I agree with "suavebloke", Hong Kong. In my opinion, this is not a racist series. I am enjoying the re-runs on Sky Satellite at the moment & it's a funny as ever. The late Barry Evans is excellent in the role of the teacher. I wonder what ever happened to the extremely attractive Francoise Pascal, who played the French student?
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paulbirney9 November 2000
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vinayak0097 May 2006This show is the show that really defines British Humor. It is a show that is so clean, yet at the same time it has some crude jokes. The plot of this outrageous story stars Barry Evans. He plays the young English Teacher who teaches even more outrageous foreign students. There are many races in this comedy including, Indians, Chinese, German, Italian (my favorite), and French. There are more, and more races joined to this remarkable school. Like I said, this show defines British Humor, it is the show that every person should watch, own, and cherish.
Buy the entire collection, I am sure it is available on Amazon. com -
day-myron12 August 2006It confuses me to see that some folks see this show as being racist, I think they might have got the wrong end of the stick. The exact opposite is actually the case, whilst it played to the Brit mind set of stereotypes, it actually served a different purpose. This show in no small way eased the discomfiture common to all people when dealing with different and often strange cultures and customs. It breached the walls of fear through the expedient of comedy, it coerced an emotional response in viewers, because for the majority of viewers, the day to day reality of dealing with a large influx of new immigrants was the very real language barrier and the frustrations that this brought about. MYL, used this theme to illuminate problems and societal frustrations, by showing the efforts newcomers to the UK make to become accepted as "English", watching Sid teach Max and Giovanni cockney phrases is priceless; it underlines the entire theme of the show, that of striving for acceptance.
The characters were all sympathetically styled as to engender endearment rather than distrust, it showed that all were equal and worthy of respect. Watch this show a few times, get to know the characters, and you will soon see the warmth and deep interpersonal attachments that develop regardless of race, creed, religion or colour.
All of the characters in this show were on equal footing, Jeremy Brown as the teacher may come across as being superior, but his position in this regard was eminently challenged by all the characters and their individual sense of worth. From the aloofness of Taro, through the haughtiness of Danielle, who can say that these characters were demeaned or portrayed in a "racist" manner? In fact, their own national, political prejudices are brought out time and time again only to be set aside by the obvious familial love that is evident throughout the entire series.
This show did more than make people laugh, it helped create an understanding and appreciation of those portrayed. It highlighted even the subtlest of racism amongst those that thought themselves non-racist and exposed it for what it is; which is rotten. The school inspector episode (series 1 #2) sets the matter very straight and confirms the underlying story theme that racism is a curse. To view the characters as being created for ridicule and to be the object of the joke, is to have watched this show with only one brain cell operating.
The acting and the overall comedic timing were as good as any of the era or previous, and few comedies of the modern era capture the overall "zeitgeist" of their time as succinctly. One hopes that the current problems with releasing the remaining three episodes will soon be overcome, as they would be much appreciated by fans.
This is a delightful and charm filled show, the characters are wonderful and truly likable. Every character is a larger than life stereotype, including all of the English roles. Miss Courtney, Sid (the cockney) and Jeremy Brown (the teacher), play their respective societal types in amplified form; they are stereotypes in the true sense. These elements perhaps over the top on their own, succeed in reaching across the class spread of British society. This combined with the warm performances of the cast in total, produces a show of eminent quality and one worthy of watching many times. -
EssexJay10 April 2003This may not be in the league of Monty Python or some other classic British TV series out there but it definitely has it's own cult following. I noticed one reviewer here mentioning of the shows popularity in India and that's really true. My friends from India, who had watched this back in the 80's, still claim it to be amongst the best TV shows ever. Some of them went so far as taping them all (to save it for some good laughs on a rainy day, I guess!).
If you are looking for some profound depth here then don't even bother with this. But if you think the mixing of folks from different cultures, in a British classroom, can be funny then you won't be disappointed. It's good, harmless humor, a little dated perhaps, but in situations that people may encounter in a foreign land due to language barriers mainly. Some bits may be exaggerated but is mostly hilarious and does not use any of the plots or characters as a pretext to demean any culture or race!!!
