All Gas and Gaiters
Encyclopedia
All Gas and Gaiters was a British
television ecclesiastical sitcom which aired on BBC1
from 1966 to 1971. It was written by Pauline Devaney
and Edwin Apps, a husband-and-wife team who used the pseudonym of "John Wraith" when writing the pilot
. All Gas and Gaiters was also broadcast on BBC radio from 1971 to 1972.
in nature, was set in the close of the fictional St Ogg's cathedral and concerned various intrigues and rivalries among the clergy. "Gaiters" in the title refers to part of the traditional dress of bishops and archdeacons. The bishop was easygoing; his friend the archdeacon was elderly, tippling, and still appreciative of attractive women; and the bishop's chaplain was naïve and accident-prone. Their wish to live a quiet bachelor life was continually threatened by the overbearing dean, who tried to bring by-the-book rule to the cathedral.
The series initially aroused some controversy because of its portrayal of senior clergy as bungling incompetents, although some clergy quite enjoyed it. In the opening credits, St. Alban's Cathedral was shown as the fictional St Ogg's, but with the twisted spire of Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield
added to the central tower.
It proved to be the first of a series of comedies starring Derek Nimmo
as similar bumbling clerical characters (Oh, Brother!
, Oh, Father! and Hell's Bells
). It is considered by some people to be the best, partly because of a strong supporting cast (particularly Robertson Hare
as the archdeacon
) and partly because it included some elements of gentle satire.
All 11 surviving episodes were released on DVD by DD Home Entertainment in 2004, originally accompanied by a detailed behind-the-scenes booklet, written by Andy Priestner in consultation with show's writers, Edwin Apps and Pauline Devaney, but later released without. Cinema Club
have since bought the DVD rights.
. The third series was filmed in colour, but originally broadcast in monochrome
. The fourth and fifth series were made and shown in colour. Only 11 episodes still exist in the archive, owing to the Wiping
policy of the BBC in this era.
was a programme screened annually on Christmas night, when the top stars of the BBC appeared in short versions of their programmes, typically five to ten minutes long. All Gas and Gaiters appeared once alongside its sitcom spin-off Oh, Brother! in 1968, however this telerecording still exists in the BBC's film and videotape archives alongside other surviving Christmas segments from other sitcoms.
from 5 January 1971 to 4 December 1972 for 33 episodes. The television cast stayed the same for the radio series, with the exception of Derek Nimmo who left after thirteen episodes to be replaced by Jonathan Cecil
. Though seven radio episodes were thought to have been wiped, these were later found and all are available through radio enthusiasts. Some episodes were rebroadcast on BBC7 in October and November 2006 and again a year later and in early 2009. They continued to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra, August 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television ecclesiastical sitcom which aired on BBC1
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
from 1966 to 1971. It was written by Pauline Devaney
Pauline Devaney
Pauline Devaney is a British actress, writer and artist, best known for her television writing in partnership with her husband Edwin Apps.Devaney trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art She and Apps both began their careers as actors, but branched into screenwriting while between jobs,...
and Edwin Apps, a husband-and-wife team who used the pseudonym of "John Wraith" when writing the pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
. All Gas and Gaiters was also broadcast on BBC radio from 1971 to 1972.
Cast
- William MervynWilliam MervynWilliam Mervyn was an English actor best known for his portrayal of the Bishop in the clerical comedy All Gas and Gaiters.-Life and career:...
- Bishop Cuthbert Hever - Robertson HareRobertson HareJohn Robertson Hare was an English comedy actor, popularly known as Bunny, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is known for routinely losing his trousers on-stage, at which point he would utter his catchphrase "Oh Calamity"...
- Archdeacon Henry Blunt - Derek NimmoDerek NimmoDerek Robert Nimmo was an English character actor. He was particularly associated with upper-class "silly-ass" roles, and clerical roles.-Career:...
- The Reverend Mervyn Noote, bishop's chaplainBishop's chaplainIn contrast to a usual chaplain , a bishop's chaplain or archbishop's chaplain is chaplain to a bishop or archbishop only... - John BarronJohn Barron (actor)John Barron was an English actor.-Biography:Born in Marylebone, London, Barron was interested in acting from an early age. For his 18th birthday his godfather paid his entry fee to RADA. After serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, he returned to stage acting...
- Dean Lionel Pugh-Critchley, (pilot, series 1 and 4) - Ernest ClarkErnest ClarkErnest Clark was a British actor of stage, television and film.-Early life:Clark was the son of a master builder in Maida Vale, and was educated nearby at St Marylebone Grammar School. After leaving school he became a reporter on a local newspaper in Croydon...
- Dean Lionel Pugh-Critchley, (1968 special, series 2 and 3) - Joan SandersonJoan SandersonJoan Sanderson was an English television and stage actress. During a long career she invariably played dragonish dowagers, stuck-up spinsters and suburban matrons.-Theatre:...
- Mrs Grace Pugh-Critchley - Ruth KettlewellRuth KettlewellRuth Kettlewell was a noted English actress who, by her own admission, was a “character bag”: that is a recognisable face to regular TV watchers but not a household name.-Life to death of husband:...
