EntertainmentCitizen Smithuktvnostalgia

Robert Lindsay To Bring 'Citizen Smith' Back To Our Screens, Let The Tooting Broadway Revolution Continue...

Wolfie To Return, Just In Time For The Tooting Revolution...
Caroline Frost

Just in time for the rebirth of the Labour Party - or the inevitable demise, depending on who you speak to - another socialist revolutionary has announced his renaissance.

South London's very own Che Guevera, aka Citizen 'Wolfie' Smith will be returning to our screens, is the revelation of actor Robert Lindsay, who tells the Independent he is in talks to bring back his popular character.

He tells the paper, “There are moves afoot in the industry to bring Citizen Smith back with some respected figures that I very much admire.”

Wolfie ran his one-man revolution on the BBC from 1977 to 1980, emerging from Tooting Broadway Tube Station, with a mind set on socialism, a battling cry of "Power to the People" but plans for a democratic coup that, strangely, never quite happened.

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Citizen Smith (Robert Lindsay) may soon be back in action...

As well as his plans for order overthrow, Wolfie had to contend with a frustrated girlfriend Shirl (Cheryl Hall), and her parents. While Shirl's mother played by Hilda Braid liked Wolfie - "Foxy" as she called him - her father Charlie (Peter Vaughan, later Tony Steedman) was never quite so sure, as Wolfie's values could often be mistaken for the distractions of a workshy layabout.

Robert Lindsay, a Socialist himself in real life and a big supporter of Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn, is keen to reprise the role that made him famous. He tells the Independent, "It was a series I never finished. It was just beginning to become huge."

The actor has often veered into political territory on screen. As well as his portrayal of Tony Blair for Channel 4, he gave a stunning performance as Michael Murray in the huge drama 'GBH' - a character not a million miles from militant labour politician Derek Hatton.

He is currently appearing in 'Bull' alongside Maureen Lipman, his first comedy since the popular 'My Family' came to an overdue end in 2011. He was meant to star in the second series of police thriller 'Line of Duty', but departed from the production at the beginning of shooting over differences in the script.

