What's a Carry On?

WHAT'S A CARRY ON? is a straightforward documentary exploring the popularity and success of the Carry On series, filmed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the series. This is a light, fluffy piece for the most part, heavy on the clips and light on background detail, but there is at least one good reason to tune in.

This documentary is notable for featuring filmed interview clips with a number of surviving Carry On stars. A lot of these have subsequently passed away, so seeing the (all too brief) input of the likes of Joan Sims and Jack Douglas is a delight. Others like Jim Dale and Barbara Windsor add to the experience, and it seems that everybody has an anecdote to share, some of which I hadn't heard previously.

I also enjoyed the way that the featured stars aren't afraid to criticise some of the lesser productions; CARRY ON COLUMBUS notably comes in for a bit of stick, even from Jim Dale who starred in it. You won't learn much new from watching WHAT'S A CARRY ON?, but for fans of the series it's pretty much unmissable viewing.