Likely Lads At War: Jimmy Bolan Refuses To Sanction Repeats!

[Si Hunt]

And you wondered why "Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads" had never been repeated to death like "Dad's Army" and "Porridge"?

They were the best of friends – on screen at least. But now a feud that has simmered between the estranged stars of the BBC sitcom The Likely Lads for almost 35 years has erupted. Rodney Bewes, who played Bob Ferris in the series, has accused his former co-star James Bolam of condemning fellow cast members to poverty through his refusal to grant permission for the series to be repeated on network television.

"Jimmy Bolam's killed it, which is such a pity," he said: "I'm very poor so I have to tour one-man shows because Jimmy has buried The Likely Lads. You have to sign a waiver for them to repeat it and he stopped it while he did New Tricks. Well, New Tricks has been on so long, and is so repeated, that he must be very wealthy; me, I've just got an overdraft and a mortgage."

When asked why the pair haven't spoken since 1976, he said: "It's this actor's ego thing: he thinks he is important. Actors aren't important. I'm not important; I have fun. I think Jimmy takes himself very seriously as an 'actor'."

Bolam did not respond to requests to comment on his former colleague's remarks. However, in an interview to promote a children's TV series called Grandpa in My Pocket, he said: "It's irksome that people like you bang on about it as if it's the only thing I've ever done in my life.... When the series is over it's over and you move on to other things. You see, because one played great friends it doesn't mean that you are great friends."

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Poor Bewes! Bolam sounds like a bit of a git really. Then again, don't you think the series has been less cheapened by re-runs than some of its fellows? And you can see why Bolam has put it behind him and forged on with his career. But equally, Bewes must feel pretty cheated that he can't earn a living from his old work because someone else in it doesn't want him to.

Should we just put them both in a big pit and let them fight it out? Who's in the right here?

Si.

[Captain Tancredi]

Funnily enough, I was just about to report that as I was picking up a prescription about twenty minutes ago, the name ahead of mine in the file was Terry Collier.

I've always felt that actors who block repeats because they've moved on and don't want to be associated with a part are being unfair to their fellow professionals. More often than not, it's the most successful member of the cast denying others residuals which might be a welcome windfall to a former jobbing actor, or might otherwise be the only income for somebody whose career didn't work out quite so well.

[Simon R]

It was repeated in the 90s though wasn't it? On BBC2. So that's better than nothing!

It was on some lost channel last year as well because I watched one with my Dad.

[Si Hunt]

Incidentally, I saw a bit of Bolam In My Pocket when I was unemployed. It was Quite Good.

Si. :mobile

[Stuart Wallis]

I've noticed that the radio version of Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads is currently being broadcast twice every Monday on BBC7. Draw your own conclusions...

[Andrew Curnow]

WEHTTLikely Lads is always on Dave, it was on just last weekend! Maybe it's the terrestrial channels that can't show it?

I read long ago that Bolam and Bewes did not get on at all now, which is a shame really.

[SiHart]

WHTTLL? isn't a big favourite of mine, so while this might be irksome to Mr Bewes, I couldn't really care less. Fancy him having to keep on working to pay a mortgage and overdraft. I know loads of people who are hitting retirement age that are having to still do that, so really I have no sympathy for him. Life doesn't owe him anything for a success he had 35 or more years ago.

Si xx

[Simon R]

He's probably still bitter that his role in "Dan Dare" with Simon Williams never happened.

[Lissa]

Would one repeat run every decade really stop Rodney Bewes being "very poor"? Reruns on BBC2 can't be that lucrative. And would BBC2 really be that interested in showing "Whatever Happened...?" It's had a pretty good innings on DVD and is shown on niche channels so he's getting some money for what was, after all, a job he did over thirty years ago.

But equally, James Bolam stopping repeats because he doesn't care for it is a bit selfish. It isn't going to hurt his new series one iota for "Whatever...?" to go out at random times on a Saturday tea time.

Actors, aye?

[Simon R]

Maybe we could have a whip round and bung Bewes a tenner.

[Lissa]

Maybe "one-man shows" literally are shows performed to audiences of one. Maybe that's why he's so poor. Pity the Bewes.

