewers.
In my opinion, 1979 or maybe even earlier might have been the cut-off date for an Andy Capp sitcom to enjoy success on television. And I’m not saying that as any form of moral judgment, just as a recognition that an idea may have missed its opportunity.
It’s not even that the show isn’t funny, because there are laughs to be found, but they’re too few and far between, and Andy Capp as a series seems to have been presented by creators who were a bit ashamed of the characters and jokes they were handling.
Again, 1988 being the year that the comic strip Andy dropped his cigarettes symbolically ran up a red flag. Holding back on outrageous material can be the kiss of death. Hell, in 1992 Absolutely Fabulous would debut with characters who openly indulged in hard drugs and it became a hit, so the restraint shown by Andy Capp is puzzling.
THE EPISODES:
ONE: A NEW LEAF (Feb 22nd, 1988) – Flo makes Andy promise to turn over a new leaf. Soon, he is doing housework and even going to church with Flo. Naturally, it can’t last and Andy returns to his old ways.
TWO: THE SPORTING LIFE (Feb 29th) – Flo sets out to shame Andy over how easy his lifestyle is, only to find that keeping up with her husband’s gambling, drinking and sleeping around is too exhausting for her. NOTE: This series annoyed Andy Capp purists by depicting him playing football/ soccer with his mates rather than rugby, like in the comic strip.
THREE: FLO’S NEW FROCK (Mar 7th) – When a single friend of Flo’s gets engaged, she and her married friends believe that buying new dresses for themselves will make them feel young and desirable again. With the pub owner’s help they trick Andy and the other husbands into paying for the new clothes.
FOUR: LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME (Mar 14th) – After another intense argument, Andy proves to Flo that he can get along just fine without her. Flo retaliates by throwing Andy out. Deprived of the house as a base, he winds up in a defeated heap.
FIVE: ECONOMY DRIVE (Mar 21st) – Flo manages to adjust household spending to the point that she and Andy are finally above water, only for Andy to blow all the extra money at the pub and on his bookie.
SIX: THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ (Mar 28th) – All of the Capp family’s creditors grant Andy a month with no payments so he can buy the long-suffering Flo a nice anniversary present. A surprise party is put together for Flo, but in typical sitcom style she jumps to the conclusion that Andy has done nothing to mark their anniversary.
My dream-casting for a 1988 Andy Capp sitcom would have been Gary Oldman as Andy and Billie Whitelaw as Flo. But I’m kind of weird.
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Balladeer's Blog 
Wow, this series totally passed my by, I’d never even heard of it until your post popped up in my reader. I can well imagine James Bolam as the eponymous layabout. He played a similar character brilliantly in The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, one of my absolute favourite British tv series.
Thanks! Those two Likely Lads shows sound appealing!
They’re a nice time capsule of British working class life in the 1960s and 70s.
Cool.
Remembering how popular the strip was and of course being a Scot….I totally agree with what you’ve said.
Ha! Thank you!
I recognised the face and name but don’t know the show
I understand. The comic strip with the character was much better known.
Interesting as always. I have never heard of the forgotten TV sitcom Andy Capp before but your post has given me strong reasons to check it out. I do love movies that are based on comic strips.
I hope you enjoy it!
I remember this comic strip! I had no idea they’d made a show out of it!
I was surprised, too!