Episode 49: “Is It Catching?” 🤒 - a podcast by Jeff & Brandon

Episode 49: “Is It Catching?”.

“I knew I should have kept my hands off those winkles!”

👚🧦🧣👒🩲👞⬇️

A rare behind-the-scenes Youtube of the AYBS staff on set (thanks Mr. Greg).

Welcome Season 8!

Eurovision! (Americans don’t get it)

The studio audience erupt in applause at the beginning (they’ve missed AYBS)

(18 months have passed between seasons 7 and 8)

Welcome Mr. Grossman (with no fanfare) played by Milo Sperber (who starred in the James Bond “The Spy Who Loved Me”).

Mr. Brandon invented podcasting by memorized the audio of this episode when he was 12.

Mr. Jeff knows his ladies’ footwear.

What made Season 7 great?

Hot take: Is there an AYBS episode that’s so bad that the podcast skips it?!

Brannock Device: not for torture.

Mrs. Slocombe’s floor sliding antics.

The palava over “palava”.

Mr. Humphries’ entrance results in exuberant gay clapping.

Hello Mr. Spooner played by Mike Berry known for “The Sunshine of your Smile” (1980) in the UK top 100.

A brief history of wellies/goulashes.

Yet another rude sounding Point of Display Unit.

Mr. Brandon learns what “macaroni in the pot” sounds like à la Cardi B (and clutches his frills!)

The Manageresse stands her ground in the canteen.

Mr. Spooner references “plum duff” = smaller everyday version of the Christmas pudding.

The Taxman wants Mr. Humphries to pitch his woo.

Spooner is channeling Lucas (but it doesn’t quite work?).

Mr. Brandon makes a long-winded analysis of Mr. Spooner’s place on AYBS.

We meet the creepy, gross Old Mr. Grace (ugh).

Kenneth Waller wore prosthetics to make himself look older than Young Mr. Grace (and also played on ?Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang”)

Sexism in the 1980s on commercials and TV shows was universal.

Mr. Humphries has a funny feeling and faints!

Spooner refuses to feel Humphries’ hand (where Lucas would have).

Quarantine, spraying public areas, social distancing, masks: it’s like COVID-19 is present at Grace Bros in 1981.

Marine’s Disease: stay away from those (peri)winkles (a small sea snail).

Antiseptic, disposable sleepwear!

The staff is forced into the basement with a giant metallic blue waterbed (quite the novelty in 1981).

Mrs. Slocombe/Mollie Sugden’s acting is SO good.

Then everyone stars sneezing!

This first episode of Season 8 is a letdown but the audience in the original premier would have been starving for more AYBS content. Today when we can binge the entire series, it’s easy for us to dismiss this episode.

On a somber note, 3 months after this episode aired, the first reference to AIDS was announced by the New York Times. Mr. Humphries’ strange disease probably wouldn’t have been written this way if the episode aired 6 months later.

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