Steptoe ( UK TV theme - 60s )

[wirralaccordion]

TV themes are a good source of material for practice as they are short and the piano score can be easily transferred to the accordion. Here’s an example from the sixties. You could easily add a pair of castenets to replicate the horse trot and practice your metronome skills.

 

[JeffJetton]

Well done!

As some may know, "Steptoe and Son" was the inspiration for the American sit-com "Sanford and Son". In addition to being absolutely hilarious (still holds up today, IMHO), Sanford and Son famously had one of the all-time greatest TV themes ever. Might be interesting to work up a medley of the two tunes?

 

[boxplayer4000]

Steptoe and Son


Wirralaccordion,


Thanks again for a pleasant memory trip.


Those outside the UK sphere of influence may not be aware that the TV series was about a father and son team, rag and bone men, in London in the years following the 39-45 war. Their street business was done by horse cart from a ‘down at the heel’ address in Oil Drum Lane if I remember right. The character of father, Albert, contrasted with that of son Harold in that Albert was down to earth, repulsive to some, while Harold was ‘re-fined’ and would have been upwardly mobile if he had been allowed. They took their meals in a very cluttered living room overlooked by a full size skeleton suspended on a tall coat and hat stand grinning down with a cigar in its mouth. The music is the perfect accompaniment to the horse and cart passing over the cobbles.


Another tune from a past era which has been getting my attention from time to time is ‘Whispering Grass’ featured in the series ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’ sung by Don Estelle and assisted by the inimitable Windsor Davis. All excellent music but then again it could be an age thing.

JeffJeton;
I wasn't aware of the American offshoot. Got to say I'm not surprised as the original was a masterpiece of writing and acting coming together.

 

[Dingo40]

AFAIK, Sanford and Son was never screened in Australia.
I recently watched a rescreening of "Steptoe and Son ride again!"
Extremely funny!
See here:

Steptoe and Son Ride Again - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[JeffJetton]

JeffJeton;
I wasn't aware of the American offshoot. Got to say I'm not surprised as the original was a masterpiece of writing and acting coming together.

Yeah, there have been many long-running hit American TV shows that were actually adaptations of shows from across the pond:

• All in the Family -- based on Til Death Do Us Part. This is also one of the all-time great American sitcoms and was revolutionary for its time (sort of still is). It lead to numerous American spin-offs like The Jeffersons, Maude, and Good Times
• Three's Company -- based on Man About the House (followed by American versions of the all the British spin-offs too!)
• Veep -- based on The Thick of It

Plus all the shows where we didn't even bother to change the name: The Office (huge over here), House of Cards, Ghosts, and all the game/reality shows (The Weakest Link, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Antiques Roadshow, Undercover Boss, etc.)

I think people have tried several times to do an American version of Fawlty Towers, but none of them really took off.

We also remade the outstanding Broadchurch as "Gracepoint", complete with David Tennant doing an American accent, but the less said about that the better.

 

[boxplayer4000]

JeffJetton,
Thanks for that update. I was aware that some of these had crossed over the pond (not them all/not them all by any means) so I am surprised.
As a Scot (half English) I reluctantly concede that they ( the English) do some comedy and game show situations to a very high standard.
However I think the 'Fools and Horses', 'Fawlty Towers' and 'Steptoe and Son', Dad's Army' era has passed (much as enjoyed them) and we're in a new place.

 

[Ffingers]

JeffJetton,
Thanks for that update. I was aware that some of these had crossed over the pond (not them all/not them all by any means) so I am surprised.
As a Scot (half English) I reluctantly concede that they ( the English) do some comedy and game show situations to a very high standard.
However I think the 'Fools and Horses', 'Fawlty Towers' and 'Steptoe and Son', Dad's Army' era has passed (much as enjoyed them) and we're in a new place.

"The Past is another Country" is an appropriate expression on this topic.