What is the difference between “complete” and “finished”? No dictionary could define the difference between them. A friend of mine told: When you marry the right woman you are ‘complete’. If you marry the wrong woman you are ‘finished’. And when the right woman catches you with the wrong woman, you are ‘COMPLETELY FINSIHED’.
I do not know how I came across in my life the great British serial ‘MIND YOUR LANGUAGE’, telecasted between 1977-1979. No. of Seasons: 4. Total No. of episodes 42. But it has created a lasting impression. It is always new. I can watch it yet another time with the same interest. Have I seen all the 42 episodes?
This serial was criticized as racial by some people. This serial enjoyed popularity internationally, and many remakes are made. And finally on a cursory check, I have not seen from episode 30 to episode 42 – telecasted in 1985. I just saw the first episode – NEVER SAY DIE. For my satisfaction and as a respect to all those great actors who featured in it let me write down the list of episodes:
| 1. The First Lesson 2. An Inspector Calls 3. A Fate Worse Than Death 4. All Through the Night 5. The Best Things in Life 6. Come Back All is forgiven 7. The Cheating Game 8. Better to Have Loved & Lost 9. Kill or Cure 10. Hello Sailor 11. A Point of Honour 12. How’s Your Father 13. The Examination 14. All Present If Not Correct 15. Queen For a Day 16. Brief Re-encounter 17. Many Happy Returns 18. Don’t Forget the Driver 19. A Hard Day’s Night 20. Take Your Parents 21. After Three |
22. I Belong to Glasgow 23. Who Loves Ya Baby 24. No Flowers, By Request 25. Just the Job 26. Guilty or Not Guilty 27. Repeat at Leisure 28. The School Fete 29. What a Tangled Web 30. Never Say Die 31. Too Many Crooks 32. Easy Come & Easy Go 33. Fifty Years On 34. Time & Tide 35. Ghoulies & Ghosties 36. Mama Mia 37. A Rash Decision 38. Wedding Fever 39. Everybody’s Out 40. The First Lady 41. Teacher’s Pet 42. End of Term |
I may have watched Season 1’s or Season 2’s few episodes. I’m certain that I have not seen them all! It would be a nice idea seeing them all once again.
The media and the others have made a huge cry about racism. They said that they should not have aired these kinds of serials! Everyone has enjoyed. No one has only complaint. I do not think a single Indian or any other national has any problem with this serial ever. I guess it is those neglected non-creative members who wanted a moment of glory talked of racism. All I say is that we can understand their frustration. This serial and its cast became a legend of its own. Imagine, even the Millennials are enjoying these series. I would watch all these episodes once again to have a hearty laugh. I suggest you to do the same.
I begin to find slowly few episodes on the internet. It is very hilarious and exciting to watch. I may have seen few episodes 25 years ago; I was under the wrong notion that I have seen all episodes! I understand now what I have missed in life. It is very late for me to realize this in life! But better be late than never! I am thankful to life that it has given me yet another opportunity to see this remarkable work. We have lost majority of the actors who worked on this serial. They are no more. However, they have left such an outstanding work behind them that I have no words to thank them. Wherever you are sirs – we remember you. Much is written about ‘Mind your Language’. I do not know what to write except to complete watching them again. I am thankful once again for this blessing.
Completed the episodes of SEASON 2 of the ‘Mind Your Language’ i.e., from S. No 14 to 21. All the episodes were telecasted between 7th October 1978 and 25th November 1978.
Then I proceeded to complete the SEASON 3 i.e., from S. No. 22 to 29. All these episodes were telecasted between 28th October 1979 and 15th December 1979.
I began another long journey of seeing the SEASON 1’s 13 episodes. All these episodes were telecasted between 30th Dec 1977 and 23rd March 1978. Now a question about the actors. In my opinion they are eternal. There is no death for them.
| Name of Actor | Character Played | Date of Death |
| Barry Evans | Jeremy Brown | 9th February, 1997 |
| George Camiller | Giovani Capello | – |
| Zara Nutley | Ms.Dolores Cortney | 9th October 2016 |
| Jamila Massey | Jamila Ranjha | – |
| Jacki Harding | Ms. Anna Schmidt | – |
| Dino Shafeek | Ali Nadeem | 10th March 1984 |
| Francoise Pascal | Ms. Danielle Farvre | – |
| Albert Moses | Ranjeet Singh | 15th September 2017 |
| Ricardo Montez | Juan Cervantes | 26th October 2010 |
| Pik Sen Lim | Ms. Chung Su-Lee | – |
| Kevork Malikyan | Maxmillian Papandrious | – |
| Robert Lee | Taro Nagazumi | 1st December, 1986 |
| Tommy Godfrey | Sidney | 24th June, 1984 |
| Iris Sadler | Ms. Gladys | 12th January, 1991 |
I am unable to find Season 4 telecasted between 30th Sep 1985 and 31st December 1985. Not even to buy! How sad. I read that this season’s episodes were burnt in a studio fire! This is annoying. Hope it is not true. I do hope they were not destroyed. I shall continue to search for them.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
