Love Thy Neighbour was a British sitcom of the early 1970s, made by Thames Television for ITV. It was created and exclusively written by Vince Powell and Harry Driver. It was centered around a suburban white working-class couple who unwittingly found themselves living next door to a black couple, and the white couple’s attempts to come to terms with this.
Love Thy Neighbour 1972-1976
Love Thy Neighbour was hugely popular in the early 1970s. During that era Britain struggled to come to terms with its recently arrived population of black immigrants, and Love Thy Neighbour exemplified this struggle. It aroused great controversy for many of the same reasons as the earlier (and more subtle) Till Death Us Do Part.
The views of the white male character, played by Jack Smethurst, were presented in such a way as to make him appear stupid and bigoted, and were contrasted with the more tolerant attitude of his wife. His use of terms such as “nig-nog” to refer to his black neighbour, despite being intended as ironic by the script-writers, attracted considerable criticism from viewers. The male black character was in contrast educated and sophisticated. It was similar to “All in the Family”.
*7.6 stars on IMDb*!!!
“The show was very clever, entertaining and funny. Bill and Eddie really liked each other in their own way and when they fought they also made up in their own way! I can see how some people may get offended with the name calling, but it was always tit for tat. I would like to see it back on pay tv so others can enjoy it and take it for what it is, FUNNY!!!”
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