Old Harry's Game
Encyclopedia
Old Harry's Game is a UK
radio comedy
written and directed by Andy Hamilton
, who also plays the cynical, world-weary (or rather, underworld-weary) Satan. "Old Harry" is one of many names for the devil
. The show's title is a humorous play on the title of the 1982 TV series Harry's Game
.
Beginning in 1995, four series, of six half-hour episodes each, were aired by 2001, and a two-part Christmas
special followed in 2002. A fifth full series was frequently delayed because of a cast member's illness, but recording of the four episodes of series five took place in April 2005 (postponed from January). The first episode of that series was broadcast on 20 September 2005 on BBC Radio 4
. James Grout
(the Professor
during the first four series) did not take part. Series 6 (comprising a further six episodes) began on BBC Radio 4 on 27 September 2007, and Series 7 aired on BBC Radio 4 in 2009. Given that the show has rarely aired more frequently than bi-annually, the next series is not due until 2011, but a Christmas special was broadcast in two parts on 23rd and 30th December 2010.
An animated version is currently in development by the UK animation house Flickerpix. It will be using claymation.
Apart from series 3 and 4, the episodes were not given official titles.
One notable point regarding casting for the series. Andy Hamilton (Satan), Robert Duncan (Scumspawn), and David Swift (God) had all worked together previously, in the UK
television comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey
between 1990 and 1998, which had been co-written by Hamilton. Both of the latter were written into the 1998 series by Hamilton when the run of Donkey ended that year.
and the plot usually centres on the relationships and conflicts between Satan, his various minion
s and the damned
. It regularly features famous historical figures and celebrities, most of whom are portrayed as being less likable, or at least different, to the version recorded by history. This includes a foul-mouthed and extremely violent Jane Austen
, a sexually predatory Florence Nightingale
(who took advantage of wounded soldiers), and a vacuous Helen of Troy (accompanied by her plain-looking friend, Daphne
).
This subversive approach was also applied to God
(first name Nigel), who makes the occasional appearance, originally played by David Swift, then in series 7 by Timothy West
. God is usually portrayed as being quick-tempered and vengeful; in the series he says he created the universe accidentally, when he was messing about with some matter and energy. He put it down to have a sip of his drink and then, kaboom, he had a universe on his hands. Life on Earth was created for a bet, as Earth was dull viewing. God, for a bit of fun, sprinkled some mutating bacteria into the oceans, and ran a book with the other Angels to see which one would evolve into a creature that would develop a language first. God seems rather annoyed that things 'got out of hand'. In later series, we learn that God also has a mobile phone (although only the Angel Gabriel is supposed to have the number), and that God sends e-mails, but refuses to read any that he receives as he once got taken in by a scam from Nigeria
.
The Angels are also portrayed somewhat differently. The Angel who delivered the news that Mary was to give birth to the messiah was in fact named Graham, while Gabriel is a separate entity who was falsely credited with doing so due to a typo early in the making of the Bible. They are also presented as rather arrogant when dealing with Satan, but at the same time behaving as suck-ups around God. They are forbidden to indulge in physical pleasures, but are still tempted by them, which has been used against them.
arguments between Satan and the somewhat idealistic main human character known as 'the Professor' (played by James Grout
). The Professor represents the undeserving damned, being a man of high moral virtue, having been consigned to Hell only on the technicality that he did not believe in God. The character was originally called Professor Richard Whittingham, although in series 2 he is referred to as Professor Richard Hope, when in episodes 5 & 6 Satan gets his book 'The Theory of Everything' published. Generally, Satan seeks to prove to the Professor that mankind is inherently base or flawed, with the Professor taking the opposing position. Usually Satan travels to the living world to display the more contemptible sides of human nature
, such as snipers shooting old ladies in Bosnia
or prostitution
in Thailand
, to a generally horrified Professor. At other times he introduces the Professor to historical personages the Professor holds in high esteem but who are now languishing in Hell
, such as Leonardo da Vinci
, William Shakespeare
and Jane Austen
, showing him how petty and mendacious they really are. However, the Professor's idealism
is usually shown to have some validity as well, and more often than not he wins the argument, although Satan always insists he hasn't.
