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MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
ITV, 1977-1979; 1986
Written by Vince Powell
Starring: Barry Evans, Zara Nutley,
Tommy Godfrey, et al.
Episodes/Series: 42 episodes/4 series
"It didn't take long, did it? For the first racist joke."
Watch Jake and Josh react to Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language © LWT/ITV 1977
Warning:
The following article contains uncensored racist remarks that may offend readers.
In a class of its own
Mind Your Language premiered on ITV on 30 December 1977, produced by LWT (London Weekend Television).
The series was commissioned by Michael Grade, then Director of Programmes at LWT (who went on to, amongst other things, become the controller of BBC One and Chief Executive and Chairman of the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, respectively), and it was written by Vince Powell (creator and writer of Love Thy Neighbour).
The show was set in an adult education college in London and focuses specifically on the “English as a Foreign Language” class taught by the series’ protagonist, English teacher Jeremy Brown (played by Barry Evans, already well-known for his role in the ITV sitcom Doctor in the House).
As you’d expect, the series focuses around and derives its comedy from the language barrier between Mr Brown and his attempts to teach English to his foreign students.
The wide array of nationalities that the students originate from results in a plethora of comedic scenarios as people from different countries, social backgrounds, religions and languages try to exist and get on in the same classroom environment.
Meet the Class of 1977-79
A hit with audiences of all nationalities, but its permanent exclusion for Mind Your Language
As with the categorial ‘racial sitcoms’ that had come before it – Till Death Us Do Part and Love Thy Neighbour – Mind Your Language was one of the most popular and highly-watched sitcoms of the 1970s, attracting, on average, 18 million viewers per week.
But, inevitably, it has come under criticism, like many of the sitcoms of the 1960s and 1970s written by white writers, for its portrayal of Blacks, Asians or ‘race’ in general being the butt of the joke. Arguably, though they often came across as racist, it was always done, sincerely, in a well-meaning and benevolent manner.*
Mind Your Language was unprecedented at the time for its inclusion of so many diverse races on television at the same time, however, the show adhered concerningly close to the crude stereotypes associated with each race and nationality of each pupil*; for instance, the Sikh and Pakistani Muslim characters incessantly throwing insults at one another and the Chinese student continually advocating the communist regime of Chairman Mao.
The source of humour arose from, apart from racial difference, the non-Englishness of the students, conveyed through their accents, customs and clothes, for example. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the only character not afflicted by any racial characteristics was the English teacher Jeremy Brown.*
Humphrey Barclay, Head of Comedy at LWT, defended the series by insisting that by depicting a diverse range of races on-screen would ‘familiarize and naturalize them to a White majority’* viewing audience. In other words, some representation of multiculturalism on British television was better than none.*
Class is dismissed, but the show's international popularity prevails
Unlike the popularity and perpetuity enjoyed by its predecessors, Mind Your Language was cancelled after three series and twenty-nine episodes by the man who had commissioned it, Michael Grade. Perturbed by its reinforcement of offensive racial stereotypes, Grade cancelled the series, commenting in retrospect:
“It was really irresponsible of us to put it out.” – (1985)*
However, contrary to its perceived offensiveness, the show was exported and enjoyed worldwide by countries such as: Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Singapore.
The series was revived by TRI Films with most of the original cast in 1985 for a fourth series. However, the series, though broadcast by ITV the following year, was only transmitted in certain regions, with only Anglia (East England), Central (Midlands) and Granada (North West) broadcasting the entire series and London – the series’ original producer – ironically choosing not airing the series at all.
Unlike the original series, it has not been released commercially.
Alas, despite attempts at a revival and the willingness of the cast and crew to continue, it was evident by this point that ITV had firmly nailed the lid shut on its production of race-based comedies for good.
* Malik, S. (2002) Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television. London:. California: SAGE.
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