View source for Citizen Smith

{{Short description|British TV sitcom (1977–1980)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox television 
 | image = Citizen smith.jpg
 | runtime = 30 minutes
 | creator = [[John Sullivan (writer)|John Sullivan]]
 | starring = [[Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay]]<br />[[Mike Grady (actor)|Mike Grady]]<br />[[Cheryl Hall]]<br />[[Hilda Braid]]<br />[[Peter Vaughan]]<br />[[Tony Steedman]]<br />[[Tony Millan]]<br />[[George Sweeney (actor)|George Sweeney]]<br />[[Stephen Greif]]<br />David Garfield
 | country = United Kingdom
 | language = English
 | network = [[BBC1]]
 | first_aired = {{Start date|1977|4|12|df=y}}
 | last_aired = {{End date|1980|12|31|df=y}}
 | num_series = 4
 | num_episodes = 30
 | list_episodes = List of Citizen Smith episodes 
}}
'''''Citizen Smith''''' is a British television sitcom written by [[John Sullivan (writer)|John Sullivan]], first broadcast from 1977 to 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BFI Screenonline: Citizen Smith (1977-80)|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/577221/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>

It starred [[Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay]] as Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith,<ref>{{cite news |last=Barnett |first=David |date=20 March 2017 |title=We remember Citizen Smith fondly but is there a place for him in today's politics? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/citizen-smith-who-tv-sitcom-uk-politics-returns-robert-lindsay-marxist-jeremy-corbyn-a7631306.html |work=[[The Independent]] |location= |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref> a young [[Marxist]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/citizen_smith/| title = The British Comedy Guide | website = [[British Comedy Guide]] |access-date=25 September 2011}}</ref> "urban guerrilla" in [[Tooting]], south [[London]], who is attempting to emulate his hero [[Che Guevara]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Citizen Smith (1977)|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7017587e|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118230924/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7017587e|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 January 2017|access-date=2021-08-12|website=BFI|language=en}}</ref> Wolfie is a reference to the Irish revolutionary [[Wolfe Tone]], who used the pseudonym "Citizen Smith" in order to evade capture by the [[Dublin Castle administration]]. Wolfie is the self-proclaimed leader of the revolutionary Tooting Popular Front (the TPF, merely a small bunch of his friends), the goals of which are "Power to the People" and "Freedom for Tooting".

Wolfie dresses in a stereotypical fashion for rebellious students of the period: logoed T-shirt, denim jeans, Afghan coat, and black beret. He supports [[Fulham F. C.|Fulham]] and occasionally wears a Fulham scarf. He rides a scooter and lives in the attic room at his girlfriend's parents’ house, and constantly clashes with her over-protective father.

==Cast==
*[[Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay]] as Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith
*[[Mike Grady (actor)|Mike Grady]] as Ken Mills
*[[George Sweeney (actor)|George Sweeney]] as Speed (Anthony "Speed" King)
*[[Tony Millan]] as Tucker
*[[Cheryl Hall]] as Shirley Johnson ''(series 1–2)''
*[[Hilda Braid]] as Florence Johnson, Shirley's mother
*Artro Morris as Charles Johnson, Shirley's father ''(pilot episode)''
*[[Peter Vaughan]]/[[Tony Steedman]] as Charlie Johnson, Shirley's father ''(series 1–2)'' and ''(series 3–4; 1980 Christmas special)''
*[[Stephen Greif]] as Harry Fenning ''(series 1–3)''
*David Garfield as Ronnie Lynch ''(series 4; 1980 Christmas special)''
*Susie Baker as Mandy Lynch ''(series 4; 1980 Christmas special)''
*Anna Nygh as Desiree, Speed's girlfriend ''(series 1–2)''
*[[John Tordoff]] as policeman, Brian Tofkin ''(series 3-4)''