Wish it were available on DVD in the States! -
jasonaaldridge3 August 2019Even today in 2019 this show is still funny. Most old shows lose their sense of humour but this one is still makes us laugh
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musabmusab24 January 2021Well I really liked the first 3 seasons and I'm not going to watch the last one. Really feels sorry for the actors who lost their lives after 1979. One of the best show till day
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l-3609310 January 2019As a Chinese, I want to say we were more or less like Suli at that time. I enjoy the show very much. Love every character, esp Mr. Brown.
It's a pity Barry played too few shows. Sometimes I cannot help wondering if he had had a normal family, would everything be different for him? -
Vince Powell came up with the idea for this L.W.T. sitcom after his au pair innocently asked him one day if he had received any 'French letters' for her. She was of course referring to mail, but to an English comedy scriptwriter the double meaning was unmistakable.
'Mind Your Language' was set in an adult education centre where foreign students struggle to master the complexities of the English language. They include a sexy French girl, a Spaniard fond of saying 'Por favore?' a lot, a Mao-quoting Chinese woman, a hot-blooded Italian, a surly German woman, a fast-talking Greek, a head-waggling Indian lady, and a Chinaman who gets to his feet and takes a bow whenever asked a question. Later additions were a Swedish sex-bomb and a confused Hungarian.
Presiding over this microcosm of international relations was well-meaning but naive English teacher Jeremy Brown, played by the late Barry Evans. The show provided a welcome return for the popular actor, who had been off British television screens since 'Doctor At Large' in 1971.
Also around were Mary Whitehouse lookalike Zara Nutley as the fearsome principal 'Miss Courtney', Tommy Godfrey ( 'Arthur' in Powell's 'Love Thy Neighbour' ) as 'Sid' the caretaker, and Iris Sadler as tea lady 'Gladys'.
'Mind Your Language' is often cited as an example of 'racist' '70's British comedy. I personally think it is no more offensive than those American movies that depict the British either as plummy-voiced toffs or chirpy Cockney sparrows. The main source of ridicule in this show is the English language itself.
Yes, the students were stereotypes, but British comedy has always been full of them - check out 'Fawlty Towers' for yet more 'funny foreigners'. Manuel could easily have been one of Jeremy Brown's students. Besides, the English characters were also stereotypes. The students themselves came across as altogether likable. This was never intended to be serious social commentary.
My main bugbear is that the characters never developed from one episode to the next; it would have been nice to have seen say, the students gradually mastering English, coming to understand each other's customs, maybe even getting married ( Danielle and Giovanni would have made a nice couple ).
Michael Grade axed the show despite its popularity, yet in 1986 it returned as an independent production, courtesy of one of its stars - Albert Moses. If he - an Asian actor - did not find the show offensive, why on Earth should anyone else?
Superbly parodied by L.W.T.'s 'End Of Part One' as 'Mind Your Foreigners'. -
vipul_kumar555-125 September 2006The most hilarious show ever,watch out for these characters 1.Ali Nadim-Pakistani 2.Juan Ceravantes-Spanish 3.Ranjeet Singh-Indian Sikh 4.Maximillian Papandrious-Greek 5.Giovanni Coupello-Italian If u ask me the show does not run without these characters and i have named them in the top 5 order Ali Nadim being no#1,u have 2 look out for him he's like the Michael Jordan of basketball,the Sachin Tendulkar of cricket,the Pele of football call him w/e he is the best.This show was considered to be racist.But,if you ask me i do not think so at all.As a matter of fact i think there can't be anything better than this.This show was made in the late 70's and early 80's.During that time it was mainly aired in England.People still find it very funny ,so you could possibly imagine how funny it would have been back then.
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While primarily somewhat simplistic situational comedy occasionally verging on slapstick or farce, Vince Powell's "Mind Your Language" should not be condemned lightly even by today's at times over-pedantic standards, let alone those at the time it was made (which is to say 1977-79). Surely, stereotypical presentations are present here, and certainly some individual jokes do even verge upon the sexist or even racist, but MYL was made primarily to demonstrate how different races, peoples and cultures could face a common challenge (the universally familiar one of learning a new language), and could overcome differences and cooperate harmoniously together in doing so. And the series carries that noble banner before it with quite tangible pride, no matter what.
