Pardon the Expression (lost pilots of Coronation Street sitcom spin-off; 1965)

Cover art for the Pardon the Expression DVD set.

Status: Lost

Pardon the Expression was a spin-off of the long running British soap opera Coronation Street. A sitcom starring Arthur Lowe as Leonard Swindley, the show ran for two series from 1965 to 1966. Prior to the show's airing, two pilots were known to have been filmed.

Background

Pardon the Expression became the first spin-off of Coronation Street. It was conceptualised when the show's writers found the character Leonard Swindley, played by Arthur Lowe, to have comedic potential. Thus, a spin-off titled Pardon the Expression was produced by Granada Television, focusing on the mishaps of Swindley as he became the assistant manager of a Dobson and Hawks department store. The show's title originated from a catchphrase from Swindley, where he would add "...if you pardon the expression" in conversations where he was forced to use "modern speak".

Two pilots were filmed prior to the show being greenlit, under the production numbers P477/1 and P477/2. According to The British Television Pilot Episodes Research Guide 1936-2015, a script written by Jack Rosenthal titled "The Presentation" contained a note stating "Not to be transmitted". It is believed this script was utilised for one of the pilots. Ultimately, the pilots convinced ITV to order two series of the show from Granada, consisting of 36 episodes which were broadcast from 1965 to 1966. Overall, the show performed well in its first series, but dipped considerably in its second, causing some ITV regions to avoid broadcasting episodes until the show's end. Nevertheless, it did inspire another spin-off called Turn Out The Lights, where Swindley and store manager Mr Hunt become ghost hunters. Lowe himself would later work on the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.

Availability

All episodes of Pardon the Expression are publicly available, and were also included in a DVD set. This includes a Christmas episode that originally was supposed to be broadcast on 3rd January 1966, only for it to remain off television screens. However, aside from a few notes in The British Television Pilot Episodes Research Guide 1936-2015, little is known surrounding the pilot episodes. They ultimately never aired on British television, and have been confirmed by Kaleidoscope to no longer exist within ITV's archives.

See Also

• Beacon Hill (lost television soap opera; 1975)
• Coronation Street "Episode 1202" (lost episode of ITV soap opera; 1972)
• The Corsairs (lost pilot for ABC soap opera; 2002)
• Dark Shadows "1219" (partially found episode of gothic soap opera TV series; 1971)
• EastEnders (lost broadcast tapes of BBC soap opera; 1986; 1989)
• EastEnders (lost footage of Frances Cuka's scenes and Barbara Windsor's auditions as Peggy Mitchell; 1991-1994)
• EastEnders (lost footage of Jean Fennell as Angie Watts; 1984)
• El Oasis (partially found Latin American telenovela; 1994-1997)
• Emmerdale Farm (lost episodes of ITV soap opera; existence unconfirmed; 1981)
• Executive Suite (partially found television soap opera; 1976-1977)
• Faraway Hill (lost early soap opera; 1946)
• Florizel Street (lost dry runs of Coronation Street; 1960)
• Hiwaga sa Bahay na Bato (lost Filipino TV soap opera; 1962-1963)
• Models Inc. (found primetime soap opera; 1994-1995)
• Neighbours "Episode 3896" (partially found episode of Australian soap opera; 2001)
• O Direito de Nascer (lost adaptation of a radio play to TV; 1964)
• Seven, Bessie Street (partially found soap opera script of Coronation Street creator; pre-1957)
• Springhill (partially lost second series of British soap opera; 1997)
• United! (lost British soap opera; 1965-1967)