History Trivia / SteptoeAndSon

** It was long rumoured that Harry H. Corbett and Creator/WilfridBrambell couldn't stand each other in real life and had recurrent problems working together on set. Family members and production members have argued against this however. The docudrama ''The Curse of Steptoe'' focused on this, prompting Ray Galton and Alan Simpson to state in a letter to ''The Times'' that "during this entire [12 year] period we were unaware of any conflict between the actors save from the occasional gritting of Wilfrid's false teeth when Harry had the perceived audacity to give him a little direction. At all other times they were the acme of professionalism". Though they were never close friends due to their very different lifestyles (Brambell was a closet homosexual with refined tastes, Corbett was an extroverted heterosexual and committed socialist) and approaches to their craft (Brambell was classically trained, Corbett was a Method actor), the only real argument between them during the TV series came over who should get top billing (the BBC compromised by alternating their credits each episode).

* RealLifeWritesTheHairstyle: Harry H. Corbett was losing his hair when the series began. He began wearing a hairpiece to cover his bald spot in 1963, before wearing a full wig from 1972 onwards.

* TypeCasting: Both Corbett and Brambell suffered from this in their later careers.
* UnderageCasting: Wilfrid Brambell was only 49 when he began playing Albert Steptoe, who was supposed to be 63 when the series began; he was just 13 years older than Harry H. Corbett.

** When Creator/WilfridBrambell left the series in 1965 to star in the Broadway musical ''Kelly'', Galton and Simpson toyed with the concept of killing off Albert in order to continue the show without having to await Brambell's return. The character would have been replaced with Harold's illegitimate son, Arthur (a part thought to be intended for actor David Hemmings). This idea was detested by Corbett, who thought it ridiculous and was abandoned when Brambell returned when ''Kelly'' closed after just '''one''' performance.

* HostilityOnTheSet: It was long rumoured that Harry H. Corbett and Creator/WilfridBrambell couldn't stand each other in real life and had recurrent problems working together on set. Family members and production members have argued against this however. The docudrama ''The Curse of Steptoe'' focused on this, prompting the creators to state in a letter to ''The Times'' that "during this entire [12 year] period we were unaware of any conflict between the actors save from the occasional gritting of Wilfrid's false teeth when Harry had the perceived audacity to give him a little direction. At all other times they were the acme of professionalism".

* MissingEpisode: A notable aversion to the state of most BBC 60s TV Shows, every episode exists, but many of the early 70s episodes, although taped in colour, only survive in black and white copies (including an episode rovolving around the characters buying a colo9ur TV, ironically). A couple were only preserved in the form of domestic off-air recordings made by Galton and Simpson themselves.

** Not quite, it's a specific upper-crust Dublin accent that while extremely similar to RP, does have slight differences.

* HostilityOnTheSet: It is long rumoured that Harry H. Corbett and Creator/WilfridBrambell couldn't stand each other in real life and had recurrent problems working together on set. Family members and production members have argued against this however.

* SeriesHiatus: The series took a break from 1965-1970.

** When Creator/WilfridBrambell left the series in 1965 to star in the Broadway musical ''Kelly'', the writers planned to open the series with Harry at Albert's grave and then be introduced to an illegitimate son he never knew about. This was abandoned when Brambell returned when ''Kelly'' closed after just '''one''' performance.

* HostilityOnTheSet: It is long rumoured that Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell couldn't stand each other in real life and had recurrent problems working together on set. Family members and production members have argued against this however.

* MissingEpisode: A notable aversion to the state of most BBC 60s TV Shows, every episode exists, but many of the early 70s episodes, although taped in colour, only survive in black and white copies. A couple were only preserved in the form of domestic off-air recordings made by Galton and Simpson themselves.

** There was talk of reviving the series in 1981 but it never happened.

* DoingItForTheArt: If the BBC Docu-drama about the show is to be believed, Corbett thought he could highlight the plight of the working class, which is why he took the role. A combination of ClassicallyTrainedExtra and typecasting meant that he grew to hate the show - audiences were laughing at the pathetic lives of two losers, and Corbett hated the show and the audience because of it.

** When Wilfred Brambell left the series in 1965 to star in the Broadway musical ''Kelly'', the writers planned to open the series with Harry at Albert's grave and then be introduced to an illegitimate son he never knew about. This was abandoned when Brambell returned when ''Kelly'' closed after just '''one''' performance.

** When Wilfred Brambell left the series in 1965 to star in the Broadway musical ''Kelly'', the writers planned to open the series with Harry at Albert's grave and then be introduced to an illegitimate son he never knew about. This was abandoned when Brambell returned when ''Kelly'' closed.

* PlayingGertrude: Wilfrid Brambell was only 49 when he began playing Albert Steptoe, who was supposed to be 63 when the series began.

* TypeCasting: Both Corbett and Brambell suffered from this in their later careers.