UK SITCOMS - UKRIDGE to THE VITAL SPARK
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UKRIDGE
BBC1 / 7x30m-e / 1968 15 July - 26 August Mondays 7.30pm black and white
Writer/Producer: Richard Waring / Book: P.G. Wodehouse / Director: Joan Kemp-Welch
Period comedy drama serial. Stanley Featherstone Ukridge cons his way through the 1930's.
Ukridge............................................. ANTON RODGERS
Corky............................................... JULIAN HOLLOWAY
Aunt Julia......................................... MARIAN SPENCER
UNDER AND OVER
BBC1 / 6x30m-e / 1971 Pilot: 8 January 1971 / Season: 24 September - 22 October 1971 Fridays 8.00pm
Writers: David Climie, Austin Steele / Producer: Austin Steele
Sitcom. Three Irish navvies get a job working on the London Underground. The three leads were better known as Irish singing group The Bachelors.
Dec................................................ DEC CLUSKEY
John............................................... JOHN STOKES
Con................................................ CON CLUSKEY
Lord Brentwood............................... ROBERT KEEGAN
Landlord......................................... TOMMY GODFREY
Hawkins......................................... JACK HAWKINS
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
BBC1-Alamo / 12x30m-e / 1998
Creators: Laurence Marks, Maurice Gran / Producer: Sioned Williams / Director: Baz Taylor
Sitcom. Bitter middle aged divorcee Amy has a somewhat prickly relationship with her ex-husband Spike.
Amy..................................................... HARRIET WALTER
Spike................................................... HENRY GOODMAN
Tanya.................................................. JAYE GRIFFITHS
Ruth.................................................... BRIGITTE KAHN
Tam.................................................... ART MALIK
Toby................................................... WILLIAM MANNERING
UNION CASTLE
Granada / 7x30m-e / 1982 19 April - 7 June Mondays 8.00pm
Writer: Eric Paice / Producer: Eric Prytherch / Director: Douglas Argent
Sitcom. A staunch trade unionist is made a lord and moves into a large castle in Wales.
Lord Mountainash............................. STRATFORD JOHNS
Wordsworth..................................... MORAY WATSON
Ursula,Lady Thaxted........................ WANDA VENTHAM
Annie.............................................. LYNDON HUGHES
Elizabeth Steel............................... CAROL MACREADY
THE UPCHAT LINE
Thames / 7x30m-e / 1977 26 September - 7 November Monday 8.00pm
Writer: Keith Waterhouse / Music: Mike Batt / Producer/Director: Robert Reed
Sitcom. Little known author Mike Upchat, with a fondness for women and booze, sponges his way about town. See also the sequel The Upchat Connection.
Mike Upchat................................... JOHN ALDERTON
THE UPCHAT CONNECTION
Thames / 7x30m-e / 1978 24 October - 5 December Tuesdays 8.30pm
Writer: Keith Waterhouse / Producer/Director: Robert Read
Sitcom. A continuation of the Upchat Line following the departure of John Alderton. This season saw Mike Upchat 'bequeath' his address book and key to his locker at Marylebone station in a raffle after moving to Australia.
'Mike Upchat'................................... ROBIN NEDWELL
Maggie........................................... SUSAN JAMESON
Polly.............................................. BERNADETTE MILNE
THE UPPER CRUSTS
LWT / 6x30m-e / 1973 25 February - 1 April Sundays 9.30pm
Writers: Keith Waterhouse, Willis Hall / Producer/Director: Mark Stuart
Sitcom. When their elderly father loses the family fortune, Lord and Lady Seacroft are forced to move into a high rise council flat.
Lord Seacroft Sr............................. CHARLES GRAY
Lady Seacroft................................ MARGARET LEIGHTON
Lord Seacroft................................ CHARLES GRAY
Davina Seacroft............................. LALLA WARD
Gareth Seacroft............................. MARTIN NEIL
BBC1 / 13x35/30m-e / 1970 Season 1: 30 March - 11 May / Season 2: 14 September - 26 October
Creator: Talbot Rothwell / Writers: Sid Colin, Talbot Rothwell
Sitcom. In Ancient Rome, put upon slave Lurcio has trouble juggling the demands of his family employers. Pilot was broadcast on 17 September 1969.See also Further Up Pompeii!