The other main human character is Thomas Quentin Crimp (Jimmy Mulville
), an execrable type with few (or no) morals, held out by Satan as an example of all that is detestable about humanity, and often described as the most venal and corrupt human who ever lived. In the first episode it transpires that Thomas caused the car crash which landed him and the Professor in Hell. The latter, despite his moral idealism, is consigned to Hell because of his atheism
(since, as Satan remarks caustically, God does not have a sense of humour). The fact of the afterlife
- which the Professor originally optimistically views as a hallucination - does not change his views. Despite (or perhaps because of) their conflicting attitudes, the Professor and Thomas are billeted together by Satan.
Regular plot elements involve the Professor visiting, or being shown, his beloved wife Deborah
, as she gets on with her life following his death
. His widow's eventual marriage to a corrupt Irish
jockey
and her near-fatal coma
were important plot strands in series 3 and 4. These plot strands ended when Satan finally arranged for the Professor to be accepted into Heaven
a short time after the events of the 2002 Christmas special (an incident not covered in the series).
Other characters featured are Satan's minions. Satan's most venomous demon, Gary (Steve O'Donnell), was featured in the first series because Thomas was on his list of tormentees. Thomas later convinces Gary to rebel against Satan, with a distinct lack of success. Gary is mentioned only once in later series and his absence is never explained (although the implication is that he fell from favour due to his rebellion). Scumspawn (Robert Duncan
), featured from the second series onwards, takes Gary's place, having applied to become Satan's personal assistant
. Although Satan initially refuses, he later relents, and Scumspawn proves a surprisingly effective assistant. His subplots usually involve attempts to become a better demon (with help from Thomas). Much of the humour surrounding Scumspawn derives from his sensitive and caring personality, which is a constant irritant to Satan, who often complains that Scumspawn does not act very much like a demon.
According to Andy Hamilton in an interview broadcast on April 5, 2008, on BBC Radio 7's "I Did It My Way", one episode in series 3 was partially re-recorded due to a tragic confluence of events. In the episode, Satan disrupts Deborah's wedding to Irish jockey Rory O'Donnell by taking the form of BBC reporter Jill Dando
and accusing the presiding vicar of being a Satan worshipper (which he actually is). Later in the episode, Satan reveals that Jill Dando never existed at all, and was just a disguise that he used to stir up unrest in the realm of the living. After the episode was originally broadcast, the 37-year-old reporter was murdered outside her home. The episode was partially re-recorded for repeats, with Satan manifesting himself instead as a different BBC reporter, Gaby Roslin
. You can tell the re-recorded lines quite easily as they were not done in front of an audience. There were actually two episodes that had to have some lines re-recorded to accommodate the Jill Dando-Gaby Roslin switch, as a later episode in the third series references it.
2002 (The Roll of the Dice) and New Year's Day
2003 (Knocking on Heaven's Door), Hope, an extraordinarily beautiful Salvation Army
worker and tambourine
player, is killed by mistake and sent to Hell by accident. This results in Satan trying to bring her back to life, by taking her to Death
. But he only gets as far as meeting the Welsh
Death (Dai-the-Death), and contacting the Head Death on his mobile
. After Death refuses to bring her back to life, as a last resort Satan travels to Heaven (now protected with barbed wire
, CCTV
and Rottweiler
s). After talking to Saint Peter
(who Satan implies had sex with call girl
s in Rome
, as well as stealing the other 100 pieces of silver which had been contracted by Judas Iscariot
but went missing), Satan blackmails St Peter into letting Hope into Heaven.
While all this is going on, the Professor has been changed into a buzzing bluebottle, and Thomas has been painted like a zebra and is awaiting the "attentions" of some special crocodiles (they have a sense of humour).
from earlier series, but most of the action does not revolve around Satan's relationships with his minions and the damned. Instead, the episodes focus on Satan's efforts to reduce overcrowding in Hell.
After an unsuccessful appeal to God for planning permission to enlarge Hell, in episode 1, the action divides between Hell and various locations on Earth
. The basic plot of the subsequent episodes involves Satan taking on the guise of a leading world figure in order to meet influential people, such as Queen Elizabeth II, whom he tries to convince to lead more of mankind to Heaven by encouraging them to change their ways. However, these efforts are largely unsuccessful.
