The Liver Birds and the Mysterious Oppression of Women...

Nerys Hughes and Elizabeth Estensen as Sandra Hutchinson and Carol Boswell in the 'Liver Birds'. Carla Lane was one of the writers (later THE writer) of this comedy series, set in Liverpool. A revival in the 1990s made little sense - the plot was heavily retconned so that Carol blipped out of existence and her brother, Lucian, and mother became the family of Sandra's former flatmate, Beryl (Polly James).

Rod writes:

I rather liked the BBC sitcom 'The Liver Birds', but I've been reading about it recently and the articles often rant on about women enjoying new freedoms at that time after centuries of oppression. Apart from the pill (from 1960 onwards) I can't see what new freedoms there were. After all, 'Coronation Street' had Sheila Birtles and Doreen Lostock sharing the Corner Shop flat in the early 1960s - and Doreen left to join the Army!

Yes... when you examine all the hoopla of 'Women's Lib' it often doesn't make sense. It doesn't have to, of course. It relies on good, old fashioned chivalry - we don't contradict the ladies, do we - no matter how misandrist and downright potty their rantings are?

Germaine Greer found that out with the Female Eunuch, which was published in 1970.

The complicated and highly nuanced relationship between the sexes was transformed into a Marxist style oppressed/oppressor model from the onset of First Wave Feminism, way back in the nineteenth century.

We're thoroughly red pilled here.

We too remember Sandra, Carol, Beryl and rabbit-loving Lucian fondly. And what about Molly Sugden as Sandra's mother, Mrs Hutchinson? 

We seem to recall the show got a little 'navel gazing' and not terribly funny in the last series or so. And please don't talk to us about Butterflies...