Lurcio............................................. FRANKIE HOWERD
Ludicrus Sextus(1).......................... MAX ADRIAN
Ludicrus Sextus(2).......................... WALLAS EATON
Erotica........................................... GEORGINA MOON
Ammonia....................................... ELIZABETH LARNER
Ambrosia....................................... LYNDA BARON
Odius............................................ JOHN JUNKIN
Plautus(Pilot)................................. WALTER HORSBRUGH
Plautus(season 1).......................... WILLIE RUSHTON
Central/Columbia / 94x30m-e 1x60m-e / 1990-96 7 Seasons
Executive Producer: Paul Spencer / Script Associate: Greg Freeman / Creators: Blake Hunter, Martin Cohan / Producer: Christopher Walker
Sitcom. Ex footballer Charlie Burrows begins working as live in housekeeper to busy executive and single mum Caroline Wheatley. The show was based on the US sitcom Who's The Boss and at the end of season 6 Charlie and Caroline actually married.
Charlie Burrows............................... JOE McGANN
Caroline Wheatley........................... DIANA WESTON
Laura West..................................... HONOR BLACKMAN
Joanna Burrows............................... KELLIE BRIGHT
Tom Wheatley................................. WILLIAM PUTTOCK
ITV-Strand-Tiger Aspect / 1x50m-e 4x30m-e / 2000 25 June - 23 Julys Sundays mostly at 10.30pm
Writer: Nick Vivian / Costume: Fiona Chilcott / Music: Michael Storey / Design: Steve Groves / Camera: Francis De Groote / Producers: Margaret Gavan Duffy, Christopher Skala
Sitcom. Life for the generally oddball residents of the idyllic village of Rising, especially neuveau riche couple Maxine and Terry Gaines and old style Ronald and Sally Kegworthy.
With:- ANTON RODGERS as Ronald Kegworthy / NICOLA PAGETT as Sally Kegworthy / MICHELLE COLLINS as Maxine Gaines / KEVIN McNALLY as Terry Gaines / GEORGIA McKENZIE as Harriet Revell / RICHARD COYLE as Martin Marr / CAMILLA POWER as Ariadne / DOMINIC MATHAM as Justin Winterman / TREVOR COOPER as Morrissey
UP THE ELEPHANT AND ROUND THE CASTLE
Thames / 23x30m-e / 1983-85 3 Seasons
Producer: Anthony Parker
Sitcom. Cockney Jim London is left a ramshackle terraced house complete with sitting tenant upstairs by his Aunt Mini.
Jim London....................................... JIM DAVIDSON
Wanda Pickles................................. SUE NICHOLLS
Dad London..................................... JOHN BARRON
Mum London.................................... ROSALIND KNIGHT
Brian the Barman............................. BRIAN HALL
Cllr Bertram Allnut (Season 1)........... ROGER SLOMAN
Cllr Arnold Moggs (Seasons 2-3)....... NICHOLAS DAY
UP THE GARDEN PATH
Granada/HB / 18x30m-e / 1990-93
Writer: Sue Limb / Theme Sung by Imelda Staunton / Producer: Humphrey Barclay / Director: David Askey
Sitcom. Lovelorn schoolteacher Izzy Comyn would like a bit of romance in her life but finds it hard to meet the right kind of man.
Izzy Comyn....................................... IMELDA STAUNTON
Dick Barnes...................................... MIKE GRADY
Maria Shadwell................................. TESSA PEAKE-JONES
Louise Tristran.................................. SUSAN KYDD
Michael Tristran................................ NICHOLAS LE PREVOST
Gwyn Jenkins.................................. TOM MANNION
Bill Bailey (Seasons 2-3)................... NEIL McCAUL
Linda (Season 3).............................. ADRIENNE O'SULLIVAN
UP THE WORKERS
ATV / 13x30m-e / 1974-76 Season 1: 1 May - 12 June 1974 / Season 2: 25 February - 14 April 1976
Creator: Lance Percival / Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley / Producers: John Scholz-Conway, Alan Tarrant
Sitcom. Ups and downs of a group of factory workers at Cocker's Components Ltd in the Midlands, most of whom seem hell bent of strike action.There was a pilot broadcast 4 Sep 1973 with a mainly different cast (Gordon Rollings, Lynn Smith and Peter Hill were amongst them.)
Dicky Bligh....................................... HENRY McGEE
Bernard Peck................................... LANCE PERCIVAL
Sid Stubbins.................................... NORMAN BIRD
Fred Hamflitt (Season 2)................... VICTOR MADDERN
Sir Henry Carmichael (Season 1)....... IVOR DEAN
Sir Charles (Season 2)..................... CHARLES LLOYD PACK
Bert Hamflitt (Season 1)................... DUDLEY SUTTON
Andrea (Season 2)........................... LESLEY DUFF
Fergy (Season 2)............................. LEON VITALI
US GIRLS
BBC1 / 12x30m-e / 1992-93
Writer: Lisselle Kayle / Script Consultant: Sharon Foster / Script Editor: Anne Pivcevic Producer/Director: David Askey
Sitcom. West Indian Bev tries to juggle her career as a journalist with bringing up her teenage daughter and trying to do her best by her Mam.
