Tottering Towers (ITV 1971-1972, William Mervyn, Tom Owen)

In this teen sitcom two teenagers team up with the 43rd Duke of Tottering to save his stately home Tottering Towers from the hands of his creditors.

William Mervyn plays the deerstalker wearing 43rd Duke of Tottering, a dedicated inventor who is not that good at inventing things that work. Some of his misses include a flying scooter and a talking suit of armour. The duke has fallen on hard times and Tottering Towers is on the verge of being taken by the bailiffs but the duke teams up with Dick the young nephew of his housekeeper Mrs Pouncer and American student Daffy to try and save the day. Meanwhile a group of crooks, Geko, Benny the Nose and ‘Fingers’ Fish, are convinced that there is a cache of treasure hidden inside the ‘towers’ are determined to get it.

Tottering Towers was located in the village of Tottering Sideways, near Wumweir-on-Thames. Although in real life it was actually an old people’s home called Paxhill Park. The building itself did date back to the time of Henry VIII. All interiors were filmed in the Thames Teddington Studios.

Besides William Mervyn (best known for roles in Mr Rose and All Gas and Gaiters) the excellent supporting cast also offered roles for Sam Kydd, the brilliant Talfryn Thomas, Robert Gillespie, David Lodge and Bernard Spear. Meanwhile young Tom Owen is the real life son of actor Bill Owen.

production details
UK / Thames / 13×30 minute episodes / Broadcast 20 October 1971 – 12 January 1972 Wednesdays at 5.20pm

Producer/Directors: Adrian Cooper,Vic Hughes

cast
WILLIAM MERVYN as The Duke
STACEY GREGG as Daffy
TOM OWEN as Dick
AVICE LANDON as Mrs Pouncer
DAVID STOLL as Gabbige
LEON LISSEK as Geko
PATSY ROWLANDS as Miss Twitty
JOHN LOUIS MANSI as ‘Fingers’ Fish
VIC WISE as Benny the Nose
DAVID LODGE as PC Poppy
BERNARD SPEAR as Sammy the Fog
KEITH MARSH as Boysie
ROBERT GILLESPIE as Joe the Creep
TALFRYN THOMAS as Prayer-book Perce
SAM KYDD as Bertie Bogmoss

THE EPISODES
1. FUNNY GOINGS ON (20 Oct 1971)
2. DIRTY WORK AT DEAD OF NIGHT (27 Oct 1971)
3. FUNNY PECULIAR, NOT SO HA-HA (3 Nov 1971)
4. THE SECRET OF THE CREAKING STAIR (10 Nov 1971)
5. THE HOME-COMING OF LORD FRED (17 Nov 1971)
6. THE DUKE MAKES A BANGER (24 Nov 1971)
7. HAS ANYONE SEEN MY LEFT LEG? (1 Dec 1971)
8. B. AND B. WITH H.G. (8 Dec 1971)
9. SOAPY CYRIL SLIPS ONE OVER (15 Dec 1971)
10. STAND BY TO REPEL BOARDERS (22 Dec 1971)
11. MRS POUNCER GETS THE ELBOW (29 Dec 1971)
12. THE CELLAR IN THE ATTIC (5 Jan 1972)
13. BATS IN THE BELFRY AND OTHER PLACES (12 Jan 1972)