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Promoted by the TV Times as 'the new multi-racial comedy series', Mind Your
Language proved hugely popular with the viewing public.
Cheerfully basic and almost entirely devoid of subtlety, the programme was
based around a simple premise that rarely varied. Episodes focussed on English
language classes taken by Mr Brown, and involved his frustrated attempts to
teach a class of diverse foreign students. Character development was kept to a
minimum, with the comedy firmly fixed on misunderstandings of English language
and customs, and the relentless exploitation of obvious national stereotypes.
To modern audiences, Mind Your Language and its depiction of cultural
integration cannot but seem clumsy, banal, inept, wilfully ignorant and
frequently offensive. There is little to recommend it, and in retrospect it is
difficult to discern the reason for the series' widespread appeal. However, the
cast is more competent and accomplished than the limitations of the series'
scripts and one-dimensional characterisations will allow. Seemingly oblivious to
the failings of their material, they approach their performances with energy,
vigour and apparent enthusiasm.
Perhaps it was this likeable cast, serving up sizeable portions of ancient
and uncomplicated schoolboy humour, presented with an absolute lack of
pretension, that made the programme such a big hit in 1970s' weekend schedules.
It ran for three series, was briefly revived in the mid-Eighties, and,
apparently, even spawned a live stage show in Blackpool.
Barry Evans is well cast as the amiable Mr Brown, still exploiting the
boyish innocence of his earlier roles in Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (d.
Clive Donner, 1967) and ITV's Doctor series. Evans had virtually vanished from
the screen since his earlier successes, barring appearances in a couple of
dubious sex comedies. Hard up and on the dole, he was offered the starring role
in Mind Your Language when he wrote to LWT bluntly informing them "I'm still
alive".
Also prominently featured in the series were former Top of the Pops dancer
Françoise Pascal; Gabor Vernon, Hungarian compiler of Rothman's Football
Yearbook; Ricardo Montez, who had appeared with Topol in A Talent For Loving (US, 1969); Dino Shafeek, already performing a very similar and equally
caricatured Indian role in It Ain't Half Hot Mum (BBC, 1974-81); and Anna
Bergman, daughter of the great Swedish director, who had previously appeared with Evans in a less family-orientated role in Adventures Of A Taxi Driver (d. Stanley Long, 1975).
Vic Pratt
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1. My old Japan (0:56)