The subplot of each episode focuses on Scumspawn's ineffective attempts to run Hell in Satan's absence. This normally involves trying to cope with a strange new arrival in Hell, unionised demons, or overcrowding. He generally enlists Thomas's help in trying to find a solution, which usually fails. At the end of the episode Satan returns and sorts out whatever new problem Scumspawn has managed to create.
The final two episodes of the series feature a new arrival (Geoffrey Whitehead
), who tries to organise a rebellion of the demons in Hell, with Thomas's help, with exactly the same degree of success that Gary and Thomas had in series 1. In the end, after dealing with the insurrection, Satan decides he need not worry, as humans will soon be extinct anyway. In order to hasten mankind's demise, he turns himself into Jeb Bush
and plots to tell his brother George Bush
to launch a nuclear strike
on the polar
icecaps.
), an academic and historian who has recently arrived in Hell after having apparently committed suicide
due to an apparent overdose of barbituates while watching Midsomer Murders
. She is also Thomas's former mother-in-law. As Edith and Thomas have a mutual hatred of each other, Satan decides they would be perfect room-mates.
Edith is not pleased with the situation, as Thomas had subjected her daughter to emotional abuse, to divorce
and tried to take custody of her breast implants (on the grounds that he paid for them). She also insists that she did not commit suicide, and Satan makes a deal wth her: she will write a definitive biography
of Satan in return for new accommodation while Satan grudgingly agrees to find out how she really died.
The basic plot of an episode generally involved Satan trying to find out more about Edith's death, while Edith interviewed members of the damned about Satan's past. The latter closely followed the pattern of series 4, in which the Professor had interviewed famous historical personalities in attempting to win a bet with Satan (by showing that mankind was capable of redemption). There were also various sub-plots, including Scumspawn's attempts to uncover a 'decent' side to Thomas's personality, much in the same way as the Professor had tried to in earlier series. Thus were the various aspects of the Professor's character re-distributed between Edith and Scumspawn.
Eventually, Satan does discover the true circumstances of Edith's death (she had been murdered: but that revelation, and the discovery of the motive for her murder, still did not make her very happy). In the final episode, Thomas discovers a fact about his ancestry that makes him even more insufferable.
In the first episode, a dog arrives unexpectedly in Hell. Satan attempts to talk to God about both the new arrival and a possible plan to ease the general overcrowding in Hell (involving destroying 75% of the damned). But he cannot, because God is bored with Satan, and indeed with his whole Creation, and has left two rather insufferable angels in charge as "site managers" (who are more interested in admiring their laminated "site manager" badges than doing anything).
In the second episode, God goes away for some "me time", leaving the Archangel Gabriel in charge. Unfortunately, Heaven's new computer system is having software problems, causing a further unexpected arrival in Hell - a baby - and Satan's renewed attempts to get help from God bring him face to face with Gabriel. Meanwhile, Scumspawn decides the baby needs a name, and dubs it "Satan Junior". Taking care of the baby, and of the dog Scamp, begins to bring out the best in Thomas, while Satan's meeting with Gabriel brings some slight results.
In the fourth episode Timothy West
guest-stars as God (previously played by David Swift), and after being apprised of the situation orders Satan to arrange with Gabriel for both the dog and the baby's immediate transfers to Heaven. Since people in both Heaven and Hell remain forever the same age they were when they died, this would mean that the baby would remain a baby and never have a chance to live out a full life, a fact that distresses Scumspawn and Edith so much that they manage to convince Satan to disobey God's orders and try to return the baby to the world of the living. The dog Scamp is successfully transferred to Heaven (with a minor incident), but with the aid of some Photoshopped pictures Satan blackmails Gabriel into helping him about the baby. The fifth episode sees Satan trying to find adoptive parents for the baby (now called Patrick), while Edith has a major crisis of confidence concerning her completed biography of Satan. In the final episode, a very angry God returns to put Satan and Gabriel on trial for not following His instructions about what should be done with the baby, but the trial quickly degenerates into a shambles (God: "This place is a madhouse!") that manages to resolve itself into a relatively happy conclusion.