- Mrs Grace Pugh-Critchley (early episodes)
Plot
All Gas and Gaiters, predominantly farcicalFarce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
in nature, was set in the close of the fictional St Ogg's cathedral and concerned various intrigues and rivalries among the clergy. "Gaiters" in the title refers to part of the traditional dress of bishops and archdeacons. The bishop was easygoing; his friend the archdeacon was elderly, tippling, and still appreciative of attractive women; and the bishop's chaplain was naïve and accident-prone. Their wish to live a quiet bachelor life was continually threatened by the overbearing dean, who tried to bring by-the-book rule to the cathedral.
The series initially aroused some controversy because of its portrayal of senior clergy as bungling incompetents, although some clergy quite enjoyed it. In the opening credits, St. Alban's Cathedral was shown as the fictional St Ogg's, but with the twisted spire of Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield
Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield
Chesterfield Parish Church is an Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and all saints, located in the town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England. Predominantly dating back to the 14th century, the church is a Grade I listed building and is most known for its twisted spire; an architectural...
added to the central tower.
It proved to be the first of a series of comedies starring Derek Nimmo
Derek Nimmo
Derek Robert Nimmo was an English character actor. He was particularly associated with upper-class "silly-ass" roles, and clerical roles.-Career:...
as similar bumbling clerical characters (Oh, Brother!
Oh, Brother!
Oh, Brother! was a British television sitcom originally broadcast from 1968 to 1970.Oh, Brother! may also refer to:* Oh, Brother! , by Bob Weber Jr...
, Oh, Father! and Hell's Bells
Hell's Bells (TV series)
Hell's Bells is a British television comedy series made by BBC Television starring Derek Nimmo as Dean "Selwyn" Makepeace which first broadcast in 1986. Only one series was made....
). It is considered by some people to be the best, partly because of a strong supporting cast (particularly Robertson Hare
Robertson Hare
John Robertson Hare was an English comedy actor, popularly known as Bunny, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is known for routinely losing his trousers on-stage, at which point he would utter his catchphrase "Oh Calamity"...
as the archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
) and partly because it included some elements of gentle satire.
All 11 surviving episodes were released on DVD by DD Home Entertainment in 2004, originally accompanied by a detailed behind-the-scenes booklet, written by Andy Priestner in consultation with show's writers, Edwin Apps and Pauline Devaney, but later released without. Cinema Club
2 Entertain
2 Entertain is a British video and music publisher, formed by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004....
have since bought the DVD rights.
Episodes
The pilot and first three series were filmed in black-and-whiteBlack-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
. The third series was filmed in colour, but originally broadcast in monochrome
Monochrome
Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color. A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white...
. The fourth and fifth series were made and shown in colour. Only 11 episodes still exist in the archive, owing to the Wiping
Wiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
policy of the BBC in this era.
Pilot: 1966
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bishop Rides Again | 16 May 1966 | part of Comedy Playhouse Comedy Playhouse Comedy Playhouse was a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, All Gas and Gaiters, The Liver Birds, Are You Being Served?... |
|
Series 1: 1967
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bishop Gets the Sack | 31 January 1967 | ||
| The Bishop Meets a Bird | 7 February 1967 | lost | |
| The Bishop Writes a Sermon | 14 February 1967 | lost | |
| The Bishop Sees a Ghost | 21 February 1967 | ||
| The Bishop Turns to Crime | 28 February 1967 | lost | |
| Only Three Can Play | 7 March 1967 | lost | |
Series 2: 1967
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Dean Goes Primitive | 24 November 1967 | lost | |
| The Bishop Gives a Party | 1 December 1967 | lost | |
| The Bishop Gets a Letter | 8 December 1967 | lost | |
| The Bishop Goes to Town | 15 December 1967 | lost | |
| Give a Dog a Bad Name | 22 December 1967 | lost | |
| The Bishop Gives a Shove | 29 December 1967 | lost | |
Series 3: 1969
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bishop learns the Facts | 8 January 1969 | lost | |
| The Bishop has a Flutter | 15 January 1969 | lost | |
| The Bishop is Hospitable | 22 January 1969 | lost | |
| The Bishop Pays a Visit | 29 January 1969 | lost | |
| The Bishop takes a Holiday | 5 February 1969 | lost | |
| The Affair at Cookham Lock | 12 February 1969 | lost | |
| The Bishop Keeps his Diary | 19 February 1969 | lost | |
Series 4: 1970
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bishop Buys a Car | 15 April 1970 | lost | |
