RIP Bill Maynard - 30/3/18. I know most people associate him with the role of Claude Greengrass form Heartbeat but he will always be Selwyn in my eyes!!!
Wow, that's brought back some happy memories. I used to love this show when I was little and I've spent nearly half an hour giggling almost non stop. Thank you so much ♥♥
Bill Maynard had the initial idea for the show, wishing to create a sitcom based around the members of the working men's club in his home village of Sapcote, Leicestershire.[3] He later said "every character came from that club".[3] Maynard modelled his lead character on Peter Wright, a larger-than-life patron who often exclaimed "magic!" with his thumbs up and ordered "a pint of cooking and a bag of nuts", both of which would become catchphrases of Maynard's character.[4][5][1] Wright had arms too muscular to fold properly so he kept them high on his chest, another attribute Maynard borrowed.[3] Maynard later commented "you couldn't dream up a character like Selwyn. In fact, I played him down."[6] Additionally, Maynard took inspiration from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Froggitt as Bottom and the committee at the working men's club as the mechanicals.[7][8] Robert Keegan believed Maynard based Selwyn "on himself".[9] Maynard considered Froggitt's interest in reading The Times an important part of the character, explaining "I wanted him to be intelligent, always anxious to improve himself. The easy route would've been to use old clichés, like malapropisms and spoonerisms, but that would have made the character too one-dimensional. By getting him to read The Times and be an ardent student of dynamic word power, we gave him the breadth to spread the comedy over a wide range of subjects. We wanted people to laugh with him, not at him".[10] Maynard characterised Froggitt as someone who causes havoc simply due to "his tremendous enthusiasm and his willingness to help his fellow man", rather than "an idiot".[11] He identified "a lot of drama and a certain amount of pathos" in the character.[11]
I always considered the writing for this show a bit shallow, and lacking not only depth, but imagination; but the performance of the title character, done with such finesse by Wild Bill, makes up for all the disappointments. It was Maynard alone, that kept me coming back. I can only imagine what Roy Clarke could have done with this............ or, "The Gaffer", which was actually much better as far as writing. The three wanker committee members here, get away with way too much while taking advantage of Selwyn. It would have been much funnier if occasionally their selfish, inconsiderate, and lazy antics, backfired on them. The good guy always gets dumped on here.
Biggest mistake was the spin-off (sometimes referred to as S4 🙄) that barely survived 8 episodes. Even Maynard couldn’t salvage that shipwreck. S3 ended with a win and should have stayed there.
RIP Bill Maynard - 30/3/18. I know most people associate him with the role of Claude Greengrass form Heartbeat but he will always be Selwyn in my eyes!!!
Nice sentiments Herbie
That's the first thing I seen him in when he became greengrass I remembered him from his selwen days
🙋🏼 .... Unanimous 👍
Magic!
MAGIC 👍
Thanking you for the upload.
Wow, that's brought back some happy memories. I used to love this show when I was little and I've spent nearly half an hour giggling almost non stop. Thank you so much ♥♥
Bill Maynard had the initial idea for the show, wishing to create a sitcom based around the members of the working men's club in his home village of Sapcote, Leicestershire.[3] He later said "every character came from that club".[3] Maynard modelled his lead character on Peter Wright, a larger-than-life patron who often exclaimed "magic!" with his thumbs up and ordered "a pint of cooking and a bag of nuts", both of which would become catchphrases of Maynard's character.[4][5][1] Wright had arms too muscular to fold properly so he kept them high on his chest, another attribute Maynard borrowed.[3] Maynard later commented "you couldn't dream up a character like Selwyn. In fact, I played him down."[6] Additionally, Maynard took inspiration from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Froggitt as Bottom and the committee at the working men's club as the mechanicals.[7][8] Robert Keegan believed Maynard based Selwyn "on himself".[9]
Maynard considered Froggitt's interest in reading The Times an important part of the character, explaining "I wanted him to be intelligent, always anxious to improve himself. The easy route would've been to use old clichés, like malapropisms and spoonerisms, but that would have made the character too one-dimensional. By getting him to read The Times and be an ardent student of dynamic word power, we gave him the breadth to spread the comedy over a wide range of subjects. We wanted people to laugh with him, not at him".[10] Maynard characterised Froggitt as someone who causes havoc simply due to "his tremendous enthusiasm and his willingness to help his fellow man", rather than "an idiot".[11] He identified "a lot of drama and a certain amount of pathos" in the character.[11]
Not sure how the others kept straight faces with Bill on form. lovely Lynda Barron & Megs Jenkins.
Very entertaining...
I wonder how Lynda Baron managed to be in two places (and sizes) at once.
what series is this from? Cos Maurice isn't married . I v watched series 1&2
See epguides.com/OhNoItsSelwynFroggitt/ This appears to be the 2nd episode of the 3rd series. I can't explain why Maurice appears not to be married.
oh yes sorry, there is a third
They got married at the end of S2. Selwyn did all the work and paid for everything except the honeymoon.
maurices wife at table @9.35(verea)
I always considered the writing for this show a bit shallow, and lacking not only depth, but imagination; but the performance of the title character, done with such finesse by Wild Bill, makes up for all the disappointments. It was Maynard alone, that kept me coming back. I can only imagine what Roy Clarke could have done with this............ or, "The Gaffer", which was actually much better as far as writing. The three wanker committee members here, get away with way too much while taking advantage of Selwyn. It would have been much funnier if occasionally their selfish, inconsiderate, and lazy antics, backfired on them. The good guy always gets dumped on here.
Biggest mistake was the spin-off (sometimes referred to as S4 🙄) that barely survived 8 episodes. Even Maynard couldn’t salvage that shipwreck. S3 ended with a win and should have stayed there.
Clarke’s characters are often one dimensional. Selwyn is a more complex character.
Alan Plater was a brilliant writer.