Pardon the Expression


Pardon the Expression is a British sitcom made by Granada Television, that was first broadcast from Wednesday 2 June 1965 to Monday 27 June 1966. The sitcom was one of four spin-offs from the soap opera Coronation Street. Pardon the Expression itself had a spin-off: Turn Out the Lights, broadcast in 1967. There was not another spin-off until the 1980s with The Brothers McGregor, which reused two characters who appeared in a single episode.
Leonard Swindley, played by Arthur Lowe was the central character. Formerly the manager of the fashion retail store Gamma Garments in Coronation Street, in this series he is the deputy manager of the department store Dobson and Hawks. His boss in the series was Ernest Parbold, played by Paul Dawkins, who was replaced by Wally Hunt, played by Robert Dorning, in series 2. Other regulars were Betty Driver as canteen lady Mrs Edgeley and Joy Stewart as Miss Sinclair, the boss's secretary. Another member of the cast was John Le Mesurier, who later reunited with Arthur Lowe in the classic comedy Dad's Army.

Cast

Series 1 (1965)

  • "The First Day"
  • "The Headmistress"
  • "The Trouble with Ada"
  • "Mannequin Parade"
  • "The Dance"
  • "The Wedding"
  • "The Pensioner"
  • "The Visitor"
  • "Birthday Present"
  • "Little Boy Lost"
  • "The Old One Two"
  • "The Brain Drain"

    Series 2 (1966)

  • "The Economy Drive"
  • "January Sale"
  • "The Resignation"
  • "Self Defence"
  • "The Stocktaking"
  • "The Home Help"
  • "Big Hotel"
  • "The Gaol Birds"
  • "A Night to Remember"
  • "Whose Baby are You?"
  • "The Take-Over Bid"
  • "Between the Covers"
  • "Heads Down"
  • "A Sheik in the Night"
  • "Rustle of Spring"
  • "The Ghost of Batsworth Castle"
  • "The Sailor Home from the Sea"
  • "The Dinner Party"
  • "Man's Best Friend"
  • "Thunderfinger – Part 1"
  • "Thunderfinger – Part 2: Swindley Strikes Back"
  • "The Switched-on Scene"
  • "The Cup That Cheers"
  • "On Health Farm Sommet Stirs"

    Home media

Both series of Pardon the Expression were released in mid-2009, a six-disc set of the complete series was released on 12 December 2011.
DVDRelease date
The Complete Series 17 May 2009
The Complete Series 23 August 2009
The Complete Series 1 to 2 Box Set12 December 2011