==History==
[[John Sullivan (writer)|John Sullivan]] became a scenery shifter at the [[BBC]] in 1974<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/john_sullivan.htm |title=John Sullivan &#124; A Television Heaven Biography |access-date=18 January 2017 |archive-date=5 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905085704/http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/john_sullivan.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> because of his desire to write a sitcom outline he had called ''Citizen Smith''; fearing rejection if he sent the idea in, he decided it would be better to get a job, any job, at the BBC, learn more about the business and then meet someone who would actually take notice of his as yet unwritten script. After he approached producer [[Dennis Main Wilson]], the first ''Citizen Smith'' script was written. Main Wilson loved the script, and saw the potential for a series; it was put into production almost immediately as a pilot for ''Comedy Special'' — a showcase for new talent, which had succeeded ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'' — under the title ''Citizen Smith''. The pilot was a success, and four series and a [[Christmas special]] were produced between 1977 and 1980.

It has been claimed that the "Tooting Popular Front" — fictionally based near to writer John Sullivan's childhood home of [[Balham]] — was partly inspired by a real-life fellow-[[South London]] far-left group, the [[Brixton]]-based [[Workers' Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/charlie-catchpole-column-flashback-1970s-2873458|title=Flashback to the 1970s with far left sects, Maoists, Comrade Bala and Monty Python|first=Charlie|last=Catchpole|date=1 December 2013|website=Mirror.co.uk|access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref> The group's activities were reported in ''[[The Times]]''{{'}} diary of April 1977,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maoist 'slaves': Combating the fascist state in Brixton|url=https://weeklyworker.co.uk//worker/989/maoist-slaves-combating-the-fascist-state-in-brixt/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=weeklyworker.co.uk}}</ref> the same month the pilot episode of ''Citizen Smith'' was broadcast.<ref>{{Citation|title="Citizen Smith" Citizen Smith: Pilot (TV Episode 1977) - IMDb|date=12 April 1977|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0876903/|language=en-US|access-date=2021-08-12}}</ref>

==Opening titles==
The opening titles of each episode of the first two series always began with Wolfie emerging from [[Tooting Broadway tube station|Tooting Broadway Underground station]], followed by a shot of him kicking a can across a bridge until he is in close up, accompanied by a background rendition of the socialist anthem ''[[The Red Flag]]''. They always ended with him shouting "Power to the People", resulting in awkward consequences such as waking a sleeping baby or causing a vehicle to crash. From the third series, the shots of Wolfie on the bridge were replaced with on-screen clips of other cast members and their names, rather than just the list of names that had been used previously, and the reactions to Wolfie's shout were dropped entirely. Series 4 had a new title sequence, which began with Tucker's van driving past Tooting Broadway tube station with "The Revolution is Back" painted on it. The rest of the credits were backed by clips from the last episode of series three, "The Glorious Day", and Wolfie's shout is heard, but he is not seen.

==Plot==
===Series 1===
From episode three, "Abide with Me", Wolfie Smith ([[Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay]]) lives, with his religious, teetotal friend Ken Mills ([[Mike Grady (actor)|Mike Grady]]), in a flat in the house of his girlfriend's family — Shirley Johnson ([[Cheryl Hall]], at the time Lindsay's wife); her affable but naïve mother, Florence, who mistakenly calls Wolfie "Foxy"; and her strict, [[Right wing politics|right-wing]] father, Charlie, who disapproves of Smith's lifestyle and refers to him as a "flaming [[yeti]]" or "[[Mao Zedong|Chairman Mao]]". Shirley considers herself engaged to Wolfie, on account of a fake [[crocodile]] tooth necklace he gave her after she was asked when they would get engaged.

Other regular characters in the series are the other "urban guerrillas": Tucker (married to the ever-pregnant but never-seen June); Speed, the TPF's Warlord, and his girlfriend Desiree; and local gangster publican Harry Fenning (played by [[Stephen Greif]]), who refers to Wolfie as "[[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]]". Wolfie and the TPF frequent Harry's pub, The Vigilante, and are at times menaced by Harry's hired muscle Floyd and Cyril (played by Dana Michie and Barry Hayes), who are referred to by Florence as "Mr Fenning's foster children".

