The BEST episodes of Steptoe and Son season 1

Every episode of Steptoe and Son season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Steptoe and Son season 1!

After creating the supreme comedy that was Hancock's Half Hour, many wondered where else writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson could go when the eponymous Mr H dispensed with their services. Their answer was another sitcom tour-de-force, Steptoe & Son. Steptoe was born from a one-off comic play, "The Offer" commissioned by the BBC in 1962 as part of Comedy Playhouse, a series of short plays all written by Galton and Simpson. From the outset it broke the mould of British comedy. Where previous sitcoms relied on slapstick, gags and farce, Steptoe and Son introduced a note of gritty realism: its characters were resolutely working-class, down-at-heel rag-and-bone men scraping a living by spotting gems among other people's junk. Father and son used earthy language and swore like troopers (at least as much as the BBC would allow them to) and both were given an added reality by being played by "straight" actors (Wilfred Brambell and Harry H Corbett) rather than comedians. Where other comedies revolved around interfering mothers-in-law and the sudden failure of the hero's braces the moment his boss came round, Steptoe's focus was on the inter-generational conflict that marked out the 60s. While father Albert Steptoe was - as his son often reminded him - a "dirty old man", set in his grimy and grasping ways, middle-aged son Harold was filled with social aspirations, not to say pretensions. Many episodes saw Harold attempting to attract a posh "bird" (this was still the sixties and early seventies) with his literary erudition, love of classical music or amateur dramatic skills, only to have a single leer from his gargoyle-like dad put the kybosh on the whole affair. Despite the advantage of Harold's relative youth, the audience always knew who was master in the Steptoe household. Albert, convinced his work in years (long) gone by entitled him to live off his son's hard graft, used every weapon from blood-curdling threats to pathetic wheedling to kee

Last Updated: 4/2/2024Network: BBC OneStatus: Ended
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The Bird
star
7.76
29 votes

#1 - The Bird

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/14/1962

Harold has a girl but Albert is out to ruin his fun.

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The Holiday
star
7.33
15 votes

#2 - The Holiday

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/12/1962

Harold wants a beach holiday, but Albert is looking forward to the usual trip to Bognor Regis.

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The Economist
star
7.29
21 votes

#3 - The Economist

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/28/1962

Harold's strategy to sell in bulk proves problematic when he's stuck with 400 sets of false teeth.

The Piano
star
7.26
19 votes

#4 - The Piano

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/21/1962

To acquire a grand piano from a wealthy collector, Harold must move it out of a penthouse flat.

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The Offer
star
7.06
47 votes

#5 - The Offer

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/5/1962

Harold Steptoe is sick of being a rag and bone man, but his father Albert makes it tough for his one-man workforce to leave.

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The Diploma
star
7.00
15 votes

#6 - The Diploma

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/5/1962

Harold gets a diploma in TV repair - so how come Albert seems to know more about it than him?