List of Dad episodes

For the main page click: Dad (TV series)

Dad is a BBC1 sitcom that ran for 13 episodes (each 30 minutes long) over two series and a Christmas special. It centered on the trials and tribulations of Alan Hook (Kevin McNally) and his father Brian (George Cole). It was written by Andrew Marshall.

Andrew Marshall's influences were Walt Disney and Hitchcock. In the very first episode music from Vertigo was used, when Brian comes to pick Alan up from a party. Music is series two episode 'Securidad' was also quite dark, and similar to Hitchcock style music. In 'Dadaholic', when Alan follows Brian home in the car, the scene uses the music from Psycho, in which the latter's protagonist is also driving in the rain.

The show often mixed family comedy with dark, surreal and slapstick humour. 'Securidad' featured a plot involving a model village Brian and Alan had to protect, because the plastic residents kept getting decapitated. In many episodes Alan would fall victim to various mishaps; one episode involved him falling off a ladder into paint, another saw him get buried in a pile of potatoes.

Some episodes saw scenes not played for laughs, but as straight drama instead. For example Alan, at the end of series one, is left crying at an old photo reel of him being shown from when he was a little boy. In the last episode of series two he also breaks down crying in the kitchen, when Brian has to go into hospital. McNally, who plays Alan, asked Marshall if they can get away with such a scene in a sitcom, to which he replied 'you've got to touch peoples hearts every now and again'.

In terms of shooting, many exterior shots were taken at Ruislip, Penay, where Marshall grew up. There was a lot of location work, which is the scenes filmed away from the studio audience. McNally reported that he preferred location filming as it was more relaxed and less stressful than being in front of an audience, and you could also take your time with shooting.

Series 1

The theme tune for the first series was the 1965 hit 'Tijuana Taxi' performed by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. The first episode was shot as part of a handful of pilots for various shows, and was then one of the few chosen to be made into a full series. Alan's house in series one differs to that in series two; the director wanted a bigger set for the kitchen, to fit more cameras in, hence the house move.

Series One comprised six episodes and was first aired from 25 September to 30 October 1997 on Thursdays at 8.30pm. The episodes were entitled (in order of their airing):

Series 2

For the second series the theme song was 'Go Daddy-O' by Californian swing revival band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Series Two also comprised six episodes and was first aired from 11 January to 15 February 1999, but this time on Mondays at 8.30pm. The episodes were entitled (in order of their airing):

Christmas Special

The final episode was a Christmas special that aired on 21 December 1999, this time a Tuesday, at 8.30pm. It broke with the tradition of punning on 'Dad' for the title, and was named 'Nemesis', although Andrew Marshall later revealed that the original title "Feliz Navidad" was nixed by the BBC, feeling it too obscure.

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