Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? titles

Published January 15, 2023

My Wife Next Door – previously featured here on Fonts In Use – had been the first-ever winner of a dedicated BAFTA “Best Sitcom” award in 1973. The sequel to the mid-1960s sitcom The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? was the second winner of that category in 1974. It premiered on 9th January 1973, half a century ago to the day on which this contribution is being compiled.

It was set in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, starring Rodney Bewes as Bob Ferris, James Bolam as Terry Collier, Brigit Forsyth as Thelma Ferris (née Chambers) and Sheila Fearn as Terry Collier’s sister Audrey, and had been created by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. It features one of the more memorable signature tunes of not only British sitcom history in particular but British television history in general, “Highly Likely”, composed by the former drummer with Manfred Mann, Mike Hugg (Music) and Ian La Frenais (Lyrics).

These titles are taken from that premier, entitled “Strangers On A Train”. They are rendered in Eden, a close follower of Burko Gorpo and/or Blippo Black, with “Signature Tune written by” set in Kabel.

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