In the above context, the stereotypes certainly present delight vastly more often than they shock or appall (which they rarely in fact do), while the overwhelming impression is one of a group of very nice people. A teacher-pupil scenario inevitably puts even the adult learner in a childlike circumstance, and here even slightly edgy or corruption-prone personalities assume a measure of innocence as they struggle with the English language, all the more so as the delightful Mr Brown (played by the late and lamented Barry Evans) mostly emerges as incorruptible and overridingly fair and decent in his teacher's role.
While the students are not above cheating each other, or working together to put one over on Mr Brown, there are regular occasions when all work together to pleasant effect, and the general impression is of people looking out for each other. This is not to say that divisions and conflicts do not emerge, and it is frequently the case here that short exchanges of maybe a few words or a couple of sentences do bring to life serious-ish, real-life cultural and cross-cultural issues. In the context, and in the safe and democratic surroundings, of a London night-school classroom ruled over by Mr Brown, these issues can be dealt with safely, fairly and peaceably to the benefit of all. And of course they represent a learning experience in respect of more than just the actually-incredibly-demanding language that is English.
MYL is actually more effective at this than the United Nations, and I'm not even joking...
But are they? A big question might be whether Mind Your Language is actually sweeter than it is funny (and it would be no worse for that, by the way); but, on the whole, we do find every possible linguistic pun or joke used mercilessly (leaving it as "ouch"-inducing as it may be funny); but there is also some visual humour, quite a bit of risqué stuff, and regular situation-based circumstances that are as reasonably chuckle-inducing as we might expect from comedic circumstances mainly confined to a single room...
In essence, it is unreasonable to expect the gentler side of British comedy to achieve much more than "Mind Your Language" does. Add that to the compelling amiability and warmth of the piece, and it's worth a nine from me any time! -
tharidu10006 May 2007I saw this comedy in sri lanka around 1991 actually it was one of the best i have seen nearly 16 years later i still find it funny. but what i can't understand is why it is considered racist. As a sri lankan if i don't find it racist i have no clue why others find it racist.
I saw this comedy in sri lanka around 1991 actually it was one of the best i have seen nearly 16 years later i still find it funny. but what i can't understand is why it is considered racist. As a sri lankan if i don't find it racist i have no clue why others find it racist.
I saw this comedy in sri lanka around 1991 actually it was one of the best i have seen nearly 16 years later i still find it funny. but what i can't understand is why it is considered racist. As a sri lankan if i don't find it racist i have no clue why others find it racist. -
murphycat1813 January 2009I was 10, sitting with my dad in pain with laughter as we watched this potent classic piece of British TV craftsmanship. i remember missing parts of the next scene because of the uncontrolled bouts of pain every character dished out to me and my dad. Not racist, not, "politically incorrect" but absolute purist, honest humour, a televisual feast the likes of which will probably never be aired again even though we live in a nation where our diverse culture could be humbled with some good honest lessons from 1977. Mind your language is a lesson of unity for us all. Please keep our simple pieces of TV heritage as pure as the writers intended. Classic.
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Powell is often castigated for racism - but his sitcoms employed ethnic minority actors in an age where there were not many genuine ethnic minority representations on screen. Powell himself cites his sitcoms as dramatised working-mens' club jokes, was friends with black performer Kenny Lynch and facilitated the careers of many black actors - despite the admittedly questionable scenarios they enacted.
The so-called 'politically correct brigade' was a complete bluff. 'The Young Ones' and 'Blackadder' contained no black actors whatever, despite their creators being lauded as in some way morally superior to Powell and (the more well-intentioned artistically) Johnny Speight. In fact one could well cite examples of remnant racist, public-school humour in 'Not the Nine o'clock News' and 'Who Dares Wins' - alleged vehicles for 'alternative' comedy.
One could go further and argue that writers such as Powell and of Powell's generation remained proletarian in their outlook. The 'alternative' vanguard, spearheaded by Richard Curtis, Ben Elton et al in the 1980s have gone on to exemplify the capitalist commercial media spirit Thatcherism encouraged - the attacks on Thatcher, ironically, being the very meat and drink of the act they peddled in the 1980s.
Further still, Ben Elton created a play based around the hits of the band 'Queen', a pop band who defied taste and decency - never mind perceived 'political correctness' - to play the rich-white-exclusive 'Sun City' resort in South Africa in the 1980s.
