Not on Your Nellie (1974–1975) User Reviews

"Hello. This is The Brown Cow speaking!".

[ShadeGrenade · 7/10 · 17 July 2006]

Based on a stage play by Tom Brennand and Roy Bottomley, 'Not On Your Nellie' cast the irrepressible Hylda Baker as Nellie Pickersgill, a northern spinster who inherits a shabby London pub which she decides to run with her father Jed ( John Barrett, who'd also played her father in the 'Nearest & Dearest' pilot).

The pub's regulars consist of a gay couple ( "And what are you today, Gilbert? Oh, you're one of those, are you?" ), a layabout window cleaner called Charlie and an Asian bus conductor - typical '70's sitcom stereotypes, in other words. Nellie Pickersgill was so like Nellie Pledge it hardly seemed worth changing the surname. Various busty barmaids came and went, amongst them a young Wendy Richard.

It was crude, vulgar, hardly P.C., but very funny. In the third season, Jed's place was taken by Jack Douglas as Nellie's cousin Stanley. Baker broke her leg during the filming of one episode and had to do the next in a wheelchair. When she got so ill she couldn't work anymore, the show was sadly abandoned.

This phone wire's too long - I must ring the Post Office and get them to pull it in a bit at their end!

[deathinleamington · 7/10 · 9 November 2010]

I love Hylda Baker, and this is really her show - the other characters orbit her like errant moons around a tiny but immensely powerful sun. Her malaprop-entendre wit is as honed as ever, but during this series she demonstrates a level of energy and athletic prowess that is quite stunning. She was 69 years old when this series started, and in those days old meant 54 years old, arthritis and sclerosis and labyrinth organ disorders had usually reared their ugly heads - yet she moves like someone half her age, and seems to be game for anything! There are problems, of course.... some of the scripts are rehashed from Baker's previous series ("Nearest And Dearest") and are in one or two cases identical to episodes of that show, it's become a politically-incorrect artifact that makes its longevity difficult to determine, the third series started well but degenerated into a farcical mess when Baker broke her leg and the remaining episodes were made without her..... but it's something I love to watch. Hylda Baker is a comedy powerhouse.

Don't be so ricidudulous!!

[christopherbarton26 · 8/10 · 14 February 2019]

Following on from her wonderful performance in "Nearest and Dearest' the great Hylda Baker reigns supreme as the Queen of spoonerisms. She is Nellie Pickergill, basically Nellie pleader in all but name. Watching a few episodes now it still rings as genuinely funny. The plot that she takes over running her fathers pub in London gives a chance for her to mix with a variety of London types. There is a running theme of comparing the North and South, which still prevails that is both funny and true.

Although again it is an interesting window to old attitudes you can't help but enjoy Nelli Pickergill/Hylda as she steals the show. Add to the fact unlike other sitcoms homosexual and immigrant characters are, although the butt of some jokes, treated affectionately in the script. Indeed she announces herself as a maiden on arrival so the values of family are transferred to her regulars. They are all her children.

It is simply worth the watch for her wonderful use or misuse of the English language. Very funny.

Raucous,crude and very funny to this day!

[rocknrelics · 9/10 · 12 January 2008]

I have just bought the DVD of the first series, a programme I haven't seen since it first aired in 1974 when I was 11! So many of Hylda Baker's catchphrases have stuck with me 'Don't be ricidodolous' 'I can say that without fear of contraception'etc.

It seemed so racy when I watched it with my mum and dad back in 1974,at the age of 11, although of course by todays standards it is quaint more than rude! The main thing is, the programme is still funny, and I have found myself laughing out loud, something I don't do with much of todays so called comedy.

I suppose too many people would find some of the characterisation of the pubs customers offensive, but more fool them for taking life to seriously, after all people are funny!! Recommended for anyone with an open mind and a love of true comedy.

''And what are you today, Gilbert? Oh, your're one of those are you?''

[Rabical-91 · 7/10 · 7 March 2019]

Both stars of 'Nearest & Dearest', Jimmy Jewel and Hylda Baker, landed their own shows following the latter's conclusion. Jimmy's show was 'Spring & Autumn' which cast him as a cantankerous pensioner who befriends a young tearaway. It was popular enough to run to four series however Hylda Baker's show 'Not On Your Nellie' was not so lucky. It managed to run to three series but overall could not capture the same affection as 'Nearest & Dearest'.

Nellie Pickersgill travels from Lancashire to London to help run her father Jed's ( John Barrett ) pub, known as The Brown Cow. Nellie Pickersgill was Nellie Pledge in all but surname. She used the same catchphrases as before ( ''you haven't had the pleasure of me yet have you?'' ) but she was allowed to do more stuff here than on 'Nearest & Dearest' such as clog dancing and singing.

The pub's regulars were lecherous window cleaner Charlie ( Leo Dolan ), Indian bus conductor Ali ( Azad Ali ) and gay couple George ( David Rayner ) and Gilbert ( Roger Howlett ), the latter who never speaks. A different barmaid was used for each series. Series one had Alexandra Dane as Beryl, Wendy Richard as Doris and Sue Nichols as Brenda. In the final series Jack Douglas was brought in as Nellie's cousin Stanley.

Like 'Nearest & Dearest', 'Not On Your Nellie' whilst nothing special was relatively amusing. It did win over the earlier show in one respect however. Being an LWT show, 'Not On Your Nellie' was not dogged by the annoying canned laughter. The final series was curtailed after four episodes due to Hylda Baker's ill health and in 1986 she sadly lost her life due to bronchial pneumonia.

.....oh you're one of those are you?.....

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 7 October 2022]

Nellie Pickersgill is called to her ailing father Jed's pub to take over, but is The Chelsea pub ready for the straight talking Northerner?

If you're a fan of Nearest and Dearest, or of Hylda Baker herself, then this is a must watch show. It's a very funny watch even today, plenty of laughs, plenty of big characters, plenty of Nellie-isms. Baker is magical throughout, until the penultimate episode where she got injured and left the show.

Some of it felt as though it was lifted directly from Nearest and Dearest, and rehashed, even the premise of the show itself, bit it does work. Even Gilbert, he's basically a copy of Walter. Every time she asks him what he's come as, I laughed out loud.

The humour is camp, a little bawdy, and for 1975 it would have been somewhat risque, it's obviously very tame by today's standards, but it's still very funny.

I loved the variety of characters, sure they're a bit dated, and attitudes have changed a lot, but they're a funny bunch. It felt as though the show was well meaning.

Series one is very funny, series two is terrific, don't expect anything much from series three, sadly it ends in poor fashion.

There were multiple cast changes throughout, personally I liked the second series, which featured Wendy Richards, I thought she was really good.

8/10.