The Liver Birds

The Liver Birds

The Liver Birds is a British sitcom set in the city of Liverpool, in the north-west of England, which aired on BBC1 from 1969 to 1978, and again in 1996. It was created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor. These two Liverpudlian writers had met at a local writers club and decided to pool their talents. Having been invited to London by Michael Mills and asked to write about two young women sharing a flat, Mills brought in sitcom expert Sydney Lotterby to work with the writing team. Lotterby had previously worked with Eric Sykes, Sheila Hancock and on The Likely Lads. Carla Lane in fact wrote most of the episodes, Taylor co-writing only the first two series. The pilot was shown as an episode of Comedy Playhouse, the BBC's breeding ground for sitcoms, in April 1969.

Comedy

Seasons

1. Potent Perfume

Air Date: 1969-07-25

2. The Photographer

Air Date: 1969-08-01

3. Aristocracy And Crime

Air Date: 1969-08-08

4. Torremolinos, Costa Del Sol Or Southport?

Air Date: 1969-08-15

1. The Wedding

Air Date: 1971-01-07

It's the day before Beryl's Gloria's wedding, though Gloria announces that their dad's been seeing another woman, and their Mam's being brave. She also now doesn't want to get married.

2. Look Before You Leap

Air Date: 1971-01-14

After finishing with Peter Crawford, Sandra is so upset, that Beryl tracks him down and invites him to the flat. Unfortunately there's a case of mistaken identity when a salesman turns up.

3. Housekeeping

Air Date: 1971-01-21

Being short on the housekeeping, and with lots of IOUs in their holiday fund, the girls decide they need to earn some money. Sandra suggests selling the commode but the search for a new part for it leads them to the auction house.

4. The Proposal

Air Date: 1971-01-28

With Sandra wanting the flat for herself and her boyfriend Danny, Beryl pretends she has a boyfriend of her own, but in reality is visiting Gerry in the flat below

5. The Good Samaritans

Air Date: 1971-02-04

In full helping people mode, Sandra decides to let Irene and her new husband stay in their flat for the weekend. They'll stay at Gerry's whilst he's away, and look after the cat. Unfortunately Gerry & his mum turn up.

6. Three’s A Crowd

Air Date: 1971-02-11

A friend of Sandra's arrives for a couple of days. She's an actress, posh, and sexy and soon gets up Beryl's nose, especially after the effect she has on their two dates.

7. The New Neighbour

Air Date: 1971-02-18

The girls both throw themselves at the suave, sports car owning new downstairs neighbour. After learning that he's spending the weekend at his parent's guest house in Llandudno, they both decide to go and surprise him

8. The New Flat

Air Date: 1971-02-25

Due to their constant arguing, the girls eventually decide to move to a bigger flat in Allerton. Unfortunately due to the cost, they need a third person to share so start interviewing

9. The Dog

Air Date: 1971-03-04

Sandra brings home a stray dog, even though they're not allowed to keep pets. Then the girls get told that the landlord is going to make an inspection, but how do they hide the dog?

10. Grandad

Air Date: 1971-03-11

Wondering what to do as it's Saturday, Sandra gets roped into looking after her Grandad. She coaxes Beryl to join her but Grandad soon proves more trouble than expected

11. Mother’s Day

Air Date: 1971-03-18

It's Mother's Day, and both girl's parents arrive to spend the evening with them. Not only do things get off to a very frosty start, but Beryl breaks Sandra's mother's posh present

12. Promotion

Air Date: 1971-03-25

Sandra gets promoted in work. Wishing she was more like Sandra, Beryl decides to take elocution lessons. Practicing on a posh customer soon gets Beryl into trouble though, and Sandra is told to give her the sack

