Nearest and Dearest

The popular 1970s sitcom features Jimmy Jewel and Hylda Baker as siblings Eli and Nellie Pledge, who are compelled to manage their family’s pickle factory in Lancashire. The episode in question is Series 4, Episode 4, titled “When Love Walks In”.

The programme is a sitcom from the 1970s. It stars Jimmy Jewel and Hylda Baker as the sibling pair Eli and Nellie Pledge. Their on‑screen relationship forms the core of the comedy, with the two characters at the centre of the series' humour. The series is set in Lancashire, providing a regional backdrop for the jokes. The central premise sees the brother and sister compelled to manage their family's pickle factory in Lancashire. This unexpected responsibility forces them into a series of comedic situations as they navigate the challenges of running a small‑scale food business together. Their differing approaches to the work provide much of the episode's humour. The storyline appears in series four, episode four, which carries the title “When Love Walks In”. This installment continues the ongoing narrative of Eli and Nellie's reluctant partnership. The episode’s title hints at a romantic subplot emerging amidst the factory duties. Throughout the episode, the sibling pair's interactions highlight the tension between familial obligation and personal desire. The Lancashire setting adds a regional flavour to the comedy, grounding the absurdity in a recognisable industrial backdrop.