Up the Elephant and Round the Castle
Encyclopedia
Up the Elephant and Round the Castle was an ITV
sitcom which aired from 1983 to 1985, starring comedian Jim Davidson
, who played the role of Jim London. The show spawned a sequel, Home James, which was also made by Thames Television. Home James ran from 1987 to 1990. "Up the Elephant and Round the Castle" also gave early exposure to Anita Dobson
. The show was made for the ITV
network by Thames Television
.
. The full length version can be heard on two of his albums, Hammer It Out and Off the Shelf.
still has aspirations into releasing a 3-disc set containing the complete series in the future.
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
sitcom which aired from 1983 to 1985, starring comedian Jim Davidson
Jim Davidson (comedian)
Jim Davidson OBE is a British comedian, actor and television presenter. He has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to entertainment, particularly of British service personnel in conflict zones.- Biography :The son of a Glaswegian father, Davidson was born in...
, who played the role of Jim London. The show spawned a sequel, Home James, which was also made by Thames Television. Home James ran from 1987 to 1990. "Up the Elephant and Round the Castle" also gave early exposure to Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
. The show was made for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network by Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
.
Plot
Jim London is a young man who gets into all types of problems with the law and spends most of his time getting drunk and chasing women.Cast
| Character | Occupation | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Jim London | Unemployed | Jim Davidson Jim Davidson (comedian) Jim Davidson OBE is a British comedian, actor and television presenter. He has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to entertainment, particularly of British service personnel in conflict zones.- Biography :The son of a Glaswegian father, Davidson was born in... |
| Ernie "Dad" London | Retired | John Bardon John Bardon John Bardon, is an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 as 'Best Actor in a Musical' for Kiss Me, Kate, sharing the award with co-star Emil Wolk.-Acting career:Bardon is best known for playing Jim Branning in the popular British soap opera EastEnders... |
| Wanda Pickles | Sue Nicholls Sue Nicholls Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls is an English actress, best known today for her long-running role as Audrey Roberts in British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:... |
|
| Arnold Moggs | Councillor Councillor A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:... |
Nicholas Day |
| Brian | Barman | Brian Hall Brian Hall (actor) Brian Charles Hall was an English actor perhaps best known for his role in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers where he played the hotel chef Terry.-Career:... |
| Tosh Carey | Street Trader Merchant A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant... (Illegally) |
Brian Capron Brian Capron Brian Capron, born 11 February 1947 at Eye in Suffolk, is a British actor, who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . His father was an Algerian pilot, of French descent, who died in a plane crash before Brian was born.... |
| Lois Tight | Anita Dobson Anita Dobson Anita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders... |
|
| Vera Spiggot | Sara Corper | |
| Jim's Mum | Retired | Rosalind Knight Rosalind Knight Rosalind Knight is an English actress. She was the daughter of actor Esmond Knight and his first wife, Frances Clare and the stepdaughter of actress Nora Swinburne.... |
Episodes
22 Episodes were aired over 3 series.Theme music
The sitcom's theme tune was composed by Keith EmersonKeith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
. The full length version can be heard on two of his albums, Hammer It Out and Off the Shelf.
DVD releases
Series one was released on DVD in September 2007. The complete series was released on 5 May 2008. However NetworkNetwork DVD
Network DVD is a DVD publishing company that specialises in classic British television. In particular, it has the rights to a number of well-known ITV programmes...
still has aspirations into releasing a 3-disc set containing the complete series in the future.
External links
- Up the Elephant and Round the Castle at British TV Comedy Guide