The Fast Show’s Simon Day will play the outrageous Alf Garnett in a remake of sitcom Till Death Us Do Part.
Simon, 53, took on a variety of roles in the 1990s sketch show, including Competitive Dad, Dave Angel and architecture expert Gideon Soames.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFq8rBe79L0&feature=oembed
He'll star in the remade episode of comedy classic Till Death Us Do Part for a BBC sitcom season in the summer, playing Alf – the anti-socialist, racist, sexist bigot who heads up the Garnett family.
The BBC is re-shooting a number of 'lost sitcoms', of which no recordings survive, as they are missing from its archives. The special episodes will be recreated by a new cast using the original scripts in front of a studio audience.
Simon Day in 1997 (Sean Dempsey/PA)
Alf was originally played by Warren Mitchell, who died last year at the age of 89.
The episode set to be recreated is titled A Woman’s Place Is In The Home – and the script will be left unchanged, featuring Alf’s rants which parody the attitudes of the era.
Warren Mitchell (Toby Melville/PA)
In the 1967 episode, Alf arrives home to an empty house and a burnt supper as wife Else has gone out – and he then sets about 'putting things right'.
Bearing the brunt of his anger will be former Hollyoaks actress Lizzie Roper as Else, in the role originally played by Dandy Nichols.
Bit windy Guernsey innit. pic.twitter.com/mVdjttIX2M
— lizzieroper (@lizzieroper) December 21, 2015
Daughter Rita will be played by Young Dracula star Sidney Rae White, with Waterloo Road’s Carl Au as her husband Mike.
The two other lost sitcoms set to be recreated are Hancock’s Half Hour, which started on BBC Television 60 years ago this year, and Steptoe And Son.
Drop The Dead Donkey’s Jeff Rawle and Pride’s Ed Coleman will step in to the roles of Albert Steptoe and his son Harold respectively, recreating the classic double act for an episode called A Winter’s Tale.
Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett in Steptoe and Son (PA)
It sees Harold desperate to go on a skiing holiday – but without Albert.
A recreated episode of Hancock’s Half Hour, which began as a radio comedy before transferring to TV, is called The New Neighbour – and focuses on Tony Hancock’s neighbour’s 'suspicious' night-time routine.
Fans already know that Kevin McNally will play the part of Tony, while Robin Sebastian will play Kenneth Williams.
Comedian Tony Hancock (PA)
Joining them are John Culshaw, who plays Sid James, Katy Wix as Hattie Jacques and Kevin Elton as John Vere.
BBC comedy commissioning controller Shane Allen said: “When the originals were made and then lost, no one knew they’d go on to be such classic and well-loved series.
“It feels rightful and respectful to bring them back to life with a new cast to be appreciated all over again for the brilliant writing they all contain.”
