1x16 The Boys in the Bar

I will always remember the line, “Better than Vera”.

These sorts of episodes in old shows are always quite an interesting snapshot of attitudes from the time. Speaking as a gay man, the quips Norm and Cliff made were quite cringey but you could tell the writers for the episode were coming at it from a pro-gay perspective, and one of course has to remember that (shockingly) this episode is 40 years old now.

Diane is clearly a vessel for the writers to voice their progressive views. It's funny how her views are very widely held now but a certain modern contingent would be bitching about her "pushing the woke agenda" if this aired for the first time today.

Not a series highlight by any stretch of the imagination but still watchable overall.

There’s no way this could be first broadcast now. The prehistoric attitudes to homosexuality are just not on in the 21st century.

There wasn’t any malice in it, more ignorance so there’s still plenty to enjoy.

This story felt like it ended five minutes too soon…