Memorable TV

GAME ON

A GENTLEMAN'S CLUB 

GEORGE AND MILDRED

BBC1 / 6x30m-e / 1997 2 November - 7 December Sundays 6.40pm/6.30pm

Writers: Ray Galton, John Antrobus / Theme Sung by Aled Jones / Producer: Philip Kampff 

Period sitcom. In 1947 Two young lads, Roy Osborne and Brian Clapton share a room in a TB Sanitarium in Surrey. This series is based on the meeting between classic sitcom writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (Hancock, Steptoe and Son etc).

Roy Osborne..................................... MATTHEW COTTLE

Brian Clapton.................................... EDDIE MARSAN

Mrs Howell....................................... SAMANTHA BECKINSALE

Sister Shelley................................... KATE O'TOOLE

Mrs Osborne.................................... ANITA DOBSON

Mr Walpole...................................... NEIL STACY

Sq Ldr Fielding................................. ROBERT BATHURST

GIMME GIMME GIMME

BBC2/Tiger Aspect / 13x30m-e / 1999-2000 2 seasons + 1 special

Writer: Johnathon Harvey / Music: Philip Pope / Script Editor: Kathy Burke / Titles: Tim Searle / Producer: Sue Vertue / Director: Liddy Oldroyd

Sitcom. Sex obsessed Linda La Hughes shares a flat with gay Tom Farrell. Tom was a seemingly always out of work actor whilst Linda didn't actually do anything.

With:- KATHY BURKE as Linda La Hughes / JAMES DREYFUS as Tom Farrell / ROSALIND KNIGHT as Beryl Merit / BRIAN BOVELL as Jez / BETH GODDARD as Suze

THE GINGERBREAD GIRL

Yorkshire / 6x30m-e / 1993 9 April - 21 May Fridays 8.30pm

Writer: Alex Shearer / Theme sung by Janet Dibley / Executive Producer: David Reynolds / Producer/Director: Robin Carr 

Sitcom. Young single mother Linda does her best to cope on her own.

With:- JANET DIBLEY as Linda / TYLER BUTTERWORTH as Eddie / JOHN DIEDRICH as Matt /  ISABELLA MARSH as Kerry / TRACIE BENNETT as Stella

GIRLS ABOUT TOWN

ATV / 12x30m-e / 1970-71

Writer: Adele Rose / Producer: Shaun O'Riordan 

Sitcom. Exploits of a pair of bored housewives.

With:- JULIE STEVENS as Rosemary Pilgrim / ROBIN PARKINSON as George Pilgrim / DENISE COFFEY as Brenda Liversedge / PETER BALDWIN as Harold Liversedge / DOROTHY REYNOLDS as Mrs Pilgrim

There was a pilot broadcast 2 Oct 1969, this was substantially different being made by Thames and featured in the cast Anna Quayle as Rosemary Pilgrim, and Barbara Mullaney as Sylvia(Mullaney is better known under her married name of Knox as Rita in Coronation Street.

GIRLS ON TOP

Central/Witzend / 13x30m-e / 1985-86 Season One:23 Oct - 4 Dec 1985 Season Two:30 Oct -111 Dec 1986

Writers: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax / Script Editor: Ben Elton / Producers: Paul Jackson, Trevor Walton 

Sitcom. An attempt to make a female version of the Young Ones with four ill suited girls sharing a flat. 

With:- TRACEY ULLMAN as Candice(1985) / DAWN FRENCH as Amanda / JENNIFER SAUNDERS as Jennifer / RUBY WAX as Shelley / JOAN GREENWOOD as Lady Carlton

GLAMOUR GIRLS

Granada / 13x30m-e / 1980 Season One: 23 Oct - 27 Nov Season 2:23 Feb - 6 Apr

Writer: David Nobbs / Music: Derek Hilton / Producer: John G. Temple / Director: Malcolm Taylor 

Sitcom. Two women, Veronica Hawlett and Debbie Wilkinson , work for an extremely dodgy modeling agency. 

Veronica Hawlett.............................. BRIGIT FORSYTH

Debbie Wilkinson............................. SALLY WATTS

Ernest Garstang............................... DUGGIE BROWN

Brian Frodsham............................... TOM PRICE

Mr Meredith..................................... JAMES WARRIOR

GLENCANNON

Gross-Krasne/Silleman/ NTA / 39x30m-e / 14 Sep 1960 - 6 July 1961 black and white

Writers: Basil Dawson, John Toureen, Ian Dallas. / Stories: Guy Fitzpatrick / Executive Producer: Donald Hyde / Director: John Knight

Comedy series. The exploits of a chief engineer working on a tramp steamer. An English-American co-production.