| The Bishop Gains a Reputation | 22 April 1970 | lost | |
| The Bishop Loves His Neighbour | 29 April 1970 | ||
| The Bishop Beats the System | 6 May 1970 | ||
| The Bishop Buys a Mug | 13 May 1970 | lost | |
| When In Rome | 20 May 1970 | lost | |
| The Bishop Takes Up Business | 27 May 1970 | lost | |
Series 5: 1971
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bishop Warms Up | 13 May 1971 | ||
| The Bishop Entertains | 20 May 1971 | ||
| The Bishop Gives a Present | 27 May 1971 | ||
| The Bishop Shows his Loyalty | 3 June 1971 | ||
| The Bishop Has a Rest | 10 June 1971 | ||
| The Bishop Loses his Chaplain | 17 June 1971 | ||
Surviving episodes
| Series No. | Ep No. | Title | Broadcast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | The Bishop Rides Again | 17/5/66 | Previously lost, found in 2001 | |
| Series 1 | Episode 1 | The Bishop Gets The Sack | 31/1/67 | |
| Series 1 | Episode 4 | The Bishop Sees A Ghost | 21/2/67 | |
| Series 4 | Episode 3 | The Bishop Loves His Neighbour | 29/4/70 | |
| Series 4 | Episode 4 | The Bishop Beats the System | 6/5/70 | |
| Series 5 | Episode 1 | The Bishop Warms Up | 13/5/71 | |
| Series 5 | Episode 2 | The Bishop Entertains | 20/5/71 | |
| Series 5 | Episode 3 | The Bishop Gives a Present | 27/5/71 | |
| Series 5 | Episode 4 | The Bishop Shows his Loyalty | 3/6/71 | |
| Series 5 | Episode 5 | The Bishop Has a Rest | 10/6/71 | |
| Series 5 | Episode 6 | The Bishop Loses his Chaplain | 17/6/71 | |
Christmas Night with the Stars
Christmas Night with the StarsChristmas Night with the Stars
Christmas Night with the Stars was a variety television show broadcast each Christmas night by the BBC from 1958 to 1972 and also in 1994. The show featured the top stars of the BBC as they appeared in short versions of their programmes, typically five to ten minutes long. The show was voted 24th...
was a programme screened annually on Christmas night, when the top stars of the BBC appeared in short versions of their programmes, typically five to ten minutes long. All Gas and Gaiters appeared once alongside its sitcom spin-off Oh, Brother! in 1968, however this telerecording still exists in the BBC's film and videotape archives alongside other surviving Christmas segments from other sitcoms.
Christmas Special: 1968
| Title | Airdate | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 1968 | as part of Christmas Night with the Stars Christmas Night with the Stars Christmas Night with the Stars was a variety television show broadcast each Christmas night by the BBC from 1958 to 1972 and also in 1994. The show featured the top stars of the BBC as they appeared in short versions of their programmes, typically five to ten minutes long. The show was voted 24th... |
||
Radio
A radio version of All Gas and Gaiters was broadcast on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
from 5 January 1971 to 4 December 1972 for 33 episodes. The television cast stayed the same for the radio series, with the exception of Derek Nimmo who left after thirteen episodes to be replaced by Jonathan Cecil
Jonathan Cecil
Jonathan Hugh Gascoyne-Cecil , more commonly known as Jonathan Cecil, was an English theatre, film and television actor.-Early life:...
. Though seven radio episodes were thought to have been wiped, these were later found and all are available through radio enthusiasts. Some episodes were rebroadcast on BBC7 in October and November 2006 and again a year later and in early 2009. They continued to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra, August 2011.
Series One: 1971
- "The Bishop Rides Again" (5 January 1971)
- "The Bishop Writes a Sermon" (12 January 1971)
- "The Bishop Meets a Bird" (19 January 1971)
- "The Bishop Turns to Crime" (26 January 1971)
- "The Bishop Sees a Ghost" (2 February 1971)
- "Only Three Can Play" (9 February 1971)
- "The Dean Goes Primitive" (16 February 1971)
- "The Bishop Gets a Letter" (23 February 1971)
- "The Bishop Gives a Party" (2 March 1971)
- "The Bishop Goes to Town" (9 March 1971)
- "Give a Dog a Bad Name" (16 March 1971)
- "The Bishop Gives a Shove" (23 March 1971)
- "The Bishop Pays a Visit" (30 March 1971)
Series Two: 1972
- "The Bishop Learns the Facts" (24 July 1972)
- "The Bishop Takes a Holiday" (31 July 1972)
- "The Bishop Buys a Car" (7 August 1972)
- "The Bishop Gets the Sack" (14 August 1972)
- "The Bishop Has a Flutter" (21 August 1972)
- "The Affair at Cookham Lock" (28 August 1972)
- "The Bishop Loves His Neighbour" (4 September 1972)
- "The Bishop Beats the System" (11 September 1972)
- "The Bishop Entertains" (18 September 1972)
- "The Bishop Gains a Reputation" (25 September 1972)
- "The Bishop Buys a Mug" (2 October 1972)
- "The Bishop Loses his Chaplain" (9 October 1972)
- "When In Rome" (16 October 1972)
- "The Bishop Is Hospitable" (23 October 1972)
- "The Bishop Gives a Present" (30 October 1972)
- "The Bishop Takes Up Business" (6 November 1972)
- "The Bishop Keeps his Diary" (13 November 1972)
- "The Bishop Warms Up" (20 November 1972)
- "The Bishop Shows his Loyalty" (27 November 1972)
- "The Bishop Has a Rest" (4 December 1972)
External links
- All Gas and Gaiters at British TV Comedy