Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice recall the mania of fame in the 1970s after their sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em became a huge hit
Michael Crawford clearly recalls heading to the BBC bar fresh from filming Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and noticing the comedian Mike Yarwood across the room, scrutinising his every move.
He soon understood why. The next week Mike was on the telly doing his best Frank Spencer impression. At the time, Yarwood was not alone. Comics from Les Dennis to Lenny Henry and later Joe Pasquale wore beige macs and berets on stage and did the same.
Frank and his long-suffering wife Betty stumbled onto our screens 50 years ago in 1973. The slapstick, stunt-filled sitcom Some Mothers became so beloved few could resist an “Oooh Betty”. Audiences at a peak of 25 million tuned into hear hapless Frank’s catchphrase. But it is only now Michael and co-star Michele Dotrice have reunited on screen for the first time to discuss the show’s success, in a new BBC Four documentary, Michael Crawford And Michele Dotrice Remember… Some Mothers Do âAve âEm
Michele, 74, says: “You became a recluse, I remember so many of our impersonators of the day were going âOooh Betty’. You couldn’t go out.” Michael, 81, laughs, explaining at the time he was separated from his wife and living “quietly” in a council flat in ÂKensington, London. Or trying to.