Having already been a hugely popular series of books (by Richard Gordon) and an equally popular Dirk Bogarde starring series of films “The Doctor” series arrived on ITV in 1969 and became just as popular as the books and movies. The various spin-offs of this show ran through much of the next decade.
This first series, Doctor in the House, focused on a group of young medical students, led by Michael Upton, Duncan Waring and Dick Stuart-Clark, as they trained to become doctors at St Swithins teaching hospital.
This first series ran to 26 episodes and featured scripts from the likes of John Cleese & Graham Chapman (the pair wrote the first episode in fact), Bill Oddie & Graeme Garden (This duo wrote most of the scripts in the first season and all of them in the second).
There were two short excerpts produced as part of the annual ITV All Star Comedy Carnivals, the first broadcast Christmas Day 1969 and the second Christmas Day 1970.
The follow up to this series was Doctor at Large focusing on Michael Upton after he had successfully qualified as a doctor (there was plenty of input from the rest of the team though).
The full run down on the series is
1. Doctor in the House
2. Doctor at Large
3. Doctor in Charge
4. Doctor at Sea
5. Doctor on the Go
6. Doctor Down Under
7. Doctor At The Top
production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 26×30 minute episodes / Broadcast 11 July 1969 – 3 July 1970
Creator: Frank Muir / Book: Richard Gordon / Producer: Humphrey Barclay
cast
Barry Evans as Michael Upton
Robin Nedwell as Duncan Waring
Geoffrey Davies as Dick Stuart-Clark
George Layton as Paul Collier
Ernest Clark as Professor Loftus
Ralph Michael as The Dean
Martin Shaw as Huw Evans
Jonathan Lynn as Danny Hooley
