Sitcom Oh No! It’s Selwyn Froggitt detailed the misadventures of the irrepressible and slightly deranged Selwyn Froggitt (Bill Maynard) in the Yorkshire town of Scarsdale. Selwyn was on the committee of Scarsdale Working Men’s Club And Institute (as concert secretary) and worked for the Public Works Department of the Council.
No matter how much Selwyn made a mess of things he remained convinced that if he stuck his thumbs up in the air and said Magic then everything would be alright. Other regulars included Selwyn’s brother Maurice (Robert Keegan), barman Ray (Ray Mort) and club regulars Clive (Richard Davies), Jack (Bill Dean) and Harry (Harold Goodwin).
A brief sequel later emerged called just Selwyn (not written by Alan Plater) and putting Selwyn in charge of the entertainment at the Paradise Valley holiday camp. Maynard had been a Butlins redcoat in the early 1950’s at the same Skegness camp as Terry Scott which led to them teaming up for much of the decade.
Bill Maynard came up with the original idea which Alan Plater knocked into fine shape for the series. Maynard had starred in The Life of Riley the year before marking something of a return to fame for him.
Cast: BILL MAYNARD as Selwyn Froggitt; ROBERT KEEGAN as Maurice Froggitt; MEGS JENKINS as Mrs Froggitt; BILL DEAN as Jack; RAY MORT as Ray; RICHARD DAVIES as Clive; HAROLD GOODWIN as Harry; ROSEMARY MARTIN as Vera Parkinson (Season 1); LYNDA BARON as Vera Parkinson (Seasons 2-3)
Creator: Alan Plater / Theme music: The Tony Mansell Singers / Lyrics to theme song: Bill Dean / Producer and Director: Ronnie Baxter
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 22×30 minute episodes / Broadcast 7 January 1976 – 22 December 1977