Cowboys

1980s British tv sitcom

Joe Jones, former car salesman, moves into the building industry and he finds best people to work with. Well, one anyway... Sort of.

Joe Jones, almost broke former car salesman, starts his building company. With limited resources he hires trio of mostly inept workers: Geyser, Wobbly and Eric. Geyser is competent plumber, Wobbly has experience as painter and Eric is a van driver, so, of course, they are put in charge of building walls and renovating interiors. To help out he also keeps his attractive secretary Doreen, who is his... well, let’s just say he hopes his wife won’t find out about Doreen.

What is the best way to start a building company? Take any job that is available, no matter if you are competent to do it properly, finish it as quickly and as cheaply as possible and then run. At least that is the Joe Jones way. Not that he has much choice - Geyser is his only proper worker, who still is out of his depths with most of the challenges, and still the company is barely breaking even.

Sitcom created by Peter Learmouth, who later had more success with Surgical Spirit, was created in difficult reality - in early 1980s unemployment was hitting hard the British society and Cowboys in a way showed that side of the era. People were looking for ways to support themselves wherever they could and that is what Joe Jones and his workers do. Of course their lack of competence is a problem, but at the same time it is the foundation of humour in this sitcom. It was a low-brow humour, but did aged well and still can be entertaining.

Rating	6.4
Funny	6 / 10
Entertaining	3 / 5
Characters	3 / 5
Nonrepetitive	4 / 5