Mind Your Language

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Mind Your Language
Created byVince Powell
StarringBarry Evans
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes42
Production
Executive producersStuart Allen, Albert Moses
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkITV
Release1977 –
1986
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Mind Your Language was a British comedy television series originally shown on ITV, between 1977 and 1979. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it was set in a language school in London, with Barry Evans (June 18, 1943 - February 11, 1997) as the embattled night school English language teacher for a motley crew of assorted foreigners.

Production

The series was known for its crude representation of national stereotypes: the German woman was dour and humourless; the French woman was sexy and flirtatious; the Swedish woman was liberated and straightforwardly sex-mad; the Chinese woman a rampant Maoist; while the Sikh and Pakistani men were often on the brink of war, and the Spaniard, the Greek and the Italian were macho. Much of the humour also stemmed from the trouble the students had with the English language, their contrived speech patterns and the students' bizarre mispronunciations of English. More recently the show was criticised for unimaginative racism, but in its day the show was popular with people of many backgrounds because of its light-hearted take on multiculturalism and because it gave some otherwise unrepresented minorities a television presence, albeit represented as caricatures.

The show was cancelled in 1979 by Michael Grade, then LWT's Deputy Controller of Entertainment, who considered the stereotyping offensive. Nevertheless it was sold to other countries where it found amazing popularity, including Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and Singapore . It was also one of the first British TV programmes shown in South Africa after the end of the boycott by Equity. It was even resurrected, briefly, for the export market by an independent producer, in the mid 1980s. Only ITV region Granada transmitted the final 13 episodes consecutively as a complete series. Some ITV companies didn't show any of the episodes made in 1986. The programme was remade for US television as What a Country! In India, a comedy serial based on Mind Your Language was aired on DD2. In the program Zaban Sambhal Ke (Hindi for Mind Your Language) people from diverse regional Indian background studied Hindi.

Transmission details

DVD releases

The comedy was released on DVD in 2003 for Region 2, and in 2004 for Region 1. The DVD set has four discs and does not have Series 4. It has all the episodes from Series 1 to 3 except Kill Or Cure (24 February 78) from Series 1, Don't Forget The Driver (4 November 78) from Series 2, and Guilty Or Not Guilty? (24 November 79) from Series 3.

Cast list

File:Fightclass.png
Episode 14: Max and Giovanni are fighting in the class.

Characters

  • Jeremy Brown - B.A. Oxon : The school's new English teacher, he has to put up with the students' hilarious and often literal interpretations of the English language. He often gets sucked into their idiosyncrasies himself ( eg. "speaking-o" like Taro) . Has a love-hate relationship with the principal Ms. Courtney and is often threatened with termination (he is on a temporary basis). He is however greatly respected by the class to the point where they ensure the removal of two substitutes, let him stay over at Giovanni's place and visit him (with mixed results) at home when he is ill. Like most of the other English characters he himself exhibits a slight myopia about foreigners, though he did suggest to an education inspector that the syllabus be less academic and more practical for the students' sake. Despite numerous spells aways from the class he always finds himself back, and due to the incompetence of his students... back with them as well!
  • Delores Courtney - M.A Oxon : The school's pompous, tight-fisted snobbish spinster principal, her office is right across from Mr Brown's classroom, which lets her summon him almost at will. Though she is revealed to be a romantic at heart at times, she is unquestionably ironfisted towards her staff and the foreign students, often coming in to assess them on their progress. After hearing the results, she often wonders what direction the progress is! The staff call her names behind her back, including "her ladyship" (Gladys), "the old dragon" (Mr Brown) and most humorously at first meeting, "Mrs. Courtney". She keeps a bottle of sherry in her cupboard, ostensibly for 'visitors,' but is seen swilling it herself in many episodes.
  • Sidney - Sid is the caretaker of the school, a London Cockney who frequently speaks in rhyme, which he has to translate for everyone (except Gladys, it seems). Always involved in some kind of scheme, he shares these interests with Giovanni and Max, who egg the rest of the class to participate. His drinking is often a subject of inquiry, landing him in jail in one episode. His best friend at the school is the tea lady Gladys, and it seems the school boiler which he refers to as 'my boiler'. He gets along very well with the students, particularly the men.
  • Gladys - Gladys is in charge of the tea room at the school and is never seen without her apron. She is, in contrast to Miss Courtney, affable and friendly towards Mr Brown and the students. She is much more sensible than Sid and more streetwise than Mr Brown. She unfortunately is the target of deflected remarks regarding the principal ("old dragon" etc) but she seems to take it in stride, calling Ms Courtney "her ladyship".
  • Ali Nadim - Ali is one of the first students Mr Brown meets, originally from Pakistan. Never seen without his Jinnah hat, he is the most vocal of the students and often misinterprets everything said by others as literal. As a Pakistani Muslim he is the butt of many offensive remarks by Ranjeet, who is a Sikh (Indian) and they trade barbs in virtually every episode. His last job was a travelling salesman. Due to his previous job in a Tandoori restaurant, he always answers "Yes, please" to a question by Mr Brown.