JOANNE CAMPBELL as Bev(Season 1) / NICOLA BLACKMAN as Bev(Season 2) / MARLAINE GORDON as Aisha / MONA HAMMOND as Grandma Pinnock / ALLISTER BAIN as Grandad Pinnock / KERRY POTTER as Catherine / DONA CROLL as Gail
VALENTINE PARK
Central / 12x30m-e / 1987-88 Season 1: 19 June - 24 July 87 / Season 2: 22 July - 26 August 88
Creators: Nicholas Hyde, Glen Cardno / Executive Producer: Jon Scoffield / Producer: Glen Cardno
Sitcom. Young Max gets a job working as a gardener in a large public park, much to the initial horror of his godfather who is head gardener at the park.
Max.............................................DAVID THEWLIS
Tom.............................................KEN JONES
Mrs Giles.....................................LIZ SMITH
Claire...........................................KATIE NEWELL
Bodie...........................................DANIEL NEWMAN
Doyle (Season 1)..........................BERNARD PADDEN
Maggie........................................PENNY MORRELL
Wendy........................................JENNIFER GUY
Mr Smackley (Season 2)..............ELLIS DALE
Philip (Season 2).........................KEN FARRINGTON
VERY BIG VERY SOON
Central / 6x30m-e / 1991 19 July - 23 August Friday 7.00pm
Writer: Daniel Peacock / Director: Paul Harrison / Producer: Glen Cardno
Sitcom. Theatrical agent Harry James has a bunch of no hopers on his books.
Harry James..................................... PAUL SHANE
Beattie............................................. KATE DAVID
Ernie Chester................................... TIM WYLTON
Avril................................................. SHEILA WHITE
Matthew Kite.................................... ANDREW MACLEAN
Vic.................................................. SHAUN CURRY
THE VERY MERRY WIDOW
BBC1 / 19x30m-e / 1967-69 Three seasons.
Writer: Alan Melville / Producers: Robin Nash, Graeme Muir, John Howard Davies
Sitcom. When she is left a widow and heavily in debt Jacqui Villiers takes a variety of jobs(as well as a lodger) to make ends meet. Season three known as The Very Merry Widow and How.
Jacqui Villiers................................ MOIRA LISTER
Mrs Frayle.................................... MOLLY URQUHART
Freddie Phillipson.......................... DONALD HEWLETT
Roger (Season 3).......................... JIMMY THOMPSON
Jennifer Villiers............................. SALLY THOMPSETT
Mavis Anstruther........................... DIANA KING
Francois (Seasons 2-3)................. GEORGES LAMBERT
Henrietta Greaves (Seasons 1-2)... MARGARET COURTENAY
Millicent Dickson (Seasons 1-2).... ELIZABETH ALLAN
Mr Tiffin (Seasons 1-2).................. A.J. BROWN
Katie (Season 3).......................... PATRICIA HAYES
Constance Cartwright (Season 1).. BERYL MASON
BBC1 / 20 episodes 9x30 minute episodes 6x40 minute episodes 3x45 minute episodes and 2x10 minute episodes / 10 November 1994 - December 2006
Creator: Richard Curtis / Script Editor: Emma Freud / Music: Howard Goodall / Executive Producers: Richard Curtis, Peter Bennett Jones / Producer: Jon Plowman
Sitcom. Female Vicar Geraldine Granger raises a few eyebrows when she takes over the parish of Dibley. At first Parish council leader David Horton didn't want Geraldine there but later came to have a grudging respect for her and her abilities. The 1997 Comic Relief special teamed up the show with Ballykissangel. After a gap of 6 years (the series had more or less ended in 2000) the show returned for two further episodes Christmas 2006 that were definitely supposed to be the last episodes ever.
Dawn French as Geraldine Granger / Gary Waldhorn as David Horton / James Fleet as Hugo Horton / Emma Chambers as Alice Tinker / John Bluthal as Frank Pickle / Trevor Peacock as Jim Trott / Roger Lloyd Pack as Owen Newitt / Liz Smith as Letitia Cropley (season one)
THE VITAL SPARK
BBC1 / 20x30m-e / 1966-67/73-74 1 pilot, 3 seasons + 1 special
Writer: Bill Craig / Characters: Neil Munro / Producer: Pharic Maclaren
Sitcom. Misadventures of Captain Para Handy and his hapless crew aboard the Vital Spark. Began as a Comedy Playhouse entry. Following a fifty minute special in 1973 a further six episodes were made and broadcast in 1974. See also Para Handy- Master Mariner and The Tales of Para Handy.
Para Handy........................................ RODDY McMILLAN
McPhail............................................. JOHN GRIEVE
Dougie.............................................. WALTER CARR
Sunny Jim......................................... ALEX McAVOY
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