Powell has had no such links with racist tyranny. He is the victim of a virulent snobbery that cannot tolerate his non-Oxbridge writing credentials. -
13Funbags17 June 2017About half way through the first series, I thought this was one of the funniest TV shows ever. I didn't even mind that there was virtually no continuity and that a group of people who can barely speak English constantly use British slang. It was funny and had good stories. About half way through the second series, I was getting disappointed. The writing got dramatically worse in the second series. They were clearly out of funny ideas so all but one episode had them going outside(something that never happened in the first series). They also added two completely unnecessary characters. Another hot girl to create friction(ugh) and a guy who never learns any English at all. The writers quickly realized they were terrible characters and rarely gave them any lines. About half way through the third series, I couldn't take it any more and had to stop watching. The new characters just disappeared. They eventually explain that the man went back to his country but the female's disappearance is completely ignored. By this point the stories had become painfully unfunny and the show was a chore to watch. Watch the first season and act like that's all there was. Trust me.
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sandmanpanelvan25 June 2002I used to watch this as a 10 year old kid. Not even knowing what rasism was I thought this was the greatest show ever. I guess I could relate to the characters trying to learn something new. They were almost like children in that classroom which made it really easy for someone of my age to find it ammusing. It's a shame that in these times of politcal correctness that it'll never be shown on Australian TV again. I don't even think its on pay TV. I doubt it. So heres to one of the best TV shows of its time. A laugh a minute. Nothing more. Nothing less.
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harmeetsm28 December 2007Santa Maria, Skuzy...etc etc... Giovani is my fav character from Mind your Language. Awesome series. Though it was run before I was born, I am in complete awe of this serial since I saw it on Z cafe this year. Too good mann !!! Everyone from Oh Bliemy, Thousand Apologies, German Mau, Santa Maria, Vorfa vor and many more were too good. The serial is evergreen as it still makes you laugh continuously... I rate it as one of my all time favs...:-) I wish i get the DVD of the complete series somewhere so that I can keep it as a personal collection for me. Best scene: Very difficult to judge as i like all the scenes in it. Mr Brown: I have been shown the bullets by Miss Courteny (on being fired) Giovani: Santa Maria, she tried to shoot you :):):)
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pavy_9993 December 2007i feel this series has an age of 70s and 80 s they tried to remake something like this in India too for an Hindi version it was awful distaste
this show is a all time legend.
pity some of these characters are doing small role jobs but these characters have a charm for this serial if ask me to try out any characters who could replace them then the producer would have any egg in his hands .great show great cast a show
that will live forever.
i wish i would live back in the 70s but i can only wish -
georgebose7 December 2006I have lived all my life without there being a single day where I don't think about those episodes. Mr. Brown(Barry Evans) was really superb. Very sad to say that he is no more today. I wish I could have met him. Same goes with Ali Nadeem(Dino Shafeek) who was very funny too.Too bad that he also is not alive anymore.My best episode has always been KILL OR CURE, where the students pay a visit to the "Flu" struck MR. Brown.I also like the one when they go on a picnic. I have lived all my life without there being a single day where I don't think about those episodes. Mr. Brown(Barry Evans) was really superb. Very sad to say that he is no more today. I wish I could have met him. Same goes with Ali Nadeem(Dino Shafeek) who was very funny too.Too bad that he also is not alive anymore.My best episode has always been KILL OR CURE, where the students pay a visit to the "Flu" struck MR. Brown.I also like the one when they go on a picnic. I have lived all my life without there being a single day where I don't think about those episodes. Mr. Brown(Barry Evans) was really superb. Very sad to say that he is no more today. I wish I could have met him. Same goes with Ali Nadeem(Dino Shafeek) who was very funny too.Too bad that he also is not alive anymore.My best episode has always been KILL OR CURE, where the students pay a visit to the "Flu" struck MR. Brown.I also like the one when they go on a picnic. I have lived all my life without there being a single day where I don't think about those episodes. Mr. Brown(Barry Evans) was really superb. Very sad to say that he is no more today. I wish I could have met him. Same goes with Ali Nadeem(Dino Shafeek) who was very funny too.Too bad that he also is not alive anymore.My best episode has always been KILL OR CURE, where the students pay a visit to the "Flu" struck MR. Brown.I also like the one when they go on a picnic.