Glencannon....................................... THOMAS MITCHELL

Bosun Hughes................................... PATRICK ALLEN

Captain Ball...................................... CHARLES CARSON

Cookie ............................................ GEORGIE WOOD

Sparks............................................. PETER COLLINGWOOD

Mr Montgomery................................. BARRY KEEGAN

Mr Macintosh.................................... KERRY JORDAN

THE GLUMS

LWT / 9x10m-e 8x30m-e / 1979

Writers: Frank Muir, Denis Norden / Producer: Simon Brett / Directors: John Kaye Cooper, John Reardon 

Sitcom. Exploits of a dour family, based on a long running radio series of the fifties, Season One(9x10m-e) was part of the series Bruce Forsyth's Big Night Out (7 Oct - 24 Dec 1978). Season two was a full series with two stories per show, each adapted from the old radio broadcasts.

Pa Glum............................................. JIMMY EDWARDS

Ron Glum............................................ IAN LAVENDER

Eth..................................................... PATRICIA BRAKE

Ted.................................................... MICHAEL STAUNTON

THE GNOMES OF DULWICH

BBC1 / 6x30m-e / 1969 12 May - 16 June Mondays 8.50pm

Writer: Jimmy Perry / Producers: Graeme Muir, Sydney Lotterby 

Sitcom. The adventures of three garden gnomes who lived in a garden in Dulwich.

Big....................................................... TERRY SCOTT

Small................................................... HUGH LLOYD

Old...................................................... JOHN CLIVE

Plastic................................................. LEON THAU

Dolly.................................................... ANNE DE VIGEUR

GOING STRAIGHT

BBC1 / 6x30m-e / 1978  24 February - 7 April  Friday 8.30pm

Writers: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais / Producer: Sydney Lotterby / Theme Sung by Ronnie Barker 

Sitcom. Sequel to Porridge in which Fletcher is released from prison but finds life on the outside less than easy, he also discovers Lenny Godber engaged to his daughter Ingrid and practically living in his home. 

Norman Stanley Fletcher.................. RONNIE BARKER

Lenny Godber.................................. RICHARD BECKINSALE

Ingrid Fletcher.................................. PATRICIA BRAKE

Raymond Fletcher............................ NICHOLAS LYNDHURST

GOODBYE MR KENT

BBC / 7x30m-e / 1982 28 January - 11 March Thursdays 8.30pm

Writers: Peter Vincent, Peter Robinson / Producer: Gareth Gwenlan 

Sitcom. Divorcee Victoria Jones takes in the irritating Travis Kent as her lodger.

With:- HANNAH GORDON as Victoria Jones / RICHARD BRIERS as Travis Kent / TALLA HAYES as Lucy Jones

THE GOODIES

BBC (1970-80)-London Weekend Television (1981-82) / 73x30m-e 1x50m-e 1x45m-e 1x25m-e / 1970-82

Writers: Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor / Music: Bill Oddie

Anarchic, frantic, fast series about initially three flat sharing go anywhere, do anything, anytime troubleshooters. Later the series became more a collection of loosely linked sketches, the trio made ample use of special effects and speeded up film etc and the they also managed a number of chart hits in the process (most notably the Funky Gibbon). The Goodies switched from the BBC to the ITV Network (LWT) for one special and one season at the end of their TV run. The Goodies were Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor.

THE GOOD LIFE (GOOD NEIGHBORS)

BBC1 / 29x30m-e 1x45m-e / 1974-78  4 Seasons + 2 Specials 

Writers: John Esmonde, Bob Larbey / Music: Burt Rhodes / Titles: Oliver Rhodes / Producer: John Howard Davies 

Sitcom. Tom Good and his wife Barbara tire of the rat race and decide to go self sufficient in the middle of Surbiton, much to the initial distress of their next door neighbours Margo and Jerry Leadbetter.The 45 minute special was a Royal Performance in which the Queen was a member of the audience. The title in parenthesis refers to the fact that in the US the show is known as Good Neighbors because of a show already being titled The Good Life over there.