[Rob McCow]

Quick! Everyone buy 20 copies of Resurrection of The Daleks.

Perhaps he should tout a new show - 'Whatever Happened to That Complete Git' - where he could follow James Bolam around and beg for food.

[SiHart]

It's not a new story either. I'm sure I read about this a few years ago when his autobiography came out (which probably didn't sell as well as James Bolam's did or something too).

Sadly I think he's just a bitter old man.

Si xx

[P-Bal]

One of these men gets discussed in Miss Watling's forthcoming book. This is a more interesting revelation than this.

Well maybe not. But it's a good plug.

[Perry Vale]

It is a bit of a non-story, isn't it? The feud is nothing new, and as others have said it gets plenty of re-runs on digital channels, with very little likelihood of being shown more than once on the Beeb. And the whole show in it's entirety was only released on dvd a few years ago.

Bolam is the much better actor of the two, it has to be said. Actually, isn't this story simply recycled from when Ant & Dec made that remake, I seem to remember the exact same thing coming out then....

I'm unemployed, and 'Grandpa In My Pocket' is excellent.

[Si Hunt]

Come to think of it, why is he so poor? He stars in it, so he must get a bit of money from DVD's and the existing repeats, and overseas repeats. How much does he need?

Also most mortgages are designed to be paid off by retirement, so the fact he's got a significant one at 72 suggests he invested beyond his means. Not being mean, but you can't have a mortgage without a regular job - so he has to choose, either both or none! Even if Bolam relented, surely royalties from a 35 year old show wouldn't pay his mortgage anyway, and nor she expect them to.

Si.

Si.

[Alex]

Oh I don't know, I feel a bit sorry for Bewes. We don't know the full circumstances for one thing, he may have been just plain unlucky financially, or misadvised. Plus back in the seventies, actors didn't get paid a huge amount for doing a series.

And what harm would it do for Bolam (an actor I think is great, but as a man have heard plenty of stories which paint him a bad light) to have the show back on the air from time to time?

Plus it's not just Bewes who he's preventing earning from the series, think about the other actors who get repeat fees. Like...ahem...My Uncle...! Sure, it's only a few episodes, but that's money he could be buying me ice cream with!

[Logo Polish]

Whatever Happened To... was certainly repeated, all through I would assume, in 1995, and I'm sure there's been the occasional repeat of episodes since. I'm almost positive the football results one's been on once or twice since then. There were repeats of the original series during the early 2000s too. That's just on BBC of course.

It would seem odd if Bolam really were blocking it, as he seems to have let those other showings through, and he didn't prevent it being released on DVD either.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Comedy is a funny business. Reminds me a bit of the Steptoe and Son feud.

Behind the scenes of comedy there is invariably tragedy. Told you it was a serios business.

[Si Hunt]

You did say you took it seriously! I hope you're kind to our little endevour!

Si. :mobile

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Here's hoping that it has more laughs than your typical episode of My Family!

[Rob McCow]

Ah yes, The Family Guy Calendar - 12 guaranteed laughs a year.

(I think that was on the Simpsons?)

[SiHart]

I flicked through his autobiography (available for loan at Great Hollands Library folks) today and he's been banging on about this since 1989. 1989. That was when he first wrote to the Times to complain James Bolam had blocked the repeats.

So yes, 21 years he's been whinging about this. I think he needs to move on.

Si xx

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Maybe he's auditioning for Grumpy Old Men?

[Dino]

I flicked through his autobiography (available for loan at Great Hollands Library folks) today and he's been banging on about this since 1989. 1989. That was when he first wrote to the Times to complain James Bolam had blocked the repeats.

So yes, 21 years he's been whinging about this. I think he needs to move on.

Si xx

Hmmm... this sounds like a job for...



He has had celebrity guests on his show like Leslie Grantham and er... Jodie Marsh and ah... Jade Goody's Mum, does she count?
Be worth it to see James Bolam storm off the set and have a confrontation with Graham Aftercarer and the security as Jeremy walks offstage after him muttering about how childish James is being? Not to mention Kyle's "Not so new trick" of being nice to a guest and then turning on them when he finds out more of the story?

Or is it more a Trisha case?