Memorable Jokes Mr.Brown: Ali as smooth as..... 

                     Ali : Baby's Buttocks.
  • Ranjeet Singh - A Tube worker from Punjab in India and a very devoted Sikh. He is constantly butting heads with Ali, who calls him names like "monkey face" or "punjabi prawn" due to his regulation beard. He always mixes up his general knowledge, but always puts his hands together for "a thousand apologies" and smiles. He carries a kirpan, with which he has threatened to assassinate anyone from Ali to Mr Jarvis the woodwork teacher. He and Ali are the only characters known to use the derogative term "poof" (homosexual).In an episode where Brown asks him to complete the saying "A bird in the hand",he responds by saying with characteristic innocence,"makes mess on your wrist".
  • Jamila Ranjha - An Indian housewife, she starts off very badly in the class, needing Ali to translate her Hindi. Though she does improve as time goes on, she regularly uses Hindi to reply to questions posed by Mr Brown or Ms Courtney, which infuriates them to no end. She is constantly knitting cardigans, though she is rarely seen wearing them. She rarely participates in the Ali-Ranjeet feud as she is a Christian.

Memorable Jokes Mr.Brown: Jamilah what is as white as..... 

                     Jamilah : You.
  • Su-Lee - A secretary at the Chinese Embassy, she is never seen without her red book of Mao, nor is she ever heard for long without it. Her "R" and "L" juxtapositions are a frequent feature of the show, as is her own feud with "capitarist" Taro. Though a devoted Maoist (she even dresses up as a party cadre to greet the Queen), she is a very kind-hearted person - she even offers to marry Ali to help him conceive children (ultimately unnecessary) and helped Juan collect money for Ranjeet when he needed it.


  • Danielle Favre - An amorous French au pair who instantly grabs Mr Brown (and every other male's) attention. Her good looks often distract Giovanni and Max from their answers while Mr Brown is often found in seemingly incriminating positions with her (such as when she is adjusting stockings, hanging clothes in his apartment etc). She is annoyed somewhat when Ingrid Svenson joins the class and the race for Mr Brown's affection. She is a good friend to fellow au pair Anna and the two spend weekends together. Owing to her job, her English is not that bad, though her word mixups and constant reference to sex are a feature of the series.
  • Anna Schmidt - Anna appears to be the stereotypical German of the 70s - gruff, unemotional and coldly logical. Her main problem is mixing "V" and "W" sounds (which are inverted from their German use). She is strategically placed next to Max, who she frequently reprimands with a swinging arm to the chest. Despite her stern outlook, she faces issues of her own, such as impending deportation (unnecessary, as she is West German) and is the only one of the ladies who actually gets to dance with Mr Brown (albeit in a very odd arrangement with Ms Courtney and Gladys).
  • Giovanni Cupello - The loudest student and de facto class monitor, this Italian cook is the leader of the class owing to his personality. Like Juan, he claims to have such a good accent no one can tell he is not English-born. He shares a flat with Max, which is near a railway line. Mr Brown to him is 'professori'. His main English problem is metaphors, though he sometimes answers wrongly on purpose to amuse the class. He is attracted to Danielle, though as the series progresses she becomes more like an accomplice rather than an infatuation. Like all those who dwell in London, he picks up slang faster than he does regular language. When he dresses up to greet the Queen, he is dressed like a stereotypical Sicilian, which may explain his mafia-like suggestions for helping Mr Brown. He is also very emotional and cries every time Mr Brown leaves or declares he is leaving.
  • Juan Cervantes, para servirle - A Spanish bartender with an optimistic streak, Juan is always laughing at himself, always confident in his answers even when wrong. He naturally answers almost everything with "Por favor" and in the first season needed Giovanni to translate some key terms for him. Like Giovanni he is very concerned with Mr Brown, even checking up on him in the hospital (naturally, getting the wrong name = wrong reaction). He sometimes quarrels with Giovanni, who calls him a "Spanish omelette".

Memorable Jokes Mr.Brown: Juan What is it (showing him a milk) 

                     Juan : Cow Juice.
                     Ms.Courtney: Do you know where we get milk from, Juan?
                     Juan: Senora, from Milk maid.

In a episode, where Giovanni and Juan was arguing, Mr.Brown interfere and ask them " If you want to argue, argue in English" Juan replied to Giovanni replied to Giovanni by saying " Go back to italy you Italian spaghetti!"

  • Maximillian A.A. Papandrios - A Greek shipping office worker, Max is often paired with Giovanni. Like Giovanni he is attracted to Danielle but as the show progressed the three became like a mini gang. His personality is almost identical to Giovanni and the two never fight in the series, except over girls. He calls Mr Brown "the boss". Due to his traditional Greek dress for greeting the Queen, he is referred to as "Miss Greece" by Sidney in the episode "Queen For A Day". His main problem with English is his heavy accent, which causes him to add "H" to almost every word he says.

Memorable Jokes Mr.Brown: What is you job?" 

