Love Thy Neighbour

Always pause before judging 70s sitcoms. Consider them in the context of their times. This was a barnstormer, from the same writers as Bless This House. Jack Smethurst, Rudolf Walker, Nina Baden-Semper & Kate Williams were the stars. It ran to eight series, a Christmas special, a feature film in 1973 and spin-offs in both Australia and the USA. But it reveals a lot about our viewing tastes back then. The pleasant, suburban title sequence and jaunty theme, sung by Stuart Gillies, lead us down the garden path into what we think is traditional sitcom fayre. Then the big twist is revealed: a black Tory couple moves into an all-white street – SHOCK HORROR! – and falls foul of the Trade Union activist next door.