The closest Wolfie comes to legitimate political office is contesting the Tooting North constituency as the TPF candidate at a parliamentary by-election, whose election night declaration is televised; however, he gains only six votes, losing to the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] candidate David West. He and the gang attempt to kidnap the new MP from a victory celebration, only to mistakenly capture Harry Fenning (who was leaving the Conservative Club during the occasion) instead (Episode 6 - "The Hostage").

===Series 2===
Series two consists of six episodes; however, owing to industrial action at the BBC on 22 December 1978, one episode ("Spanish Fly") had to be rescheduled as a special in August 1979.

===Series 3===

"The Glorious Day", which Wolfie had always been plotting, comes at the end of the third series, in an episode of the same name, in which the Tooting Popular Front "liberate" a [[Scorpion tank]] and use it to invade the [[Palace of Westminster|Houses of Parliament]], only to find the place empty, owing to a [[Recess (break)|parliamentary recess]]. During the TPF's "annual manoeuvres" on [[Salisbury Plain]], Wolfie, Ken, Tucker and Speed decide to camp down after an evening of heavy drinking; unbeknownst to them, they are in the middle of a military live firing area. During the night, the [[British Army|Army]] hold an exercise, and the Scorpion is "abandoned" by its crew after being declared "knocked out" by a "landmine" during a training exercise. When Wolfie and his comrades discover this, Wolfie comes up with his revolutionary plan. Speed states that he learned to drive a Scorpion during his time in the [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]], at which point the group steal it and drive it back to [[London]].

On returning, they hide it in Charlie Johnson's garage. Charlie comes home from work and opens the garage door to park his car. Curious as to the purpose of the Scorpion parked amongst the garden tools, he climbs down inside and accidentally steps on the machine-gun fire button. The result is that their neat garden is raked with heavy machine-gun fire, narrowly missing his wife Florence who is hanging out the washing, and annihilating their [[garden gnome]]s. This episode also includes a new song from John Sullivan and sung by Robert Lindsay — "We are the TPF. We are the People."

Series three consists of seven episodes.

===Series 4===
The series began with Wolfie and company being paroled, a brief flirtation at being pop stars on the back of their "fame" ended in disaster. While the TPF have been away, a new gangster, Ronnie Lynch, has usurped Fenning's position in Tooting, including his old pub. Wolfie hates him more than he did Fenning, and after various run-ins with Lynch (who constantly refers to Wolfie as "Wally"), the series was concluded in the penultimate episode, with Wolfie fleeing Tooting to escape a £6,000 contract put on his head by Ronnie Lynch after Lynch had caught Wolfie in his wife Mandy's bedroom. Closing with a shot mirroring the opening credits, Wolfie is seen entering Tooting Broadway tube station. Series four consisted of seven episodes and a Christmas special, "Buon Natale", in which Wolfie and Ken ride to [[Rimini]] on Wolfie's [[Lambretta]] to visit Shirley for the festive period, only to find that she has become romantically involved with an Italian named Paolo. This episode was shown after the series officially ended, but is set before the events of the last episode.

==Notes==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2020}}
*Some sources erroneously name the pilot as "A Roof Over My Head", which was actually the title of the previous week's ''Comedy Special'', written by [[Barry Took]] (which also led to a series).
*In the penultimate episode, Wolfie's full name was revealed as Walter Henry Smith – [[W H Smith]].
*Early episodes state that there are six members of the Tooting Popular Front, but only four appear onscreen. In series 3 Wolfie says that two founder members have left the TPF: Dave the Nose (the TPF's Foreign Secretary) has emigrated, and Reg X (a Black Panther) is playing second oil drum in a steel band at Butlins.
*In the 1980 Christmas special, the Italianate village of [[Portmeirion]] in [[North Wales]] stood in for [[Rimini]], with other locations in the vicinity used for other parts of their journey across Europe.
*The 1980 Christmas special featured [[the Beatles]]' song "[[Here Comes the Sun]]", which has been replaced on subsequent DVD releases, owing to licensing issues.
*In the original television broadcast of the episode, "Working Class Hero" the music that accompanies Wolfie's commute on his first day at work is "Carry That Weight" from the Beatles' ''[[Abbey Road]]'' album. This too was substituted on the DVD issue, with a nondescript jazz tune.
*The end title theme was written by John Sullivan and sung by Robert Lindsay, and is called "The Glorious Day".

