Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Terry Collier
Terence Daniel Collier is a character in British sitcoms The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, and The Likely Lads film. He is played by Sunderland-born actor James Bolam.
In The Likely Lads Terry works with his friend, Bob Ferris, as an electrician at Ellison's Electricals, before joining the British Army. During his time in the army, he married a West German woman, Jutta Baumgarten, from whom he separates a few months later. Terry's army service is not shown, nor is his marriage (although his wife was due to appear in the episode "End of an Era", and remains on the credits despite the scene being cut). Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads begins with Terry's discharge from the army, and for the duration of the series he spends most of his time unemployed, although he takes brief temporary work as a car washer, hospital porter, forklift truck driver, and finally as a minicab driver. In The Likely Lads film he works briefly as a mobile soap powder salesman.
Terry was conceived during an air raid on Newcastle upon Tyne, and born on 29 February 1944. From an early age he was seen as a disruptive threat to other children, and teachers would often warn other children not to talk to him for fear his disruptive influence would transfer to them. Terry says during the "No Hiding Place" episode of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? that his mother wanted him to be a doctor; but he showed little aptitude in school, generally cheating his way through exams. After leaving school at the age of fourteen, he went to night school, where, despite cheating at the exams, he still failed. He eventually qualified as an electrician and began working at Ellison's Electrical factory.
In 1966, Bob decides to sign up for the British Army. Terry, not wanting to be away from Bob, also signs up. However, Bob is discharged due to flat feet, while Terry, initially to his horror, is accepted. He is stationed for most of his time in Cyprus, and also serves in Malta, West Germany and Devizes, Wiltshire. He also loses contact with Bob. In November 1969, Terry married a West German woman, Jutta Baumgarten. They separated in June 1970 after West Germany defeated England in the World Cup, before finally divorcing in 1976. Terry is discharged from the army in 1972.
Despite being particularly proud of his working-class status, Terry is notably workshy, informing Bob in one episode that he has "dropped out of the rat race". Terry often uses his previous army service (in "the hot tropic night") to avoid working, because of his "dodgy spine", "Burmese malaria", and other mysterious ailments, including a never-explained leg injury. He is down-to-earth, quick-witted, po-faced and cynical. He aggressively dislikes being referred to as "thin" or "slim", preferring instead to describe himself as "wiry". Terry has a typical working-class male attitude towards women, seeing them primarily as sex objects. However, these views seem to mellow as the series goes on. He drinks and smokes heavily, tempting Bob to also indulge in the two vices he is always trying to cut down on.
Much of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? consists of reminiscent nostalgia, while the film is largely made of observations of the current status and lifestyles of the main protagonists, and perhaps fear of the future ("..the only thing to look forward to – the past"). Terry was in both cases primarily the main catalyst behind these features of the series. Terry is usually the character to make apt and sometimes ironic observations on life, and these observations are largely the basis for the humour and pathos of the latter parts of the series. Terry is scornful of any habits he sees as being "southern", pretentious or middle-class, as well as treating modern fads, conservatism and religion with the same sarcastic scorn.
Terry has a strained friendship with Bob's wife Thelma. Thelma views Terry as the biggest threat to her marriage, though the two are known to have had a brief courtship, which Thelma describes as "mistreatment by something coarse and vulgar". As the series goes on, Thelma's attitude towards Terry begins to soften, as she describes him as "honest" and "unpretentious" when a snobbish friend of hers insults him, and she turns to him for advice when she and Bob experience marital problems.
Terry is a fairly politicised character and often airs his views, which Bob refers to as "The Thoughts of Chairman Collier". A staunch "armchair socialist", Terry mentions that his grandfather and uncle were on the Jarrow March, with Bob interjecting that they "dropped out at Durham" when the pubs opened.
Hub AI
Terry Collier AI simulator
(@Terry Collier_simulator)
Terry Collier
Terence Daniel Collier is a character in British sitcoms The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, and The Likely Lads film. He is played by Sunderland-born actor James Bolam.
In The Likely Lads Terry works with his friend, Bob Ferris, as an electrician at Ellison's Electricals, before joining the British Army. During his time in the army, he married a West German woman, Jutta Baumgarten, from whom he separates a few months later. Terry's army service is not shown, nor is his marriage (although his wife was due to appear in the episode "End of an Era", and remains on the credits despite the scene being cut). Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads begins with Terry's discharge from the army, and for the duration of the series he spends most of his time unemployed, although he takes brief temporary work as a car washer, hospital porter, forklift truck driver, and finally as a minicab driver. In The Likely Lads film he works briefly as a mobile soap powder salesman.
Terry was conceived during an air raid on Newcastle upon Tyne, and born on 29 February 1944. From an early age he was seen as a disruptive threat to other children, and teachers would often warn other children not to talk to him for fear his disruptive influence would transfer to them. Terry says during the "No Hiding Place" episode of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? that his mother wanted him to be a doctor; but he showed little aptitude in school, generally cheating his way through exams. After leaving school at the age of fourteen, he went to night school, where, despite cheating at the exams, he still failed. He eventually qualified as an electrician and began working at Ellison's Electrical factory.
In 1966, Bob decides to sign up for the British Army. Terry, not wanting to be away from Bob, also signs up. However, Bob is discharged due to flat feet, while Terry, initially to his horror, is accepted. He is stationed for most of his time in Cyprus, and also serves in Malta, West Germany and Devizes, Wiltshire. He also loses contact with Bob. In November 1969, Terry married a West German woman, Jutta Baumgarten. They separated in June 1970 after West Germany defeated England in the World Cup, before finally divorcing in 1976. Terry is discharged from the army in 1972.
Despite being particularly proud of his working-class status, Terry is notably workshy, informing Bob in one episode that he has "dropped out of the rat race". Terry often uses his previous army service (in "the hot tropic night") to avoid working, because of his "dodgy spine", "Burmese malaria", and other mysterious ailments, including a never-explained leg injury. He is down-to-earth, quick-witted, po-faced and cynical. He aggressively dislikes being referred to as "thin" or "slim", preferring instead to describe himself as "wiry". Terry has a typical working-class male attitude towards women, seeing them primarily as sex objects. However, these views seem to mellow as the series goes on. He drinks and smokes heavily, tempting Bob to also indulge in the two vices he is always trying to cut down on.
Much of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? consists of reminiscent nostalgia, while the film is largely made of observations of the current status and lifestyles of the main protagonists, and perhaps fear of the future ("..the only thing to look forward to – the past"). Terry was in both cases primarily the main catalyst behind these features of the series. Terry is usually the character to make apt and sometimes ironic observations on life, and these observations are largely the basis for the humour and pathos of the latter parts of the series. Terry is scornful of any habits he sees as being "southern", pretentious or middle-class, as well as treating modern fads, conservatism and religion with the same sarcastic scorn.
Terry has a strained friendship with Bob's wife Thelma. Thelma views Terry as the biggest threat to her marriage, though the two are known to have had a brief courtship, which Thelma describes as "mistreatment by something coarse and vulgar". As the series goes on, Thelma's attitude towards Terry begins to soften, as she describes him as "honest" and "unpretentious" when a snobbish friend of hers insults him, and she turns to him for advice when she and Bob experience marital problems.
Terry is a fairly politicised character and often airs his views, which Bob refers to as "The Thoughts of Chairman Collier". A staunch "armchair socialist", Terry mentions that his grandfather and uncle were on the Jarrow March, with Bob interjecting that they "dropped out at Durham" when the pubs opened.