1. One's a Crowd

Air Date: 1972-02-11

2. Birds on the Dole

Air Date: 1972-02-18

3. Good Little Girls Should Be in Bed

Air Date: 1972-02-25

4. Birds on Strike

Air Date: 1972-03-03

5. Fella-A-Day Girl

Air Date: 1972-03-10

6. Birds and Bottom Drawers

Air Date: 1972-03-17

7. The Christening

Air Date: 1972-03-24

8. Birds on Horseback

Air Date: 1972-03-31

9. Valentine's Day

Air Date: 1972-04-07

10. Birds in the Club

Air Date: 1972-04-14

11. The Driving Test

Air Date: 1972-04-21

12. Liverpool or Everton

Air Date: 1972-04-28

13. The Parrot

Air Date: 1972-05-05

1. Anybody Here Seen Thingy?

Air Date: 1974-01-02

2. Friends at First Sight

Air Date: 1974-01-09

3. Life Is Just a Bowl of Sugar

Air Date: 1974-01-16

4. Where's Beryl?

Air Date: 1974-01-23

5. Girl Saturday

Air Date: 1974-01-30

6. Pack Up Your Troubles

Air Date: 1974-02-06

7. Have Hen Will Travel

Air Date: 1974-02-13

8. Love Is

Air Date: 1974-02-20

9. Anyone for Freedom

Air Date: 1974-02-27

10. Follow That Ring

Air Date: 1974-03-06

11. The Bride Went That-A 'Way

Air Date: 1974-03-13

12. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Air Date: 1974-03-20

13. And Then There Was One

Air Date: 1974-03-27

1. It Takes All Kinds

Air Date: 1975-09-05

2. Look After the Children...

Air Date: 1975-09-12

3. You've Got to Laugh...

Air Date: 1975-09-19

4. Love Is a Many Stupid Thing

Air Date: 1975-09-26

5. Dinner for Three

Air Date: 1975-10-03

6. The Lily and the Dandelion

Air Date: 1975-10-10

7. Everybody Is Beautiful

Air Date: 1975-10-17

8. Special: In Every Street

Air Date: 1975-10-24

1. Facing Up to Life

Air Date: 1976-02-13

2. The Maypole

Air Date: 1976-02-20

3. Honey

Air Date: 1976-02-27

4. The Never-Ending End

Air Date: 1976-03-05

5. Badgers and Otters

Air Date: 1976-03-12

1. Friends and Lovers

Air Date: 1976-10-17

2. She Dreams a Lot

Air Date: 1976-10-24

3. A Mark on the World

Air Date: 1976-10-31

4. Love 'Em: And Almost Leave 'Em

Air Date: 1976-11-07

5. Oh, the Shame of It

Air Date: 1976-11-14

6. Cry Please

Air Date: 1976-11-21

7. The Nearly Hat

Air Date: 1976-11-28

8. Yellow and Green Make Blue

Air Date: 1976-12-05

9. Special: It Insists on Coming Once a Year

Air Date: 1976-12-12

1. Something Beginning

Air Date: 1977-09-23

2. The Flower-Picker

Air Date: 1977-09-30

3. You've No Idea What I've Been Through

Air Date: 1977-10-07

4. God Bless Us and Save Us

Air Date: 1977-10-14

5. They Decide Up There What Goes on Down Here

Air Date: 1977-10-21

6. The Edge

Air Date: 1977-10-28

7. The Struggle

Air Date: 1977-11-04

8. Special: Open Your Eyes... and It Still Hasn't Gone

Air Date: 1977-11-11

1. There’s no place like away from home

Air Date: 1978-11-28

2. The sixth day

Air Date: 1978-12-05

3. Various kinds of old

Air Date: 1978-12-12

4. Weeds

Air Date: 1978-12-19

5. Somewhere to live some to love

Air Date: 1978-12-26

6. The best things in life are not free

Air Date: 1979-01-02

1. Hello again

Air Date: 1996-05-06

2. Mrs Boswell comes to call

Air Date: 1996-05-13

3. Spare that tree!

Air Date: 1996-05-20

4. On the town

Air Date: 1996-05-27

5. Going into hospital

Air Date: 1996-06-03

6. Out of Hospital

Air Date: 1996-06-10

7. Moving Out

Air Date: 1996-06-17

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Rating

5.3/10

Release Date

1969-07-25

Episodes

85 (10 seasons)

Status

Ended

Cast