30 Great Things About Growing Up In 1970s Britain
Figurini Panini sticker albums(01 of30)
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Whether you loved football or Disney movies, you could literally lose DAYS filling in your Figurini Panini sticker albums... as well as all your pocket money on buying the packets.
Multi Coloured Swap Shop(02 of30)
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Back when Noel Edmonds wasn't annoying - nor Keith Chegwin, for that matter - we all thought it was great to give things away to strangers. In exchange for something else, of course. Who can forget the 'Top 10 Swaps'?! (credit:BBC)
10p mix of sweets(03 of30)
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Cola Bottles! Cola Fizz! Other sweets that weren't Cola flavoured! Yes, you could buy a whole bag's worth - and still have money left over for a Wagon Wheel. (credit:Alamy)
The Goodies(04 of30)
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Did we completely understand the true genius of The Goodies at the time? Or did we just love their silly jokes, slapstick chases and the giant white kitten? Who cares. They were brilliant. (credit:BBC)
Space hoppers(05 of30)
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The most fun - and possibly least practical - form of transport in the 1970s. (Although clearly the kid in this photo is doing it wrongly, as the space hopper's face is facing backwards.)
Half pennies(06 of30)
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In the Seventies, we were rich! Rich, we tell you! Or it at least it felt that way, because our pockets and piggy banks were weighed down with half-penny coinage.
Fingerbobs(07 of30)
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A man called Yoffy. A selection of gloves. And lo! You had 'Fingerbobs'. Only 13 episodes were ever made - and yet our memories are engrained with phrases like: "Yoffy lifts a finger... and a mouse is there".
Morph (08 of30)
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...and his master, Tony Hart, of course. And his mate Chaz. And the nailbrush dog. And all the other wonderful things about 'Take Hart'. But mostly: Morph.
Flares(09 of30)
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Admittedly, they weren't the most practical item of clothing - especially when you wanted to ride your bike - but still, they went with everything. And by 'everything' we do of course mean knitted vest-tops and clogs.
Dymo Label Makers(10 of30)
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If it wasn't nailed down in the 1970s, chances are it got embellished with a Dymo label (with your name on). (credit:Dynamo)
The Clangers(11 of30)
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Was there ever a sweeter, more gentler race than the Clangers? No. Never. Not even the French come close. (credit:PA)
Cassette tape recorders(12 of30)
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The machines used to record every '70s mix tape, every home radio show you made with your siblings, and every Top 40 rundown (by placing it in front of the radio).
Hot summers(13 of30)
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Because the summers were hotter in the Seventies... weren't they? That's how we remember it, anyway. (credit:Alamy)
Bagpuss(14 of30)
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"Once upon a time, not so long ago..." we all watched an adorable show about a saggy cloth cat and a marvellous, mechanical mouse organ. And it really was marvellous. (credit:BBC)
Record Breakers(15 of30)
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If you wanna be the best... If you wanna beat the rest... Wooah... you've got to watch the inimitable Roy Castle on 'Record Breakers'. As we all did.
Jackie magazine (16 of30)
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There wasn't a week that couldn't be enhanced by the arrival of Jackie magazine. And a problem that couldn't be solved by its agony aunts, 'Cathy And Claire'.
The Bay City Rollers(17 of30)
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Loved flares? Loved tartan? You must have LOVED The Bay City Rollers. Altogether now: "Bye bye, baby, baby bye bye..."
Polo mints costing 4p(18 of30)
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Imagine how many packets you could buy with your weekly pocket money! (And fortunately back then, the ensuing dental work would be free.)
Tiswas(19 of30)
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The anarchic older brother of BBC Saturday morning TV, the truly cool/hard kids watched ITV's "Today Is Saturday, Watch And Smile". And who can blame them? It had foxy Sally James on it. (credit:ITV)
Kevin Keegan(20 of30)
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Boys loved him for his footballing skills, girls loved him for his hair. Mainly because girls wanted to have hair like his. (credit:Getty Images)
Vinyl records(21 of30)
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Back in the days when albums were games of two halves, album covers were works of art, and inner sleeves contained lyrics. The only thing better than a vinyl record? A double gatefold vinyl record. Oh, yes. (credit:Getty)
Why Don't You?(22 of30)
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Why Don't You... just switch off your television set and go out and do something less boring instead? Or failing that: leave your television on and watch a bunch of middle-class kids tell you what to do. Brilliant!
View-Masters(23 of30)
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Pop a disc in! Click through the pictures! Repeat forever!
The Wombles(24 of30)
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Through their actions, they taught us to not drop litter, and through their names, they taught us geography. Was there nothing we couldn't learn from the cuddly inhabitants of Wimbledon Common?
Look-in magazine(25 of30)
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A Radio Times for kids, "la la la la la" Look-in magazine was available every week. Just like the jingle said.
Animal Magic(26 of30)
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Johnny Morris! Doing the voices to animals! TV didn't get much better than this. Well, not until Morris voiced 'Creature Comforts', that is.
ABBA(27 of30)
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They burst into our consciousness with 'Waterloo' and provided ear worms before any of us ever used that phrase. The flares and platforms were just a wonderful added bonus.
Play School(28 of30)
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Your favourite toy was Little Ted, right? No, wait: Jemima. And your favourite presenter was Brian Cant? No. Fred Harris. Floella Benjamin? And which shaped window did you like best? *continues ad infinitum*
Roller skates(29 of30)
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If you were VERY lucky, you had boots like these. If you were less fancy, you had ones that you strapped to your shoes. Either way, they were the best mode of transport for '70s kids (apart from space hoppers). (credit:Alamy)
Bazooka bubble gum(30 of30)
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Chew one of these and you could blow the biggest, pinkest bubbles known to man. Swallow one, and it would be in your stomach until 1984.

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