Sam Kelly starred in We'll Think of Something which ran for one series of 6 episodes in September and October 1986.

 

Made by London franchise Thames for ITV, but the series was set in Manchester where 41 year old Les Brooks (Sam Kelly) is a middle-age man made redundant from his engineering job after 17 years when the company goes under with no buyers. With a £2440 redundancy payout Les refuses to join the dole queue on principal, preferring to see himself as a going concern and contributor to society unlike everyone else prepared to just rest on the dole indefinitely. Instead, Les comes up with a series of ideas to start his own business, starting with an idea of going into the scrap metal trade, despite not having a yard or vehicle. When that doesn't work out he tries the antiques game. Whilst these ideas fail to take off and no money is coming in as he won't claim dole and not wanting to squander his nest egg on bills, his wife Maureen (Marcia Warren) has to take on an increasing number of jobs as barmaid at various local pubs to keep them afloat whilst Les sorts himself out. Les usually brings in his mate Dennis Pearson (Roger Sloman), former work colleague also made redundant by the closure, but Dennis' wife wants him to retrain into a management role. Meanwhile, Les's other friends have all been on the dole for years at this time of high unemployment with manufacturing bases closing down or going abroad. Friends like Eddie (Philip Dunbar), Dave (Jimmy Reddington) and religious nut Norman (Ray Mort) are perfectly content with just sitting around doing nothing claiming benefits and try to persuade Les that it's his destiny too. On top of his job issues Les also has to cope with his father Old Mr Brooks (John Barrand) who is dying in hospital, cared for by Doctor Khan (Tariq Yunus). Les's visits to his dad usually end up in them shouting at each other as Les's dad doesn't like his son who bothers to visit and instead only cares hor his favourite son, Les's unseen brother Gerald who can do no wrong, even though he makes no effort to visit his father. On top of all these woes miserable next door neighbour Irene (Maggie Jones) constantly pops in to spread despair and despondency and make it appear even worse wallowing in doom and gloom.

 

The series was written by Geoff Rowley alone, who contributed to Please Sir! and The Fenn Street Gang in the 70s and would go on to write later episodes of Goodnight Sweetheart and Birds of a Feather in the 90s when Marks & Gran stepped away from both.

 

For Sam Kelly, ever the supporting artist up to this point, this was his first starring sitcom, coming just 2 months before his final full series (third series) of 'Allo 'Allo started in December 1986. Whilst this series was airing Sam was appearing in the touring stage show of 'Allo 'Allo.

 

Unfortunately, if Sam hoped this would be an ongoing starring vehicle for him as he left 'Allo 'Allo he'd be sorely disappointed as it was not a hit, critical and public opinion was indifferent to negative and it was deemed one of those middle-of-the-road sitcoms that didn't stand out. Part of the problem is that the high unemployment of 5 million in Thatcher's 1980s was being explored in so many sitcoms and dramas at that time that it was hard for many of them to stand out from the crowd. Bigger hits Bread and Prospects covered similar ground and had started earlier that same year and in the very same weeks this was going out the BBC were covering similar ground in the sitcom Help! set in Liverpool starring Stephen McGann. Sam Kelly's series went out on Thames on Mondays with the BBC's Help! the next day on Tuesdays. Help! made it to two series. On the same first day as We'll Think of Something the BBC also started new sitcom Brush Strokes with Karl Howman, which became a much bigger hit although rather than the unemployed that dealt with decorators working. There were just too many other better options than this. Which is a shame as it's not bad. Not great, but in my opinion certainly worth the time at least once. It's a lot angrier than a lot of the other 80s sitcoms about struggling through high unemployment. Sam Kelly, usually playing very placid characters gets very angry with his dad, his friends, his situation. It's a bit different and not nearly as middle-of-the-road as some reviews claim. But it was not recommissioned and has not been released commercially on VHS or DVD.

 

The series ran on ITV as follows;

 

1.1 Not Me Pal - 01/09/1986 

The factory where Les has worked for 25 years in Manchester closes down, leaving him redundant. Les doesn't want to be on a dole queue and doesn't accept being redundant. Instead he thinks of other business ideas to go into whereas everyone else locally has accepted their fate and gone on the dole. Les wants to go into the scrap metal business, despite having no yard or vehicle.

 

1.2 You Know Who Your Friends Are - 08/09/1986

Les's redundancy cheque for £2440 arrives and he hopes to go into the scrap metal business with mate Dennis but Dennis isn't interested. His wife and he have agreed he should go on a management course to retrain. Falling out Les comes back to collect their first scrap as Dennis and his wife are entertaining guests.

 

1.3 What's In A Gnome - 15/09/1986

Les is in trouble with the law when he steals one of Dennis' gnomes after their argument. Les recieves a message that his dad wants to see his son in hospital and he rushes there thinking he might be dying but the father wanted his other son Gerald, who doesn't even bother to visit. To rub it in Les then learns that Gerald has won a Ford Sierra in a competition when he already has two cars whilst Les has none.

 

1.4 Business Wallah - 29/09/1986

Despite the household bills piling up Les doesn't want to use his redundancy money to pay them off, keeping it as his investment nest egg for the right business plan. He has a meeting to set up a business but walking down poor streets with a briefcase is not a good idea as locals think he's a debt collector.

 

1.5 Gone But Not Forgotten - 06/10/1986

Les decides to start up in the antiques business. Meanwhile his dad seems near to death after an argument but as usual is putting it on.

 

1.6 It Comes To Us All - 13/10/1986

Maureen has had to take on three barmaid jobs at different pubs to keep them afloat as Les stubbornly refuses to sign on and become one of the fully unemployed. His friends convince him he needs to give in as his wife is carrying them but the experience in the dole office queue with the local riff-raff proves too much.

 

Episode 4 missed a week to make way for a Royal documentary called In Private In Public on 22nd September about Charles & Diana. The week after it finished new Thames sitcom Executive Stress starring Penelope Keith filled the slot. That would go on to do 3 series.