Tom Good....................................... RICHARD BRIERS

Barbara Good.................................. FELICITY KENDAL

Margo Leadbetter............................. PENELOPE KEITH

Jerry Leadbetter............................... PAUL EDDINGTON

GOODNIGHT AND GOD BLESS

Central / 6x30m-e / 1983 12 April - 17 May Tuesdays 8.30pm

Writer: Donald Churchill, Joe McGrath / Executive Producer: Joe McGrath / Producer/Director: Alan Dossor 

Sitcom. Exploits of the obnoxious Ronnie Kemp, a comic with his own Television gameshow.

Ronnie Kemp....................................... DONALD CHURCHILL

Celia................................................... JUDY LOE

Geoffrey.............................................. JAMES COSSINS

Harry.................................................. NICK STRINGER

Debbie................................................ TRACEY PERRY

Audrey................................................ ROWENA COOPER

GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART

BBC1/SelecTV/ Alamo / 56x30m-e 1x50m-e / 1993-99

Creators: Laurence Marks, Maurice Gran / Music: Anthony & Gaynor Sadler / Sung by Nick Curtis / Executive Producer: Allan McKeown 

Scifi sitcom. Married TV engineer Gary Sparrow wanders down an alley that is actually a time hole, he ends up in the 1940's where he falls for barmaid Phoebe Bamford. As the series progressed Gary kept flitting between the two era's in the nineties he opened a shop selling 1940's artifacts and in the forties led a double life as a secret agent (pretend) and songwriter of popular music (Sparrow sang hits by the Beatles and the like claiming them as his own.)

Gary Sparrow................................... NICHOLAS LYNDHURST

Yvonne Sparrow(-96)......................... MICHELLE HOLMES

Phoebe Bamford(-96)........................ DERVLA KIRWAN

Eric(93)........................................... DAVID RYALL

Ron Wheatcroft................................ VIC McGUIRE

PC Reg Deadman............................ CHRISTOPHER ETTERIDGE

Phoebe Bamford(97-99).................... ELIZABETH CARLING

Yvonne Sparrow(97-99)..................... EMMA AMOS

GRACE AND FAVOUR

BBC1 / 12x30m-e / 1992-93 Season One: 10 Jan - 14 Feb 92 Season Two: 4 Jan - 8 Feb 93

Writers: Jeremy Lloyd, David Croft / Producer/Director: Mike Stephens 

Sitcom. A sequel to Are You Being Served. After being made redundant from Grace Brothers, most of the gang decide to help Mr Rumbold run an hotel called Millstone Manor.

Mrs Slocombe................................. MOLLIE SUGDEN

Miss Brahms.................................. WENDY RICHARD

Mr Humphries................................. JOHN INMAN

Captain Peacock............................ FRANK THORNTON

Mr Rumbold................................... NICHOLAS SMITH

Jessica Lovelock............................ JOANNE HEYWOOD

Maurice Moulterd............................ BILLY BURDEN  

THE GREEN GREEN GRASS

BBC1 / 13x30m / started 9 September 2005 - 2006

Writer: John Sullivan / Director: Tony Dow / Producer: Gareth Gwenlan

A spin-off from ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES. Former second-hand car dealer Boycie sells up and he and his family move from Peckham to the country where he becomes a farmer. He does this because Peckham's local criminals (The Driscol Brothers) have been imprisoned and he is suspected of being the super grass that put them away.

With:- JOHN CHALIS as Boycie / SUE HOLDERNESS as Marlene / JACK DOOLAN as Tyler / JACK DOOLAN as Elgin Sparrowhawk / IVAN KAYE as Bryan / ELLA KENION as Mrs Cakeworthy / PETER HEPPELTHWAITE as Jed

GREEN WING

C4 / 15x60m / started 3 September 2004-2006

Multiple Writers / Directors: Dominic Brigstocke, Tristram Shapeero / Producer: Victoria Pile

Hospital comedy. Loose dramatic plotlines knit together a succession of sketches set amongst the medical staff of a hospital wing.