In the second part, entitled Ring in the New (broadcast on 30th December 2010), Satan decides he needs a holiday. On Edith's advice he heads off to the English Lake District for some New Year solitude, leaving Scumspawn in charge of Hell. But Scumspawn isn't sure his leadership skills are up to the task, and a management seminar with Genghis Khan
, Winston Churchill
, Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth I
and football manager Brian Clough
proves no help. (Note: This is probably the only episode that ends relatively happily for Thomas)
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
Christmas Special 2002
Series 5
Series 6
Series 7
Christmas Special 2010
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...
radio comedy
Radio comedy
Radio comedy, or comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve sitcom elements, sketches and various types of comedy found on other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elements, as these can be conveyed on a small budget with just a few sound effects or some...
written and directed by Andy Hamilton
Andy Hamilton
Andrew Neil Hamilton is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter and radio dramatist.-Early life:...
, who also plays the cynical, world-weary (or rather, underworld-weary) Satan. "Old Harry" is one of many names for the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
. The show's title is a humorous play on the title of the 1982 TV series Harry's Game
Harry's Game
Harry's Game is a British television miniseries made by Yorkshire Television for ITV in 1982. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Seymour, which was published in 1975.The three-part serial starred Ray Lonnen as Capt...
.
Beginning in 1995, four series, of six half-hour episodes each, were aired by 2001, and a two-part Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special followed in 2002. A fifth full series was frequently delayed because of a cast member's illness, but recording of the four episodes of series five took place in April 2005 (postponed from January). The first episode of that series was broadcast on 20 September 2005 on BBC Radio 4
BBC 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...
. James Grout
James Grout
James Grout is an English actor of radio and television.Grout was born in London, the son of Beatrice Anne and William Grout...
(the Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
during the first four series) did not take part. Series 6 (comprising a further six episodes) began on BBC Radio 4 on 27 September 2007, and Series 7 aired on BBC Radio 4 in 2009. Given that the show has rarely aired more frequently than bi-annually, the next series is not due until 2011, but a Christmas special was broadcast in two parts on 23rd and 30th December 2010.
An animated version is currently in development by the UK animation house Flickerpix. It will be using claymation.
Apart from series 3 and 4, the episodes were not given official titles.
One notable point regarding casting for the series. Andy Hamilton (Satan), Robert Duncan (Scumspawn), and David Swift (God) had all worked together previously, in the UK
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 comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey
Drop the Dead Donkey
- Major characters :* Gus Hedges — The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichés and clumsy metaphors, he swiftly transforms GlobeLink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel...
between 1990 and 1998, which had been co-written by Hamilton. Both of the latter were written into the 1998 series by Hamilton when the run of Donkey ended that year.
Plot
The series is mainly set in HellHell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
and the plot usually centres on the relationships and conflicts between Satan, his various minion
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
s and the damned
Damnation
Damnation is the concept of everlasting divine punishment and/or disgrace, especially the punishment for sin as threatened by God . A damned being "in damnation" is said to be either in Hell, or living in a state wherein they are divorced from Heaven and/or in a state of disgrace from God's favor...
. It regularly features famous historical figures and celebrities, most of whom are portrayed as being less likable, or at least different, to the version recorded by history. This includes a foul-mouthed and extremely violent Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
, a sexually predatory Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
(who took advantage of wounded soldiers), and a vacuous Helen of Troy (accompanied by her plain-looking friend, Daphne
Daphne
Daphne was a female minor nature deity. Pursued by Apollo, she fled and was chased. Daphne begged the gods for help, who then transformed her into Laurel.-Overview:...
).
This subversive approach was also applied to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
(first name Nigel), who makes the occasional appearance, originally played by David Swift, then in series 7 by Timothy West
Timothy West
Timothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
. God is usually portrayed as being quick-tempered and vengeful; in the series he says he created the universe accidentally, when he was messing about with some matter and energy. He put it down to have a sip of his drink and then, kaboom, he had a universe on his hands. Life on Earth was created for a bet, as Earth was dull viewing. God, for a bit of fun, sprinkled some mutating bacteria into the oceans, and ran a book with the other Angels to see which one would evolve into a creature that would develop a language first. God seems rather annoyed that things 'got out of hand'. In later series, we learn that God also has a mobile phone (although only the Angel Gabriel is supposed to have the number), and that God sends e-mails, but refuses to read any that he receives as he once got taken in by a scam from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
The Angels are also portrayed somewhat differently. The Angel who delivered the news that Mary was to give birth to the messiah was in fact named Graham, while Gabriel is a separate entity who was falsely credited with doing so due to a typo early in the making of the Bible. They are also presented as rather arrogant when dealing with Satan, but at the same time behaving as suck-ups around God. They are forbidden to indulge in physical pleasures, but are still tempted by them, which has been used against them.
