The Gates of Saturn

"The Gates of Saturn" was a "slapstick" television program, produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from late 1977 to the summer of 1978, starring Jim Dale, Freddy Snowford and Hattie Jacques.

Despite being similar in outlook to the successful show The Plank, audience figures never really took off, and the show was seen as a poor substitute for the hit show. The show also caused some embarrassment for ITV on several occasions:
* In a Christmas show, Dale dressed as Adolf Hitler shouted the first lines to ever appear in the show, with the words "Achtung Juden!", which caused outrage and shock in what was still a liberal television age;
* Minor female nudity also caused an outcry from a moderate public.

For these reasons amongst others, the show was not brought back for a second series, but was considered for a return four years later, in what was seen as a slow comedy period amongst peers.

References

*Edwards, Jimmy . (1984). Six of the Best. Diamond Press.