With:- TASMIN GRIEG as Dr Caroline Todd / JULIAN RHIND-TUTT as Dr McCartney / STEPHEN MANGAN as Dr Guillame Secretan / PIPPA HAYWOOD as Joanna Clore / MARK HEAP as Dr Alan Startham . MICHELLE GOMEZ as Sue White / KARL THEOBALD as Dr Martin Dear / SARAH ALEXANDER as Dr Angela Hunter

THE GRIMLEYS

Granada / 23x30m-e / 1999-2001

 Writer: Jed Mercurio / Music: Tot Taylor  / Producers: Spencer Campbell, Jed Mercurio / Executive Producer: Andy Harries

Period sitcom. In 1970's Birmingham young Gordon Grimley who lives on a council estate, dreams of making his gorgeous English teacher Geraldine Titley fall in love with him, even though she is engaged to sadistic PE teacher Doug Digby. Season three saw the action move to the late seventies where Gordon was now a trainee teacher at his old school and PE teacher Digby met a tragic end thanks to a stray javelin. There was a one hour pilot show broadcast 1997(this featured Samantha Janus as Miss Titley and Jack Dee as Doug Digby.)

Geraldine Titley................................. AMANDA HOLDEN

Doug Digby...................................... BRIAN CONLEY

Neville Holder................................... NODDY HOLDER

Gordon Grimley................................ JAMES BRADSHAW

Darren Grimley................................. RYAN CARTWRIGHT

Lisa Grimley.................................... CORRIEANN FLETCHER

Janet Grimley.................................. JAN RAVENS

Baz Grimley.................................... NIGEL PLANER

Nan................................................ BARBARA KEOGH

Shane Titley................................... SIMON LOWE

Reg Titley(99)................................. PAUL ANGELIS

THE GROOVY FELLERS

C4/Border / 6x60m-e / 1989 20 January - 24 February Fridays 10.30pm

Writers: Roland Rivon, Jools Holland / Executive Producer: Paul Corley / Producer: John Gwyn / Director: Tim Pope 

Bizarre sitcom. Musician Jools Holland travels around Britain with a Martian, explaining odd things about Earth. 

Jools................................................... JOOLS HOLLAND

Martian................................................ ROWLAND RIVRON

THE GROWING PAINS OF ADRIAN MOLE

Thames / 6x30m-e / 1987

Writer: Sue Townsend / Music: Ian Dury / Producer: Peter Sasdy 

Sitcom. Sequel to The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. Further adolescent episodes in the angst filled teenage life of Adrian Mole, mostly concerning the break up of his parents marriage and his burgeoning relationship with Pandora. See also Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years.

With:- GIAN SAMMARCO as Adrian Mole / LULU as Pauline Mole / STEPHEN MOORE as Dad / BERYL REID as Gran / LINDSEY /  STAGG as Pandora / BILL FRASER as Bert Baxter / DORIS HARE as Queenie

THE GROWING PAINS OF P.C. PENROSE

BBC1 / 7x30m-e / 1975 2 Sep - 14 Oct Tues 9.25pm

Writer: Roy Clarke / Producer: Douglas Argent 

Sitcom. Probationary cop PC Michael Penrose starts his career in the Yorkshire town of Slagcaster. Two years later Michael 'Rosie' Penrose was transferred back to his hometown for the series Rosie.

P.C. Michael Penrose........................ PAUL GREENWOOD

Sgt W.T. Flags.................................. BRYAN PRINGLE

P.C. Buttress.................................... DAVID PINNER

P.C. Toombs..................................... ALAN FOSS

Insp Fox........................................... CHRISTOPHER BURGESS

WPC Dean....................................... CATHERINE CHASE

GROWN UPS

BBC2/Alamo / 6x30m-e / 1997 7 Jan - 11 Feb Tues 10.00pm

Producer: Esta Charkham / Executive Producer: Lawrence Marks, Maurice Gran, Claire Hinson / Director: Angela de Chastelaine Smith 

Sitcom. The differing lives of a group of friends who first met at University fifteen years previously.

Mel...................................................... PENNY BUNTON

Bob..................................................... JASON WATKINS

Jim..................................................... JAMES SIMMONS

Murray................................................ TONY GARDNER

Claire.................................................. PIPPA HAYWOOD

Dennis................................................ GARETH HARRIS

Martin................................................. ANDREW POWELL

GRUNDY

Thames / 6x30m-e / 1980 14 Jul - 18 Aug  Mon 8.00pm

Writer: Ken O'Hare / Producer: Robert Reed 

Sitcom. Divorced single parent (to a teenage daughter) and paper shop owner Grundy has a strong dislike for the loose morals he sees all around him but he is pursued by a loose divorcee who has designs on his body. The show was made in 1979 but held up by an industrial dispute.

Grundy................................................. HARRY H. CORBETT

Beryl.................................................... LYNDA BARON

Sharon................................................ JULIE DAWN COLE

Murray................................................. DAVID JANSON