Series 1 to 4
The first four series centred on the philosophicalPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
arguments between Satan and the somewhat idealistic main human character known as 'the Professor' (played by James Grout
James Grout
James Grout is an English actor of radio and television.Grout was born in London, the son of Beatrice Anne and William Grout...
). The Professor represents the undeserving damned, being a man of high moral virtue, having been consigned to Hell only on the technicality that he did not believe in God. The character was originally called Professor Richard Whittingham, although in series 2 he is referred to as Professor Richard Hope, when in episodes 5 & 6 Satan gets his book 'The Theory of Everything' published. Generally, Satan seeks to prove to the Professor that mankind is inherently base or flawed, with the Professor taking the opposing position. Usually Satan travels to the living world to display the more contemptible sides of human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
, such as snipers shooting old ladies in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
or prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, to a generally horrified Professor. At other times he introduces the Professor to historical personages the Professor holds in high esteem but who are now languishing in Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, such as Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
, William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
and Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
, showing him how petty and mendacious they really are. However, the Professor's idealism
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
is usually shown to have some validity as well, and more often than not he wins the argument, although Satan always insists he hasn't.
The other main human character is Thomas Quentin Crimp (Jimmy Mulville
Jimmy Mulville
James Thomas "Jimmy" Mulville is an English comedian, comedy writer, producer and television presenter. Jimmy Mulville is best known for co-founding in 1986 the British independent television production company Hat Trick Productions with Denise O'Donoghue and Rory McGrath...
), an execrable type with few (or no) morals, held out by Satan as an example of all that is detestable about humanity, and often described as the most venal and corrupt human who ever lived. In the first episode it transpires that Thomas caused the car crash which landed him and the Professor in Hell. The latter, despite his moral idealism, is consigned to Hell because of his atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
(since, as Satan remarks caustically, God does not have a sense of humour). The fact of the afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
- which the Professor originally optimistically views as a hallucination - does not change his views. Despite (or perhaps because of) their conflicting attitudes, the Professor and Thomas are billeted together by Satan.
Regular plot elements involve the Professor visiting, or being shown, his beloved wife Deborah
Deborah
Deborah was a prophetess of Yahweh the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel, counselor, warrior, and the wife of Lapidoth according to the Book of Judges chapters 4 and 5....
, as she gets on with her life following his death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. His widow's eventual marriage to a corrupt Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
and her near-fatal coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
were important plot strands in series 3 and 4. These plot strands ended when Satan finally arranged for the Professor to be accepted into Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
a short time after the events of the 2002 Christmas special (an incident not covered in the series).
Other characters featured are Satan's minions. Satan's most venomous demon, Gary (Steve O'Donnell), was featured in the first series because Thomas was on his list of tormentees. Thomas later convinces Gary to rebel against Satan, with a distinct lack of success. Gary is mentioned only once in later series and his absence is never explained (although the implication is that he fell from favour due to his rebellion). Scumspawn (Robert Duncan
Robert Duncan (actor)
Robert Duncan is an English actor. He is best known for his television role as Gus, the jargon-speaking manager, from Drop the Dead Donkey. He also appeared in Casualty as Peter Hayes between 1995 and 1996.-Biography:...
), featured from the second series onwards, takes Gary's place, having applied to become Satan's personal assistant
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
. Although Satan initially refuses, he later relents, and Scumspawn proves a surprisingly effective assistant. His subplots usually involve attempts to become a better demon (with help from Thomas). Much of the humour surrounding Scumspawn derives from his sensitive and caring personality, which is a constant irritant to Satan, who often complains that Scumspawn does not act very much like a demon.
