The Macabre Comedy of Steptoe and Son Part 1: Séance & Satire
In this special two part article we look at two times the TV show, Steptoe and son, ventured bravely into the dark world of the supernatural.
The show is often remembered for its bleak humour, class commentary, emotional sharpness and even a sprinkling of political incorrectness by today’s standards. Yet occasionally, it veered into more unexpected territory for a mainstream comedy show of its time.
The two episodes we cover in these articles blend this vintage domestic sitcom with some unmistakable touches of the ethereal.
The first example is covered here in part one, it’s the spookily fun episode “Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard”. The second episode, which is covered in part 2, is a macabre offering called, “The Wooden Overcoats”.
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This article contains full plot details and analysis of the episode.
If you would like to watch the episode before reading the article it can be found on Youtube (at time of publication of this article) by CLICKING HERE (the video opens in a new window so please don’t forget to return here for the article).
This is the first article in a 2 part series about the macabre comedy of Steptoe and Son.
To read part 2 – Click Here.
Introduction: Britain’s Grimiest Sitcom, at Its Finest
Few British sitcoms have achieved the enduring reputation of Steptoe and Son. Written by the legendary duo Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (the pair were also co-creators of “Hanckock’s Half Hour” radio and TV shows, huge earlier hits for the BBC).
Steptoe and Son ran on the BBC from 1962 to 1974 and followed the fractious relationship between father and son rag-and-bone dealers in Shepherd’s Bush.
At its heart are two towering performances which made this show the hit it was:
- Wilfrid Brambell as Albert Steptoe, the filthy, manipulative patriarch
- Harry H. Corbett as Harold Steptoe, his frustrated, socially ambitious son
Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard, Episode Overview: When the Supernatural Comes Knocking
Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard would become one of the most loved episodes, no mean feat considering the show’s many memorable storylines. In this article we discuss this episode in a little more depth.
First broadcast in October 1974, series 8 episode 6, “Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard” aired during the show’s colour era. It sees Albert attempt to inject a sense of intrigue and romance into his dreary existence. His latest fascination? The occult.
Albert becomes convinced of the possibilities of contacting the spirit world and decides to hold a séance in the Steptoes’ cluttered, dimly lit living room. Harold, predictably, is sceptical, dismissive, and more interested in winding his father up than exploring any metaphysical truth.
Synopsis: Spirits, Scepticism, and Steptoe Chaos
During the first half of the episode, Albert arrives home late and has a brief discussion with his son where he reluctantly admits to attending a spiritualist meeting as well as a Séance earlier in the evening. He also discloses being introduced to spiritualism by a lady he met at the local Darby and Joan club called Dorothy and of whom he is very fond. Harold presses his father further and discovers Dorothy is a lonely widow seeking to be connected with her expired husband with help of a gifted medium called Madame Fontana.
This leads the conversation back to the subject of the supernatural and, in an attempt to assuage Harold’s clear scepticism, the father and son participate in a Ouija-board style session together, with comedic results.
In the second half of the episode Albert invites a select group of people to attend a séance conducted by the medium, Madam Fontana, at the Steptoe home. The setting could not be more fitting: the grimy, junk-filled Steptoe house is old, ramshackle and the ghostly gathering is surrounded by the detritus of other people’s lives.
As the séance begins , the atmosphere shifts once more. Lights dim, hands are clasped and an attempt at spirit communication is introduced. For a brief moment, the episode flirts with genuine eeriness, the participants’ growing unease creates a tension rarely seen in the series.
Harold, however, refuses to be drawn in. We, the audience, are left unsure whether it is due to a genuine disbelief or perhaps to allay his own hidden fears of the unknown, but Harold scoffs continually and sets out on a mission to deliberately sabotage the events as they unfold – he punctures the mood at every turn. The séance collapses into farce, with accusations of fakery from Harold and Albert’s embarrassment taking centre stage.
Talking With the Dead: The Séance Begins
In an attempt to commune with the dead, Madame Fontana “get’s straight to the meat” and falls into an almost instantaneous, deep and exceptionally theatrical trance.
She begins channelling several spirits. We are first introduced to her spirit guide who’s described as a ‘Red Indian’ called Geronimo. This spirit guide brings forth some interesting departed souls to the assembled group. A group which includes Albert’s friend, Dorothy who’s dead husband, George, is channelled by Madam Fontana. He explains via the medium, his arthritis has cleared up since passing away, he offers some gardening advice and then suggests Dorothy should remarry to ease her loneliness. His message safely delivered, he then returns whence he came.
Next, Albert gets a chance to talk with his own late wife, Emily, also channelled by Madame Fontana. She dotes, somewhat excessively, over her son Harold via the medium for a while before moving on to her erstwhile husband, Albert. He nervously asks her permission to marry Dorothy and his spectral wife appears to be fully supportive and most enthusiastic about the idea. Unfortunately Harold is not so enamoured with the idea and brings the proceedings to a sudden, chaotic halt.
To complete the ensemble, there is also an elderly couple also in attendance in an attempt to reach out to their deceased pet cat, Tiddles. Unfortunately the séance falls into pandemonium before they get the chance reach their resting feline.
During the melee that marks the disintegration of the séance, it is revealed that the widow Dorothy is in fact Madame Fontana’s mother which of course leads to Harold exposing the whole plan for Dorothy to snag a husband. The evening ends and all parties depart the scene with various degrees of acrimony, all except for a satisfied and reflective Harold.
It’s all highly entertaining yet the episode saves its most intriguing moment for last…
The Twist Ending: A Hint of the Unexplained
Just when the audience is reassured that everything supernatural has been exposed as nonsense, the episode delivers a subtle but effective sting.
