Watch Mind Your Language

Mind Your Language was a British comedy television series that ran on the ITV network from 1977 to 1986. The show was created by Vince Powell and starred Barry Evans as Jeremy Brown, a young and inexperienced English language teacher who has been hired to teach a group of adult immigrants in the evening at a London school.

The show's main premise revolves around the various hijinks and misunderstandings that arise as a result of the language barriers and cultural differences between Brown and his diverse students. Each episode focuses on a particular theme or scenario and features a variety of humorous antics as the students attempt to navigate their way through the English language and British culture.

Brown's students are an eclectic mix of individuals from all over the world, including Zara Nutley as a fiery Italian woman named Anna, Tommy Godfrey as an effeminate Tamil named Ranjeet Singh, Iris Sadler as a prudish Belgian named Danielle Favre, Ricardo Montez as a suave Spanish man named Juan Cervantes, Albert Moses as a Nigerian student named Mr. Kumar, Pik-Sen Lim as a timid Chinese woman named Chung Su-Lee, Robert Lee as a hyperactive Japanese man named Taro Nagazumi, Kevork Malikyan as a passionate Turkish man named Ali Nadim, and Fran as an uncouth American woman named Maureen Bullock.

The show's comedic style was largely rooted in the use of cultural stereotypes and English language puns, with many of the jokes relying on the misunderstandings that occurred when the students attempted to apply English expressions to their own cultural experiences. For example, in one episode, Mr. Kumar struggles with the concept of English sarcasm, leading to a number of amusing misunderstandings, while in another episode, the students hold a mock debate on the merits of arranged marriages versus love marriages.

Despite its lighthearted comedy, the show was not without its controversies. Some critics accused the show of reinforcing negative stereotypes about immigrants and perpetuating racist attitudes towards non-English speakers. Others praised the series' attempts to promote multiculturalism and celebrate diversity, pointing to its portrayal of the various cultures represented within its cast of characters.

Throughout its nine-year run, Mind Your Language gained a large and dedicated following, with many viewers tuning in each week to see what new situations Brown and his students would find themselves in. The show remains a beloved classic of British television, and its popularity has spawned numerous adaptations and spin-offs in countries around the world.

Overall, Mind Your Language was a groundbreaking and entertaining series that tackled important issues of cultural identity and linguistic diversity in a humorous and accessible way. Its legacy lives on as a testament to the power of comedy to bring people together and bridge the gaps between different cultures and languages.

Mind Your Language is a series that ran for 3 seasons (29 episodes) between December 30, 1977 and on ITV