1972 - Donny Osmond: "Help Me, Help Me Please!"

"Someone help me, help me, please!" was the impassioned plea from Donny Osmond in his teenybopper hit Puppy Love. And that just about summed up my feelings whenever I heard it. The worst times were rainy Sunday afternoons, when I sat in my older cousin Sue's bedroom and was forced to listen to this drivel, which she played on her Mum's '60s box record player. Over and over again.

We were two grotty early '70s primary school kids, but Sue had been bitten by the pop bug early. And, as we spent lots of time together (my mum was always visiting her sister, Sue's mum, and dragged me along) I suffered a lot.

In those days, there were two camps amongst pop-obsessed schoolgirls: either you liked Donny Osmond, or you liked David Cassidy - not both. Kids enjoyed (and still do enjoy) being in opposing camps - it's all part of human nature.

And whenever Donny and his brothers appeared in public, it was like '60s Beatlemania all over again - with hordes of screeching girlies turning out to... er... screech and faint and things.

From the Daily Mirror, November 14, 1972:

The Osmonds bowed out of Britain yesterday with the screams of 500 frenzied fans ringing in their ears.

It was a remarkable farewell for the pop world's newest heart-throbs.

For many of the young girls lining the roof of the Queen's Building at London Heathrow Airport should really have been at school.

The truants began arriving before dawn, and when The Osmonds waved goodbye the screams of the girls drowned the noise of revving aircraft engines.

The Osmonds, whose ages range from nine to twenty-three, signed autographs. And the fans waved banners proclaiming: "Come back soon, we love you."

Fourteen-year-old Donny Osmond, currently the family's star turn, stared at the crowd and said: "It's fantastic! The British fans are wonderful."

The girls clearly felt the same way about their idols.

One eleven-year-old admitted: "I'm really meant to be at school today. But I'm only missing history and maths - and they aren't nearly as good as The Osmonds."

Another, from Hertfordshire, said: "My parents think I'm at school. I arrived at the airport very early to get a good place. It has been well worth it."

So there you have it. Yuck I said, Yuck I still say. Mind you, there were worse Osmonds than Donny. Remember little Jimmy being a Long Haired Lover From Liverpool?

Useless information: did you know that Donny's Puppy Love was a cover version of a 1960s Paul Anka song?

The Great Sykes Revival...

Eric has a moment of misery, but Hattie sees the funny side.

The original Sykes series began in 1960 and ended in 1965.

In 1972, the series was revived with Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques reprising their roles as twins sharing a house in Sebastopol Terrace, East Acton, and Richard Wattis as their prissy neighbour, Charles Fulbright Brown.

Mr Brown had actually left in the 60's series, as had Richard Wattis, but the new run brought him back to where he belonged - next door to Eric and Hat, and a constant pain in the neck.

After the death of Richard Wattis in 1975, local magistrate Miss Rumbelow (Joy Harington) took over Mr Brown's role as next door neighbour. Sensibly, Eric Sykes didn't write her as a female Mr Brown. She was far more sensible than him and not as funny, but the character worked very well, and provided difficulties for Eric and Hat which led to some very funny situations.

Deryck Guyler, who had also appeared in the 60s series, was highly popular as Corky the policeman (hear his voice in a famous 1980s ad series here), and Joan Sims, as Madge from the local bread shop, made occasional appearances. Madge dreamt of getting Eric ("Ricky") to the altar!

This is a series I remember very fondly indeed from my kiddie/early teen years, and I loved Eric, Hattie, Mr Brown, Corky and Madge. Even waspish Mr Brown, who was a pain in the neck, was somehow lovable. His doomed to failure efforts to impress were very sad. And Miss Rumbelow, who could never have replaced Mr Brown, was nevertheless a great addition to the neighbourhood.

Dear Mr Brown from next door.

The 2000 book Sykes of Sebastopol Terrace, tells us:

A revival of "Sykes" was set up by the BBC during the Spring of 1972, and it was quickly agreed that the series would be both colour and far longer than any past seasons. With 16 episodes to fill, it was agreed that Sykes would basically rework old plots to fill the new quota....

They're the same stories retold for a different audience.

Mr Brown has Sykes dancing attendance after injuring his ankle in 1961...

... and again in the 1970s!

Sykes was a very welcome revival, which ran until 1979. Hattie's death in 1980 put paid to hopes for further episodes.

Other 1970's revivals of 1960s series included: The Rag Trade, Till Death Us Do Part, The Saint, Oh Boy, Juke Box Jury, The Avengers and Steptoe and Son.

More about the original 60s Sykes here.