Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

1973

'Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em' is a British sitcom starring Michael Crawford as accident-prone Frank Spencer and Michele Dotrice as his long-suffering wife, Betty. Everything Frank touches falls apart and every job he has never lasts more than a day. Failed vocations include being a motorcycle courier and a high-rise window cleaner. Noted for its stunts, one instalment sees Frank clinging on to the exhaust of a car as it teeters off the edge of a cliff and the 1978 Christmas special sees him hanging from the outside of a small aeroplane. However, it is the roller-skating scene that is most fondly remembered, with Frank clinging on to the back of a bus and skating underneath a lorry, before crashing into a shop frontage. Crawford insisted on performing these stunts himself, and in the days before a greater emphasis on health and safety, this was permitted. No matter what he was doing, from moving house to attending an RAF reunion, Frank managed to disrupt every event, situation and location. Aside from the physical comedy, the show is also remembered for Frank's catchphrases, including 'Ohhh, Betty'. It premiered on BBC One in 1973 and ran for three series.