According to Andy Hamilton in an interview broadcast on April 5, 2008, on BBC Radio 7's "I Did It My Way", one episode in series 3 was partially re-recorded due to a tragic confluence of events. In the episode, Satan disrupts Deborah's wedding to Irish jockey Rory O'Donnell by taking the form of BBC reporter Jill Dando
Jill Dando
Jill Wendy Dando was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader who worked for the BBC for 14 years. She was murdered by gunshot outside her home in Fulham, West London; her killer has never been identified....
and accusing the presiding vicar of being a Satan worshipper (which he actually is). Later in the episode, Satan reveals that Jill Dando never existed at all, and was just a disguise that he used to stir up unrest in the realm of the living. After the episode was originally broadcast, the 37-year-old reporter was murdered outside her home. The episode was partially re-recorded for repeats, with Satan manifesting himself instead as a different BBC reporter, Gaby Roslin
Gaby Roslin
Gaby Roslin is an English television presenter and actress. She rose to fame while co-presenting The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 between 1992 and 1996, and also presented the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal from 1994 to 2004....
. You can tell the re-recorded lines quite easily as they were not done in front of an audience. There were actually two episodes that had to have some lines re-recorded to accommodate the Jill Dando-Gaby Roslin switch, as a later episode in the third series references it.
Christmas Special 2002
In a double-bill Special, broadcast on New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
2002 (The Roll of the Dice) and New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
2003 (Knocking on Heaven's Door), Hope, an extraordinarily beautiful Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
worker and tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
player, is killed by mistake and sent to Hell by accident. This results in Satan trying to bring her back to life, by taking her to Death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
. But he only gets as far as meeting the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Death (Dai-the-Death), and contacting the Head Death on his mobile
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
. After Death refuses to bring her back to life, as a last resort Satan travels to Heaven (now protected with barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
, CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
and Rottweiler
Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market...
s). After talking to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
(who Satan implies had sex with call girl
Call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
s in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, as well as stealing the other 100 pieces of silver which had been contracted by Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
but went missing), Satan blackmails St Peter into letting Hope into Heaven.
While all this is going on, the Professor has been changed into a buzzing bluebottle, and Thomas has been painted like a zebra and is awaiting the "attentions" of some special crocodiles (they have a sense of humour).
Series 5
Series Five retains some of the themesTheme (literature)
A theme is a broad, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character,...
from earlier series, but most of the action does not revolve around Satan's relationships with his minions and the damned. Instead, the episodes focus on Satan's efforts to reduce overcrowding in Hell.
After an unsuccessful appeal to God for planning permission to enlarge Hell, in episode 1, the action divides between Hell and various locations on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. The basic plot of the subsequent episodes involves Satan taking on the guise of a leading world figure in order to meet influential people, such as Queen Elizabeth II, whom he tries to convince to lead more of mankind to Heaven by encouraging them to change their ways. However, these efforts are largely unsuccessful.
The subplot of each episode focuses on Scumspawn's ineffective attempts to run Hell in Satan's absence. This normally involves trying to cope with a strange new arrival in Hell, unionised demons, or overcrowding. He generally enlists Thomas's help in trying to find a solution, which usually fails. At the end of the episode Satan returns and sorts out whatever new problem Scumspawn has managed to create.
The final two episodes of the series feature a new arrival (Geoffrey Whitehead
Geoffrey Whitehead
Geoffrey Whitehead is an English actor. He has appeared in a huge range of television, film and radio roles. In the theatre, he has played at the Shakespeare Globe, St...
), who tries to organise a rebellion of the demons in Hell, with Thomas's help, with exactly the same degree of success that Gary and Thomas had in series 1. In the end, after dealing with the insurrection, Satan decides he need not worry, as humans will soon be extinct anyway. In order to hasten mankind's demise, he turns himself into Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
and plots to tell his brother George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to launch a nuclear strike
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
on the polar
Polar region
Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...
icecaps.
Series 6
For Series Six, Andy Hamilton returned to the style of the original series, with most of the action taking place in Hell. He introduces a new member of the damned: Edith Cordelia Barrington (Annette CrosbieAnnette Crosbie
Annette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...
), an academic and historian who has recently arrived in Hell after having apparently committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
due to an apparent overdose of barbituates while watching Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
. She is also Thomas's former mother-in-law. As Edith and Thomas have a mutual hatred of each other, Satan decides they would be perfect room-mates.
