Terry Collier

Terence Daniel Collier or Terry 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 friend Bob Ferris as an electrician at Ellison's Electricals, before joining the British Army. During his time in the Army he marries a German woman, from whom he quickly separates (although his marriage and his time in the Army is never shown). Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads begins with Terry being finally discharged from the Army, and for the duration of the series he spends most of his time unemployed, although he takes short term work occasionally as a car washer, a fork-lift truck driver, and finally as a minicab driver. In The Likely Lads film, he works briefly as a mobile salesman.

[edit] Early life
Terry was conceived during an air raid on Newcastle upon Tyne and born in 1944. From an early age Terry 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 other children. Terry showed little aptitude in school, generally cheating his way through exams. After leaving school at 14, Terry went to night school, where he cheated at the exams, but still only failed. He eventually took work as an electrician at a large factory.

[edit] Personality
Terry is particularly proud of his working class status, however he is notably workshy (he informs Bob in one episode that he has 'dropped out of the rat race'). Terry is down to earth, quick witted, po faced and cynical. Terry has old fashioned views about women, and sees them primarily as sex objects, however as he matures, his views seem to mellow. Terry both 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? consisted of reminiscent nostalgia, while the film was largely made of observations of the current status and lifestyles of the main protagonists, and perhaps fear of the future. Terry was in both cases, largely the main driver behind these features of the series. Terry is usually the character to make the apt and sometimes ironic observations on life, sometimes in a drunken state, and these observations are largely the basis for the humour and pathos of the latter parts of the series.

[edit] Politics
Terry is a fairly politicised character and often airs his views, to which Bob refers to as The Thoughts of Chairman Collier. Terry is a staunch Socialist and often refers to the fact his uncle was on the Jarrow Marches. Bob is usually keen to remind him he was only on it until the pubs opened. 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 also holds great prejudices against everyone. In the episode of Whatever Happened to the Likley Lads?, "No Hiding Place", Terry describes his impression of several nationalities: the Italians are greasy, the Americans are flash, Orientals are brutal, Spaniards are lazy, Danes are perverts etc. He then moves onto the British Isles, 'I've never liked the Welsh', the Scotts are 'worse than the Koreans'. Bob then points out that Terry never liked Southerners, to which Terry adds that he doesn't like many local people, in fact he hates his next door neighbours. Terry narrows it all down to the fact he only really likes himself.