Line #14 Series/LipstickOnYourCollar


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lipstick_on_your_collar.jpg]]
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3	Drama by Creator/DennisPotter set in Whitehall during the Suez Crisis and starring Creator/EwanMcGregor in his screen debut. An expansion of the earlier TV Play, ''Lay Down Your Arms'', the action follows Frank Francis and Mick Hopper as they plough through their National Service by translating Russian documents for the Military Intelligence service. Mick's just biding his time until he can return to civvy street and pursue his dream of playing in a RockAndRoll band, while Francis is smitten with his upstairs neighbour, Sylvia, who just happens to be the wife of his and Mick's vicious commanding officer, Pete Berry.
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5	!!Provides examples of:
6	* AbhorrentAdmirer: Harold Atterbow serves as this to Sylvia.
7	* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Mick appears to suffer this due to the boredom of the War Office, particularly in the first couple of episodes when he'll have an ImagineSpot musical number at the drop of a hat.
8	* BitchInSheepsClothing: Corporal Berry seems, during most of the first episode, to be as jovial as Mick. Before long, it's revealed that not only is he a genuine DrillSergeantNasty, he's also regularly physically abusive to his wife and an all-round bully.
9	* BoringButPractical: Francis' love of Russian poetry is soundly rejected by the staff at the War Office, with them stating that this trope is what his translation work should consist of.
10	* BritishBrevity: Consisted of a single six-episode series.
11	* DirtyOldMan: Harold
12	* DomesticAbuse: A regular feature of Sylvia and Pete's marriage. It's also hinted that a form of this may be taking place between Francis' aunt and uncle, but thanks to his aunt's StepfordSmiler tendencies, it's never elaborated on.
13	* FireForgedFriends: Mick and Francis serve as a variation
14	* GoshDarnItToHeck: A bit of an odd case. It's justified somewhat since it is set in the 1950s and takes place in mostly very stuffy environments, but there are several times when it's clear the VerbalTic phrase "shagging" is being used in place of actual swearwords.
15	* HeadTurningBeauty: Sylvia tends to inspire such reactions from much of the male cast.
16	* ImagineSpot: The musical numbers all appear to take place in various characters' imaginations.
17	* LoveAtFirstSight: Both Francis and Mick appear to be struck by this upon their initial meetings with Sylvia and Lisa respectively. [[spoiler:By the end of the series, however, the two have switched.]]
18	* MaleGaze: A lot of the {{Imagine Spot}}s feature barely-clothed women. Sylvia also gets a ''lot'' of appreciation from the camera.
19	* PairTheSpares: [[spoiler:Mick and Sylvia]] ending up together sort of comes off this way since the two of them barely share any interaction.
20	* RepetitiveName: Private Francis Francis. His superior officer reminds him that his Repetitive Name does not exempt him from LastNameBasis:
21	-->'''Major Church:''' Well, Francis, get this clear. When we call you "Francis", we mean "Francis", not "Francis".
22	* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Francis to Mick; and then both Francis and Mick to Pete.
23	* SignatureStyle: Features many lip-synced musical numbers in the style used in ''Series/TheSingingDetective.''
24	* SmallNameBigEgo: Pretty much all the middle-aged officials at the War Office have shades of this to varying degrees.
25	* StalkerWithACrush: Harold to Sylvia
26	* YoungLoveVersusOldHate: One of the themes of the series. Most of the younger characters just want to live their lives and fall in love while the elder character are all busy either preparing for the possibility of all-out war or else trying to force their uptight mannerisms and prejudices on the younger characters.

Context Series / LipstickOnYourCollar