Nearest and Dearest

Nearest and Dearest
Nearest and Dearest (DVD)
Created by	Vince Powell Harry Driver
Starring	Hylda Baker Jimmy Jewel Madge Hindle Edward Malin Joe Gladwin
No. of series	7
No. of episodes	45
Production
Producer	Granada Television
Running time	30 minutes per episode
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	August 15, 1968 – February 7, 1973

Nearest and Dearest was a British situation comedy (sit-com) set in and around a pickle factory in Colne, Lancashire, in the North West of England. It began in 1968, and, in total, 46 episodes were produced, 11 in monochrome and 35 in colour and was produced for the ITV network by Granada Television.

The premise was set up in the first episode; Joshua Pledge, on his death bed, bequeaths his pickle factory, Pledge's Purer Pickles, to his daughter, the hard-working Nellie and her ne'er do well brother, Eli. Nellie was played by veteran comedienne Hylda Baker. Baker was born and bred in Bolton (a northern town eleven miles north of Manchester). Much of the humour of Nearest and Dearest arose from Nellie Pledge's malapropisms. Eli was played by Jimmy Jewel, a contemporary of Baker's, who had made his name as one half of the music hall (vaudeville) act, Jewel and Waris.

Also featured was the Pledges' second cousin, Lilly (always referred to as "Our Lilly"), who was married to the octaganerian Walter. Walter was unable to control his bladder, which led to the programme's most famous catchphrase "'As 'e been?". Lilly was played by Madge Hindle, Walter by Edward Malin.

Nellie's malopropisms were an integral part of the comedy; when asked by Our Lilly if she knew the facts of life, Nellie replied with immense dignity, "Of course I do! I'm well over the age of content!" In another episode, Nellie has a suitor, Vernon Smallpiece, who she insists on calling 'Vermin Bigpiece'. When Eli insists on playing the high-powered executive once he is in charge of the factory, Nellie asks him who he thinks he is "...sat sitting there like a big business typhoon!"

An unsuccessful film version was made of the series by Hammer Films - more famous for their horror films - in 1971, complete with a brand new theme tune sung by Hylda Baker. The series was adapted for the American market, and re-named Thicker Than Water. Running for 13 episodes, it was not successful.

After Nearest and Dearest, Hylda went on to star in Not On Your Nellie (made for ITV by London Weekend Television) in which Nellie Pickersgill (the same character as Nellie Pledge in all but name) inherits a pub, The Brown Cow (the running joke was Hylda answering the telephone every week and intoning gravely, "The Brown Cow speaking.") Despite the change of locale - humour was derived from the North/South divide - the pub was in London - but, with slight variations, it was just the same format as Nearest and Dearest in a different setting. Jewell went on to appear in a sit-com, Spring and Autumn about a friendship between a lonely boy and an elderly man. He still cropped up on television, such as Casualty (British hospital soap opera) in which he was able to use his famous catch-phrase, referring to a nurse, just as he used to refer to Nellie, as "a knock-kneed, knackered old nose bag".

Baker, after battling dementia, died May 1, 1986 of bronchial pneumonia. Jewell, though ostensibly retired, continued to work until his death December 3rd, 1995. Edward Malin who played Our Walter died in London March 1, 1977.

See also

• List of British sitcoms turned into films

External links

• Comedy Guide - Nearest and Dearest at bbc.co.uk
• British Sitcom Guide
• Yahoo! Group - Nearest and Dearest