The original show followed the friendship of two young working class men, Terry Collier (James Bolam) and Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes), in the mid-1960s.

After growing up at school and in the Scouts together, Bob and Terry are working in the same factory, Ellison's Electrical, alongside the older, wiser duo of Cloughie and Jack.

In some dialects in Northern England it means "likeable" but it may be derived from the phrase the man most likely to (i.e. likely to succeed, having potential), a boxing expression in common use on Tyneside, hence, in Geordie slang, "a likely lad".

Guest star:Garfield Morgan Additionally, an eight-minute episode of The Likely Lads was broadcast on 25 December 1964, as part of a 90-minute Christmas Day special on BBC 1 called Christmas Night with the Stars 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., in which Bob and Terry have an argument over Bob's encyclopaedic knowledge of "Rupert Bear" Annuals ("It was Edward Trunk!").

Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Vicar, Uncle Walter – John Cazabon Auntie Peggy – Betty Hardy Cyril – Le Roy Lingwood Elaine – Carol Marsh Beryl – Rosalind Shanks Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Mario – George Layton Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Motor Salesman – Reginald Jessup Nurse – Cheryl Molineaux Carol – Rosalind Shanks Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Mrs Winsor – Rhoda Lewis Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Sheila, Elsie – Madeleine Mills Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Jack – Donald McKillop Margaret – Dorothy White Jane, Baby – Shirley Jaffe Rose – Kate Story June – Janet Kelly Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam The Scoutmaster – Peter Hawkins The Postmistress – Kathleen Helme Jack – Donald McKillop Valerie – Janet Kelly Susan – Kate Story Cafe Proprietor, Lorry Driver – David Brierly Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – John Henderson Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Ferris – Kathleen Helme Elsie – Madeleine Mills Thelma – Susan Jameson Big Duggie – Michael Kilgarriff Blakey – Douglas Hankin The part of Thelma was also recast, with Susan Jameson playing the role on this occasion.

Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Mum – Julie May Sally – Sara Kestelman Denise – Madeleine Mills Sam – Wilfred Carter Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Granddad – Bert Palmer Mrs Perrin – Noel Dyson Mr Perrin – Glenn Melvyn Lorna Perrin – Angela Lovell Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Blakey, Roger – Richard Moore Nesbit – Michael Sheard Holgate – Eric Dodson Judith – Anneke Wills Sally Anne – Didi Sullivan Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Erik Chitty Louise, Waitress – Anna Gilchrist Colette – Bettina Le Beau Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Deirdre – Dilys Watling Pat – Susan Jameson Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Duggie – Derek Newark Helen – Helen Fraser Archie – Roger Avon Podge – Geoffrey Hughes Mrs Foster – Doris Rogers Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Ursula – Isobel Black Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins All other female parts – Jennifer Croxton All other male parts – Peter Hawkins Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Sgt Jeffcock – Garfield Morgan Ralph – Barry Linehan Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Cecile – Veronica Lang Blakey – George Layton Bob – Rodney Bewes Terry – James Bolam Audrey – Sheila Fearn Jack – Donald McKillop Cloughy – Bartlett Mullins Mrs Collier – Olive Milbourne Mr Collier – Alex McDonald George – Barry Stanton Army Sergeant – Tony Caunter Mrs Ferris – Irene Richmond Youth – Andrew Robertson Recruit – Hugh Walters Only seven of the eight (then) extant episodes were included on the original UK DVD release issued in February 2006, in spite of the cover stating that it contained all the surviving episodes.

A Star Is Born and Far Away Places, two previously missing episodes from the second series recovered in 2018, were included as extras on the 2019 Network DVD and Blu-ray release of the 1976 feature film.