                     Max: I woke with sheeps. (I work with Ships)
  • Taro Nagazumi - A Japanese electronics representative, his problem is not so much with words but with his habit of adding "-o" to every word he says. He also bows to Mr Brown every time he stands, often resulting in the teacher repeating the gesture and hitting something. Despite Mr Brown's best efforts he cannot seem to shake the habit, though he does not help himself by reading English classics... in Japanese. He is frequently at odds with Su Lee due to Japan and 70s-era China's own political differences. He is never seen without his camera and takes pictures of people for money. He is the oldest student in the class, having white hair. His classic reply is the Japanese "ah so" (is it?) .
  • Zoltán Szabó - A Hungarian student introduced in season 2, he is at a very basic level of English and requires a phrasebook for everything. He has notoriously bad aim, but considers himself an entertainer with music and magic, even playing a lament for Mr Brown on a violin (in Hungarian of course). He leaves in Season 2.
  • Ingrid Svenson - A Swedish au pair who joins with Zoltan, this blonde beauty attempts to bed Mr Brown from the start, much to Danielle's annoyance. Her straightforwardness often puts Mr Brown ill at ease, though he frequently finds himself staring at her chest. She transfers schools at the end of Season 2 and recommends Mr Brown to join the staff at her school, but returns in the independently produced Season 4.

Other students and staff:

  • Jock alias Hamish McGregor- A Glaswegian chauffeur in the employ of an Arabic sheik, his thick dialect prompts the sheik to enrol him into the class to help him to be understood. Though his dialect is difficult to pierce , Mr Brown seems to understand him (Sid does not). He does not endear himself to the class however, arguing fiercely with Juan about Jesus and telling Suu Lee to "get back to the paddy field". Mr Brown ejects him, and to appease the sheik (a potential fund donor) Ms Courtney instead gets Mr Brown to teach the Sheik how to speak like Jock.
  • Roger Kenyon- A young black education inspector sent by the local authority, he is mistaken for an incoming African student by Mr Brown and plays along with the gag, even getting helpful suggestions from him and saving his job from a shocked Ms Courtney. Mr Brown is relieved, only to mistake Roger's wife for the new student and treat her the same way. Roger could be Kenyan in origin owing to his use of "bwana", though he is pretending at the time.
  • Boris - A defecting Russian sailor, he hides with Juan and subsequently ends up in school. He wishes to stay for the women, but he is discovered by his captain and dragged off to his ship- only for the captain to fall for Ms Courtney.
  • Captain Ivan Ivanovich - Captain of the ship from which Boris escaped. He comes to the school and succeeds in taking Boris back to Russia. Captain Ivanovich falls in love with Ms Courtney whom he says reminds him of the British Bulldog.
  • Mr. Jarvis - A chauvinistic woodwork teacher, Mr Jarvis fancies himself a bit of a ladies man, but goes too far with Danielle. The students and Ms Courtney both force Mr.Brown to defend her honour in a boxing match held in the school gym. Mr Brown actually wins the match with some help from Max and Giovanni. In the following semester Mr Jarvis is fired from the school for putting on a poor show in the school concert, though it is only mentioned in passing to Mr Brown.
  • Mr. Short - Ms Courtney's predecessor as principal of the school. He is the invigilator when Mr Brown's students take their first examination. When he insults Mr Brown in the pub, Mr Brown pours a glass of lager over his head.

Trivia

  • The resurrected version in the mid to late 1980s was filmed at Uxbridge Technical College, Middlesex.
  • Jamilla Massey who played the Indian lady Jamila Ranjha is now appearing as a character in BBC Radio 4's long-running soap opera The Archers.

Memorable phrases

  • Ali Nadim (Pakistani): "Squeeze me please!", "Oh Blimey!", "Jolly Good","you damn fool!"
  • Giovanni Cupello (Italian): "Santa Maria!", "Holy Ravioli!", "Silenzio!", "Hokay Kokay!"
  • Maximillian Papandrious (Greek): "Hokay!", "ok boss"
  • Jamila Rahjha (Indian): "God heavening!","...master ji..."
  • Deloris Courtney (the prim-and-proper English headmistress): "MISS Courtney, if you don't mind."
  • Danielle Favre (French): "Zaz is very nice.i wuz like zo zu zam zing"
  • Ranjeet Singh (Indian Sikh): "A thousand apologies."
  • Chung Su-Lee (Chinese): "Chairman Mao, he says..." "The Democlatic Lepubric Of China", "...peace-roving Chinese!"
  • Taro Nagazumi (Japanese): "Ah-so" (proceeds forward and bows)
  • Juan Cervantes (Spanish): "Por favor?","s'awright", "One fate/fete/fit, Two fate/fete/fit!", "Wrong number!"
  • Zoltan Szabo (Hungarian): "Bocsánat?"
  • Anna Schmidt (German): "Wery Good!"
  • Gladys the tea lady (English): "Her ladyship wants to see you"
  • Jeremy Brown (English): "Is the old dragon in?"
  • Sid the caretaker (English): "You sure you got the right cucumber?"
  • Ingrid Svenson (Swedish): "I come here to English learn. We together sit?"

External links

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