Pardon the Expression

Pardon The Expression was a studio based, laughter tracked sitcom starring Arthur Lowe as Leonard Swindley. Surprisingly it remains the only propr spin off to have been produced by the soap in it's long history.

On his first day as deputy manager of a branch of the chain store Dobson and Hawks Swindley made a good imperssion on the otherwise bickering and factional female staff. Apart from a mutual affection for Swindley the staff had nothing in common but it was fortunate for Swindley that he united them. Each week Swindley would create problems for himself and they would, often unbeknownst to him, co-operate to save him.

In the first series Swindley was assisted by a trio of shop girls who took to him after he showed kindness to one of them who was running late. They were Mavis Foster played by Holly Doone, Pam Plummer played by Barbara Young and Miss Buxton played by Judith Furse.

Throughout both series Sindley aws also helped by Betty Drivers no nonsense canteen manageress, Mrse Edgeley who thought Swindley was pleasantly naive. There was also a major part for Joy Stewart as Miss Sinclair, a bleach blonde and snooty Scot who thought Swindley was one of natures gentlemen.

The authority figure waiting to pounce on any of Swindleys mistakes were Ernest Parbold, played by Paul Dawkins and in series two Wally Hunt played by Robert Dorning. Dorning replaced Dawkins after the actor was involved in a car accident.

Many of Coronation Streets behind the camera team workd on Pardon, it was written by (amongst others) Harry Driver, Vince Powell, Jack Rosenthal, and Geoffrey Lancashire. The executive producer was H.V.Kershaw. Guest cast members included Julie Goodyear, Warren Clarke, Amanda Barrie. From beyond the world of Weatherfield came an impressive roster of guest actors including Dandy Nicholls, Warren Mitchell, John Laurie, John Le Mesurier, Pauline Collins, Ben Kingsley, Wendy Richard, John Barron, and Geoffrey Palmer.

There were 12 episodes in series one, 24 in series two. Two episodes are commercially available on Network DVDs 'Jack Rosenthal at ITV'.

The final episode saw Swindley and Hunt sacked from Dobson and Hawks, but it was not to be the last viewers saw of them as the short lived Turn out the lights followed in 1968.