The Curse of Steptoe

Taking its cue from the 2002 C4 documentary; When Steptoe met Son and buying completely into the notion that Brambell and Corbett were as trapped/typecast and tragic on screen as off, this BBC4 biopic was a great hour of misery. Corbett never ever managing to fulfill his promising pre steptoe career as a talented stage actor and Brambell being a closet homosexual and dedicated alcoholic. Phil Davis was brilliant as a quiet, dandyish Brambell and Jason Isaacs just sighs inside for an hour. It reminded me of the similarly fine play, and under rated; Cor Blimey/Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick that charted Barbara Windsor and Sid James’ (who Galton and Simpson also wrote for) love affair over the same period.

And the sideburns, towards the end, were glorious. Thick, dark, wide and down to the chin.