Steptoe and Son


A true British classic, charting the love-hate relationship of a widower father and unmarried son who run a decrepit rag-and-bone business in London.
The basic plot line of Steptoe and Son is very simple and most episodes are in some way a variation on it. Albert Steptoe is an old-time, rag-and-bone man, a veteran of the Great War, who inherited the family business of the title from his father. He is a widower and lives with his son, Harold, and together they continue the business, with Harold doing most of the work. Albert is settled in his life and his lowly position in society, but Harold has dreams of betterment. He wants to be sophisticated and to enjoy the "swinging sixties". Above all he wants to escape from his father and make a life of his own, something which Albert is prepared to go to any lengths to prevent. The comedy thus comes from the conflict of the generation gap and the interdependency of the characters. However hard he tries, we know that Harold will never get away. So, in his heart, does he and that is his tragedy. Apart from anything else, his father is by far the smarter of the two.

Many thanks to Hamish for contributions to this page.

Series 1

01 The Offer
02 The Bird
03 Sixty-Five Today
04 The Stepmother
05 The Economist
06 Wallah, Walla, Catsmeat
07 The Diploma
08 Steptoe à la Carte
09 The Holiday
10 The Bath
11 The Lead Man Cometh
12 The Musical Evening
13 The Bonds That Bind Us

Series 2

14 The Siege of Steptoe Street
15 Pilgrim's Progress
16 The Wooden Overcoats
17 Sunday for Seven Days
18 The Piano
19 My Old Man's a Tory
20 Homes Fit for Heroes
21 Crossed Swords

Series 3

22 A Death in the Family
23 Two's Company
24 Tea for Two
25 T.B. or Not T.B.
26 Without Prejudice
27 Cuckoo in the Nest
28 Steptoe and Son and Son
29 Robbery with Violence

Series 4

30 Full House
31 Is That Your Horse Outside?
32 The Lodger
33 A Box in Town
34 The Three Feathers
35 The Colour Problem
36 And Afterwards at ...
37 Any Old Iron

Series 5

38 The Desperate Hours
39 Come Dancing
40 A Star is Born
41 A Winter's Tale
42 Men of Property
43 Men of Letters

Series 6

44 Loathe Story
45 Oh, What a Beautiful Mourning
46 Live Now, P.A.Y.E Later
47 Upstairs Downstairs, Upstairs Downstairs
48 And So to Bed
49 Porn Yesterday
50 The Seven Steptoeri
51 Seance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard

Specials

Christmas Special 1976
52 S- 1 Dec 25 76 Away for Christmas
Special 1999 (cast: Freddie Jones, John Thomson)
53 S- 2 Jan 1999 The Offer