Name: Brainwashing
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1970-11-17
Duration: 24 min
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Paula Wilcox, Richard Beckinsale, Maureen Lipman

S is very much a sitcom of its time with its precisely denoted gender roles and its rather reticent attitudes towards sex and sexual relationships. Geoffrey (Richard Beckinsale) wants "it" (funny how no one could ever say the word "sex" outright) and is prepared to perform in public on a train. On the other hand he is almost exaggeratedly polite while talking to Beryl's (Paula Wilcox's) friend's husband (John Flanagan), an unreconstructed sexist who orders his wife (Maureen Lipman) about from the comfort of a chair in the back garden. Beryl is shocked by such behavior, and expresses the hope that Geoffrey won't grow into this kind of man once they are married. There's not much chance of that: Geoffrey is aggressive while alone with Beryl, but will scarcely say boo to a goose when in the company of others. Despite the knowledge that these sentiments are nearly fifty years old, it's still shocking to hear a man order Sandra (Lipman) about with such force. One wonders why she does not come up to him and hit him round the head, but then I am speaking from a different perspective. Nonetheless, the sitcom has some good lines about the expectations placed on motherhood at the time, even though fatherhood didn't really exist (not in this script anyway!).

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

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Beryl is taking Geoffrey to meet an old friend who happens to be married with a baby. She hopes to convince Geoffrey about the joys of matrimony. It didn't quite work out as they expected for both of them.

Richard Beckinsale and Paula Wilcox in The Lovers (1970)

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Richard Beckinsale, John Flanagan, Maureen Lipman, and Paula Wilcox in The Lovers (1970)

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Brainwashing

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