Edith is not pleased with the situation, as Thomas had subjected her daughter to emotional abuse, to divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
and tried to take custody of her breast implants (on the grounds that he paid for them). She also insists that she did not commit suicide, and Satan makes a deal wth her: she will write a definitive biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Satan in return for new accommodation while Satan grudgingly agrees to find out how she really died.
The basic plot of an episode generally involved Satan trying to find out more about Edith's death, while Edith interviewed members of the damned about Satan's past. The latter closely followed the pattern of series 4, in which the Professor had interviewed famous historical personalities in attempting to win a bet with Satan (by showing that mankind was capable of redemption). There were also various sub-plots, including Scumspawn's attempts to uncover a 'decent' side to Thomas's personality, much in the same way as the Professor had tried to in earlier series. Thus were the various aspects of the Professor's character re-distributed between Edith and Scumspawn.
Eventually, Satan does discover the true circumstances of Edith's death (she had been murdered: but that revelation, and the discovery of the motive for her murder, still did not make her very happy). In the final episode, Thomas discovers a fact about his ancestry that makes him even more insufferable.
Series 7
A seventh series started on 19th February 2009, with recordings taking place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London. The cast was the same as in Series Six.In the first episode, a dog arrives unexpectedly in Hell. Satan attempts to talk to God about both the new arrival and a possible plan to ease the general overcrowding in Hell (involving destroying 75% of the damned). But he cannot, because God is bored with Satan, and indeed with his whole Creation, and has left two rather insufferable angels in charge as "site managers" (who are more interested in admiring their laminated "site manager" badges than doing anything).
In the second episode, God goes away for some "me time", leaving the Archangel Gabriel in charge. Unfortunately, Heaven's new computer system is having software problems, causing a further unexpected arrival in Hell - a baby - and Satan's renewed attempts to get help from God bring him face to face with Gabriel. Meanwhile, Scumspawn decides the baby needs a name, and dubs it "Satan Junior". Taking care of the baby, and of the dog Scamp, begins to bring out the best in Thomas, while Satan's meeting with Gabriel brings some slight results.
In the fourth episode Timothy West
Timothy West
Timothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
guest-stars as God (previously played by David Swift), and after being apprised of the situation orders Satan to arrange with Gabriel for both the dog and the baby's immediate transfers to Heaven. Since people in both Heaven and Hell remain forever the same age they were when they died, this would mean that the baby would remain a baby and never have a chance to live out a full life, a fact that distresses Scumspawn and Edith so much that they manage to convince Satan to disobey God's orders and try to return the baby to the world of the living. The dog Scamp is successfully transferred to Heaven (with a minor incident), but with the aid of some Photoshopped pictures Satan blackmails Gabriel into helping him about the baby. The fifth episode sees Satan trying to find adoptive parents for the baby (now called Patrick), while Edith has a major crisis of confidence concerning her completed biography of Satan. In the final episode, a very angry God returns to put Satan and Gabriel on trial for not following His instructions about what should be done with the baby, but the trial quickly degenerates into a shambles (God: "This place is a madhouse!") that manages to resolve itself into a relatively happy conclusion.
