The Melting Pot (1975–1976) User Reviews

How did this get made by BBC

[andiroids-1 · 6/10 · 14 September 2022]

Offensive to - Black, Muslim, Irish, Jewish, Arabic, German Chinese, Australian, Gay, Disabled & Dwarfs.

Along with racist speak including the N word amongst other racist terms.

It's baffling how Spike Milligan and John Bird thought this would be a good idea especially in black face, more baffling is how the BBC filmed not only a pilot but then went back and commissioned a 6 episode series.

If you can find the series it's worth watching once to see how over the top it is and also there are some funny moments sprinkled throughout the episodes.

Stand up Comedian Frank Carson stands out as as fine comic actor which makes me wonder why he didn't appear in any other shows as he could clearly act and had great comic timing

If you liked the Q series you may find something here to amuse you as it is from the same writers and features many of the same cast apart from Spike himself.

It's never going to be broadcast nor will it see a dvd release but the series is still in existence and can be found on some collector and trading sites.

No wonder this never went out.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 3/10 · 12 October 2023]

A Pakistani Father and son arrive in The UK illegally, posing as Dutchmen, namely Mr Van Gogh and Mr Rembrandt, the pair find the lodgings, and try to integrate into British society.

I hate to be the one to bring home a reality check, but there's a reason this pile of garbage wasn't transmitted, it's abysmal, once you look past the obvious prejudice and racism, you are left with something that's painfully unfunny.

I adore Spike Milligan and his madcap brand of humour, but this was possibly his worst effort, it makes Curry and Chips look good.

It's noticeable that Burt Kwouk vanishes from the series, and who can blame him, a role he probably thought would damage his future career, nobody would wish to he tarnished with this show.

John Bluthal, Frank Carson and several other well known faces, but they're all wasted here, none of them can string a laugh together.

I'm not someone that's easily offended, but after ensuring seven episodes, I honestly just came away thinking I'd wasted the best part of three hours.

3/10.

"No, we are not on drugs, we are on Social Security."

[ShadeGrenade · 8/10 · 27 August 2007]

'Love Thy Neighbour' was a long-running 70's sitcom which poked fun at a bigot. Ironically, it is itself today regarded as racist, with the same clips trotted out in tiresome fashion on banal retro programmes to illustrate the so-called political incorrectness of those times. But, just for a moment, imagine if the B.B.C. series 'The Melting Pot' had gone out in 1975. Every major character was a racialist. The Powell and Driver show would have looked tame by comparison.

'The Melting Pot' was the creation of Spike Milligan and Neil Shand, authors of the 'Q' series. Milligan and John Bird played a Pakistani father and son ( called 'Mr.Van Gogh' and 'Mr.Rembrandt' ), who arrive in England illegally via Amsterdam, thinking it to be the 'milk and honey land of free speech, and no racism'. They move into Paddy O'Brien's seedy boarding house at 7, Piles Road, London. Paddy is a coal man, and on their first meeting Van Gogh mistakes him for a fellow countryman. Observing O'Brien washing coal-dust off his face and hands, Van Gogh is horrified. "You must never use the soap here!", he tells his son, "I saw a black man washing with it and I watched his nationality coming off and go down the plughole.".

The other boarders include a black Yorkshireman named Luigi O'Reilly, Chinese cockney wide boy Eric Lee Fung, booze-loving, ex-Indian army officer Colonel Grope, Australian bookies' runner Bluey Notts, and Orthodox Scottish Arab Sheik Yamani. Watching television in the front room that evening, Paddy remarks; "I am trying to watch this b----y show. Kojak is just going to kill the n----r.". Luigi says. "Less of that n----r talk.". Paddy amends his words: "Kojak is going to kill the lovely coloured gentleman who has just split his wife's head open with a b----y meat-axe!".

It was a culture clash comedy, not a million miles removed from 'Curry & Chips', which Milligan had starred in six years earlier. Unlike that earlier show, however, 'The Melting Pot' was never broadcast in its entirety. The B.B.C. shelved it after only one episode. Had it been shown it probably would now be regarded as even more objectionable than 'Neighbour'. For one thing, it starred two white men in black make-up. Before anyone says "what about 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum?', the two shows were very different. Michael Bates' 'Rangi Ram' was totally convincing in that role. With Milligan and Bird, however, they were exaggerated stereotypes.

Frank Carson was good as the loud-mouthed Irish coal man. Pity he did not get more sitcom roles. The lack of a liberal character along the lines of Tony Booth's 'Mike' from 'Till Death Us Do Part' was noticeable, and the only major female on view was a busty blonde called 'Nefertiti', Paddy's daughter ( Alexandra Dane ). Not a show then for the easily offended.

Milligan felt it had been harshly treated. He later published the scripts, as well as drawing on them for his novel 'The Looney'. It beggars belief that the B.B.C. could commission and film this, and finally decide to shelve it! And in the era of 'The Black & White Minstrel Show' to boot.

Offensive to Muslims, Hindus Jews Arabs ... great

[chorleydnc · 10/10 · 31 July 2006]

This was the funniest, most politically incorrect pilot of a show I have ever seen... It skewered every ethnic stereotype, including a Scots-Arab and was way too risky for the TV to keep... I only hope someone out there can put it on "Youtube". Milligan was probably the least racist comedian on television... how could an Irishman born in India with an inherent disconnect with British Society fail to be able to point it all out... His Pakistani-Dalek family sketch was of the same cast... One of the funniest moments in "the Melting Pot" was when the recently arrived ethnic Indian at the boarding house watches as an Irish coal man (never too late to be a coal man) washes off his dark skin.

It's a great shame it's not available David