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adam-100929 March 2010I've just seen the whole series available on DVD and I'm really surprise that: 1. I haven't heard about this series before 2. anyone could find this racist or politically incorrect 3. British don't seem to find it funny 4. it was canceled so quickly
I simply loved the series - all the characters are sympathetic (even the principal played by Zara Nutley), the writing was great, dialogs funny and the whole show very entertaining.
Perhaps some people only see stereotypes in the characters, but I think they were all presented in good light and the differences between them created space for the humour. Pity they didn't have chance to continue the series... -
lQizzar5 May 2021I watched MYL on TV on this channel that shows old shows (called HITS), including "Three's Company", "Cheers", "Columbo", and many more.
In the midst of all the different shows it had, there came "Mind Your Language"; when I watched it, I laughed my head off.
The naïveté of the foreigners are to the point where you'll burst yourself laughing at the ways how ridiculous they misunderstand things; in one episode, a character shoplifts an item that says "free offer inside", but thinks it meant that the item itself was free; it's not only just situations, but also words; (after all, they are learning English) for example, it is mentioned in one episode that a character defined the word "polygon" as a "disappearing parrot"; where the word "polygon" itself sounds similarly to "Polly gone", that's what he must've thought.
The characters are also hilarious, especially Juan, Ranjeet and Ali. The beloved Juan Cervantes, known for his quip "¿Por favor?", and his other classic lines. ("One right feet, one left feet!") Above all, MYL is still one of my most favorite sitcoms that still makes me laugh no matter how many times I rewatch it. -
Actually, this show is way beyond (In Max's words) "Ho-kay".
Full of colorful characters, this show very cleverly portrays their struggles in trying to get some semblance of a grip on English language. Each episode made for an eventful and enjoyable 30 minutes of my life. I can relate very much to this show myself, being a Pakistani and learning English in primary school as my second language. I am sure other "foreign" people can too.
Some of my favorite dialogues:
Max: (About Cricket) When he's out, he's not really out, he's in. And when he's in, he's not really in, he's out.
(Brown finishes explaining what "Sold a Dummy" and "Sold a Pup" means) Giovanni: I get it, but its just one-a thing I don't-a get. Do he buy the "dummy" before or after he buy the "pup"?
Ali: Squeeze me please lady.
Brown: We can't talk about sex right now! There's a time and place for everything. Danielle: You just give me the time and the place and I shall be there.- Needless to say, a throughly enjoyable show.
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lakshman27318 February 2013This is one of the best comedy serials i have ever seen. I happened to watch an episode "Queen for a day" in my cousin's house at Bangalore. I was determined to get this serial either in print or by download back in my town. I downloaded it on Torrentz and now I have all the episodes of the first three seasons with me. Anybody can relate to this serial very easily as each and every character comes from a different nation. I recommend that anybody feeling stress or pressure must immediately watch a single episode, as watching only one can make everybody laugh out loud and want to see the rest. Even though it belongs to a different time gap (1977- 1989), everybody will immensely like it and make it their daily pastime like me. Cheers.....
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satansam8 November 2018This is not one of the best tv shows. This is the BEST tv show of all time ever. #1 😍😘😍😘😍😘
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evans-1547519 March 2022The funniest thing about this is that in employed more ethnic minority actors than any show before and for many years after yet can't be celebrated as such,the first series was genuinely funny but there was really no where for it to go.
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tonygillan11 January 2006Don't watch this, not because it is racist (it isn't, although the characters are stupidly drawn national stereotypes), but because it is so unbelievably bad.
Here is an example of a "joke".
Teacher (taking register): "Juan" Juan: "Present"
Teacher: "Ingrid".
Ingird: "Present".
Teacher: "Rita".
Rita: "Present".
Teacher: "Rajeet".
Rajeet: "Gift".
Teacher: "Pardon".
Rajeet: "Gift means the same as present". (Huge burst of canned laughter, there may as well have been a cymbal clash)
It didn't get any better than this. Please remember, the 1970s wasn't all Fawlty Towers and Porridge. There were plenty of feeble shows like this too.