Christmas Special 2010
In Christmas Spirit, broadcast on 23rd December 2010, the first of a two-part Christmas Special, Satan decides to ban Christmas. During a visitation to the world of Men he disguises himself as various religious figures, including the Pope, in order to more effectively denounce Christmas; and then impersonates the Editor of the Daily Mail newspaper so as to publish made-up headlines undermining Christmas, such as "Mince Pies cause AIDS." However, in Hell the Spirit of Christmas is alive and well, thanks to Scumspawn's efforts to cheer up Edith.In the second part, entitled Ring in the New (broadcast on 30th December 2010), Satan decides he needs a holiday. On Edith's advice he heads off to the English Lake District for some New Year solitude, leaving Scumspawn in charge of Hell. But Scumspawn isn't sure his leadership skills are up to the task, and a management seminar with Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
and football manager Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
proves no help. (Note: This is probably the only episode that ends relatively happily for Thomas)
Episodes
Series 1- 1.1 Premier Episode (Broadcast: 23 November 1995)
- 1.2 What A Coincidence (Broadcast: 30 November 1995)
- 1.3 A Trip Up Top (Broadcast: 7 December 1995)
- 1.4 Tick Tock (Broadcast: 14 December 1995)
- 1.5 Rebellion (Broadcast: 21 December 1995)
- 1.6 A Cold Day In Hell (Broadcast: 28 December 1995)
Series 2
- 2.1 Help Wanted (Broadcast: 7 April 1998)
- 2.2 Help Still Wanted (Broadcast: 14 April 1998)
- 2.3 Not Quite Frank Capra (Broadcast: 21 April 1998)
- 2.4 Good Help Is Hard To Find (Broadcast: 28 April 1998)
- 2.5 Plagiarism 101 (Broadcast: 5 May 1998)
- 2.6 An Impossible Act (Broadcast: 12 May 1998)
Series 3
- 3.1 This Thing Called Love (Broadcast: 24 March 1999)
- 3.2 Another Country (Broadcast: 31 March 1999)
- 3.3 A Four-Letter Word (Broadcast: 7 April 1999)
- 3.4 The Reasonably Fantastic Journey (Broadcast: 14 April 1999)
- 3.5 The Beautiful Game (Broadcast: 21 April 1999)
- 3.6 The Final Reckoning (Broadcast: 28 April 1999)
Series 4
- 4.1 Knowledge & Ignorance (Broadcast: 29 March 2001)
- 4.2 Beautiful England (Broadcast: 5 April 2001)
- 4.3 Health & Safety (Broadcast: 12 April 2001)
- 4.4 Poets Corner (Broadcast: 19 April 2001)
- 4.5 Sleep (Broadcast: 26 April 2001)
- 4.6 Beauty (Broadcast: 3 May 2001)
Christmas Special 2002
- x.1 The Roll of the Dice (Broadcast: 31 December 2002)
- x.2 Knocking on Heaven's Door (Broadcast: 1 January 2003)
Series 5
- 5.1 (Broadcast: 20 September 2005)
- 5.2 (Broadcast: 27 September 2005)
- 5.3 (Broadcast: 4 October 2005)
- 5.4 (Broadcast: 11 October 2005)
Series 6
- 6.1 (Broadcast: 27 September 2007)
- 6.2 (Broadcast 4 October 2007)
- 6.3 (Broadcast 11 October 2007)
- 6.4 (Broadcast 18 October 2007)
- 6.5 (Broadcast 25 October 2007)
- 6.6 (Broadcast 1 November 2007)
Series 7
- 7.1 (Broadcast 19 February 2009)
- 7.2 (Broadcast 26 February 2009)
- 7.3 (Broadcast 5 March 2009)
- 7.4 (Broadcast 12 March 2009)
- 7.5 (Broadcast 19 March 2009)
- 7.6 (Broadcast 26 March 2009)
Christmas Special 2010
- x.1 Christmas Spirit (Broadcast: 23 December 2010)
- x.2 Ring in the New (Broadcast: 30 December 2010)
Audiobooks
Originally, two volumes of CDs, "Volume One" and "Volume Two" were released in 1999 and 2003, collecting selected episodes from series 1-4. From the 2002 Christmas Special onwards, the series were released on CD shortly after the broadcasts. In 2008 and 2009, the BBC finally went back and released series 1-4 in their entirety. This makes Old Harry's Game one of the few hit radio comedies to have all its episodes officially available.- Volume One - Series 1: Episodes 1, 5 and 6. Series 2: Episodes 1, 2 and 4.
- Volume Two - Series 3: Episodes 1, 2 and 3. Series 4: Episodes 2, 3 and 4.
- Christmas Special - Both 2002 Christmas Special Episodes, released August 2003.
- Radio Series Five - The Complete Fifth Series, released November 2005.
- Radio Series Six - The Complete Sixth Series, released November 2007.
- Radio Series One And Two - The Complete First And Second Series (two separate box sets, but released together as a single entity), released in September 2008.
- Radio Series Seven - The Complete Seventh Series, released March 2009.
- Radio Series Three And Four - The Complete Third And Fourth Series (two separate box sets, but released together as a single entity), released in September 2009.
- Christmas Special - Both 2010 Christmas Special Episodes, released in October 2011.