After the chaos has subsided and his scepticism appears justified, Harold is left alone. In this quiet moment, he hears the unmistakable and disembodied voice of his long-dead mother calling out to him.
It is brief, understated and never fully explained. Crucially, Harold himself is shaken. The man who has spent the entire episode mocking the idea of spirits is confronted with something he cannot easily dismiss.
This final beat shifts the tone entirely. The show does not confirm the supernatural outright but it leaves the door open. Was it a trick, a figment of Harold’s imagination or was it something genuinely otherworldly?
For a sitcom grounded in realism, it is a rare and surprisingly effective ambiguity. The laughter gives way, momentarily, to unease.
Review: Comedy Meets the Occult
“Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard” is a fascinating tonal experiment. While Steptoe and Son is rooted in realism, this episode briefly opens the door to the uncanny.
For horror and occult enthusiasts, the séance scenes later in the show are particularly interesting. The episode incorporates familiar tropes:
- Dim lighting and hushed voices
- Table-centred rituals
- The suggestion of unseen presences
- The use of a Ouija-style communication device
These elements are not handled with strict factual accuracy. Instead, they reflect popular understandings of spiritualism common in mid-20th-century Britain. Mediumship is portrayed ambiguously, leaning toward scepticism, yet never entirely dismissing the possibility of something beyond explanation.
What elevates the episode is its structure. It builds tension, dismantles it through comedy, and then quietly restores it in the final seconds. That last moment when Harold lingers, giving the episode an aftertaste far stranger than most sitcom fare.
EPISODE RATING
Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard (1974)
Cast and Key Contributors
- Harry H. Corbett – Harold Steptoe
- Wilfrid Brambell – Albert Steptoe
- Other cast members included a medium character central to the séance scenes played sublimely by Patricia Routledge (more on her later in the article)
- Writers: Ray Galton and Alan Simpson
- Produced for the BBC
Special Mention for Patricia Routledge as Madame Fontana
One of this episode’s real pleasures, and stand out performances, is the appearance of Patricia Routledge, whose contribution adds both credibility and comic bite to the séance scenes. Routledge was already a highly accomplished stage and television performer, and she brings that precision to her role here.
As the medium, she plays the part with a careful balance. On one hand, she leans into the familiar tropes of spiritualism, adopting the solemn tone and ritualistic manner expected of someone conducting a séance. On the other, there is a subtle ambiguity in her performance that fits perfectly with the episode’s tone. It is never entirely clear whether she is sincere, deluded, or simply playing along for effect.
It is hard not to see echoes of earlier British portrayals of theatrical spiritualists, particularly the wonderfully eccentric medium Madame Arcati in the movie Blithe Spirit (1945). That role, immortalised on screen by Margaret Rutherford, helped define a certain archetype of the comic medium, and Routledge’s performance feels very much in that tradition. In fact, Harold calls Fontana Madame Arcati at one point in the episode, much to his father’s obvious chagrin.
Her presence also helps ground the more unusual elements of the episode. Her composed delivery contrasts sharply with Albert’s eager gullibility and Harold’s constant interruptions, heightening both the tension and the humour. Without overplaying the role too much, she allows the séance to feel momentarily convincing, which makes the eventual collapse into chaos, and the unsettling final twist, all the more effective.
Where to Watch Now
Even today, viewers today can still experience this unusual episode:
- UK: Available via BBC archive releases and DVD box sets such as Steptoe and Son: The Complete Series
- Australia: Accessible through DVD collections and occasional streaming on BritBox-style platforms
- United States: Available on DVD and sometimes via classic television streaming services, including BritBox
- Youtube: Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard (opens in new window, if still available)
Blu-ray releases are limited, but restored DVD editions remain the most reliable way to view the episode.
Trivia and Curiosities
- Harry H. Corbett also starred in the cult British horror-comedy film Carry On Screaming!.
- The final moment, featuring Harold hearing his dead mother’s voice, is often cited by fans as one of the eeriest in British sitcom history.
- Patricia Routledge (Madame Fontana) would go on to star in her own hit BBC sitcom, ‘Keeping Up Appearances’. Known and loved for her starring role of Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet to those who know). Keeping up appearances would go on to run for five successful series between 1990 and 1995 with an additional four Christmas specials along the way.
- The Steptoe house, already oppressive, takes on an almost gothic quality during the séance scenes.
- The series inspired stage adaptations, radio versions, and international remakes.
- Wilfrid Brambell also appeared in the Beatles’ movie, A Hard Day’s Night, linking the show to wider British pop culture history.
- Steptoe and Son took an earlier foray into the horror genre in 1964 with an episode called, “The Wooden Overcoats” which is covered in Part 2 of this article series.
Transatlantic Connection: From Steptoe to Sanford
The influence of Steptoe and Son extended far beyond Britain. The American sitcom Sanford and Son (1972-1978), starring Redd Foxx, was a direct adaptation.
While Sanford and Son retained the father-son dynamic and junk-dealer setting, it leaned more heavily into broader comedy. Episodes like this one highlight how the British original was often darker and more tonally adventurous.
Final Thoughts
“Séance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard” stands out not just for its premise, but for its restraint. It toys with the supernatural, mocks it, and then, in its closing moments, quietly suggests it might be real after all.
For viewers drawn to the occult, it offers a rare blend of scepticism and suggestion. For comedy fans, it remains unmistakably Steptoe and Son. And for everyone else, it is proof that even the most grounded sitcom can, occasionally, raise a ghost.
This is the first article in a 2 part series about the macabre comedy of Steptoe and Son.
To read part 2 – Click Here.
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