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Citizen Smith episodes}}
The show aired between 1977 and 1980 in four seasons.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2015-09-11 |title=Classic 1970s BBC comedy Citizen Smith set to return |url=https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/citizen-smith-is-back-classic-1970s-bbc-comedy-starring-robert-lindsay-set-to-return-a6655346.html |access-date=2025-07-20 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> In 2015, it was announced that the sitcom would be revived, with [[Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay]] reprising the role of Wolfie Smith.<ref name=":0" />

==Novel==
''[[Citizen Smith (novel)|Citizen Smith]]'', a [[novelisation]] of the first series written by Christopher Kenworthy, was published by Universal books, London in 1978.

==Mooted revival==
In 2015, Lindsay was reported as saying he was very keen to reprise the role of Wolfie Smith, particularly with the rise of [[Jeremy Corbyn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/citizen-smith-is-back-classic-1970s-bbc-comedy-starring-robert-lindsay-set-to-return-10495688.html|title=Classic 1970s BBC comedy Citizen Smith set to return|website=[[Independent.co.uk]]|date=11 September 2015}}</ref> However, it was also reported that the family of the by then deceased Sullivan, who own the rights, did not want to bring it back.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a668032/citizen-smith-wont-be-coming-back-despite-robert-lindsay-wanting-a-jeremy-corbyn-inspired-return.html#~pr0EUfl7K3jmkx|title=Citizen Smith won't be coming back|website=[[Digital Spy]]|date=11 September 2015}}</ref>

==Home media==
Playback released two DVD volumes of ''Citizen Smith'', each with two series. Series one and two (including the pilot) were released in 2003 followed by series three and four later that year.

Only two episodes have actually been cut: "Changes" – where Tucker and Wolfie miming to the Beatles tracks "Till There Was You" (and Tucker's line "I think they like us.") and "Help!" have been cut from the scene where Tucker serenades June; and "Prisoners" – where a short scene of Wolfie singing along to the Beatles track "She Loves You", which comes in between the shot of Speed throwing stones at Wolfie's window and the shot of the window breaking, has also been cut.

[[2 Entertain|Cinema Club]] bought the rights to the series, and later released all four series in a complete series set on 17 July 2017.

==References==
{{More footnotes needed|date=May 2009}}
* Steve Clark ''The Only Fools and Horses Story'', pp26–28, {{ISBN|0-563-38445-X}}, first published 1998,
* Mark Lewisohn ''Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy'', (''A Roof Over My Head'', p172, 658.) {{ISBN|0-563-48755-0}}, reprinted 2003.
* Universal/Playback DVD Series 1/2 and Series 3/4. 2003.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{BBC programme}}
*{{BBC Online|comedy/guide/articles/c/citizensmith_7771435.shtml|''Citizen Smith''}} Comedy Guide
*{{Screenonline TV title|577221}}
*{{IMDb title|0075492}}
*{{Epguides|CitizenSmith}}
*{{British Comedy Guide|tv|citizen_smith}}
*[http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/citizen/index.html ''Citizen Smith''] at British TV Resources

{{John Sullivan (writer)}}

[[Category:1977 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1980 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:1980s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:BBC television sitcoms]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television shows set in London]]
[[Category:Tooting]]
[[Category:Television shows adapted into novels]]