In early TV play The Admirable Crichton, set during the Edwardian era, a posh family find themselves shipwrecked on a desert island and soon come to realise that their butler, The Admirable Crichton of the title, is the only one who actually knows how to keep them alive.
The Admirable Crichton was one of J.M. Barries most popular plays and this was broadcast back in the day when there was only the one BBC Channel and the viewing audience was in the thousand rather than the millions.
production details
UK / BBC / 1x105m-e / Broadcast 15 June 1950 @ 8.00pm
Writer:J.M. Barrie / Production Design: Barry Learoyd / Producer: Royston Morley
cast
RAYMOND HUNTLEY as Crichton
HARCOURT WILLIAMS as Earl of Loam
GEOFFREY WEARING as Rev John Treherne
DAVID MARKHAM as Hon Ernest Wolley
JEAN COMPTON as Lady Catherine Lasenby
JOAN HOPKINS as Lady Mart Lasenby
ALVYS MABEN as Lady Agatha Lasenby
RICHARD CARR as Monsieur Fleury
VIRGINIA WINTER as Fisher
GRACE WEBB as Mrs Perkins
FREDERICK ROSS as Tompsett
CARA STEVENS as Simmons
ARCHIE ANGUS as Thomas
EDMUND CLOWES as Rolleston
PAMELA BARNARD as Jane
GINA ROHAN as Madamoiselle Jeanne
DEREK BLOMFIELD as Lord Brocklehurst
UNA VENNING as Countess of Brocklehurst
DAPHNE LAURENCE as Gladys
VICTOR PLATT as John
JANE BARRETT as Tweeny
JAMES TILLING as Naval Officer