Another rarely aired sitcom is making a comeback to broadcast television. Rewind TV has announced that it will air the classic sitcom The Dustbinmen, created by Jack Rosenthal. It will begin airing in January 2026.
This is the second of Rosenthal’s prolific works to be announced as coming soon, with the sitcom The Lovers arriving on the same day
What is The Dustbinmen?
The Dustbinmen follows the adventure of the crew of the dustcart “Thunderbird 3” as they go about their refuse‑collecting rounds across Manchester. The cast featured “Bryan Pringle as Cheese, Trevor Bannister as Heavy Breathing, and Graham Haberfield as Smellie.
Made by Granada Television, it was created by Jack Rosenthal. It aired on ITV for 20 episodes over 3 series between 1969 and 1970. The show was a spin-off from a one-off 90-minute 1968 television play, There’s a Hole in Your Dustbin, Delilah, which was written by Jack Rosenthal and directed by Michael Apted
What is Rewind TV
Rewind TV is a British channel available on Sky (182) and Freeview (81). It showcases a variety of classic television shows and movies from around the world. The channel has continued to add titles each month to its ever-growing schedule, many from the vaults of various ITV regions.
In addition to The Dustbinmen, Rewind TV has announced the addition of The Lovers, The Fenn Street Gang and The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs to the schedule. We will continue to inform you about further changes when they are announced.
Jamie’s Reaction
Another rarely seen gem from the archives of Granada Television, now owned by ITV Studios! I feel like this may have had a brief run on another channel, but it happened so quickly that it went unnoticed. This is likely to get a much bigger fanfare, as Rewind TV is fast becoming a solid home for obscure-ish series that deserve attention.
This must have been quite a popular series in its day, given the fact that it got given 3 series. The situation is down to earth, so I can see the appeal. I believe this is one of the series where most of the episodes exist, but not all of them survive in their original broadcast quality. I don’t think this will be a problem for the viewers; it will just be great to see this series again!
When will The Dustbinmen be on Rewind TV?
The Dustbinmen will debut on Rewind TV on the 5th of January 2026. Episodes will air daily at 12:30pm and 7:30pm. For more scheduling details, please see the channel’s listings.
