All Gas and Gaiters

Infobox television
show_name = All Gas and Gaiters"(Television)


size = "All Gas and Gaiters DVD"
caption =
genre = Sitcom
runtime = 30 minutes
creator =
starring = Robertson Hare
William Mervyn
Derek Nimmo
John Barron
Ernest Clark
country = UK
network = BBC1
first_aired = 17 May 1966
last_aired = 17 June 1971
num_episodes = 34
imdb_id = 0061232

"All Gas and Gaiters" is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1966 to 1971. It was written by Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps, a husband-and-wife team. They used the pseudonym John Wraith when writing the pilot. David Climie and Austin Steele co-wrote the 1968 special. "All Gas and Gaiters" re-ran on radio from 1971 to 1972.

Cast

*William Mervyn - Cuthbert Hever, the Bishop
*Robertson Hare - Henry Blunt, the Archdeacon
*Derek Nimmo - The Rev. Mervyn Noote, the Bishop's Chaplain
*John Barron - Lionel Pugh-Critchley, the Dean "(pilot, series 1 and 4)"
*Ernest Clark - Lionel Pugh-Critchley, the Dean "(1968 special, series 2 and 3)"
*Joan Sanderson - Mrs Grace Pugh-Critchley

Plot

"All Gas and Gaiters" is set in the close of St Oggs Cathedral, and concerns the rivalries amongst the clergymen in it. The Bishop is easygoing; his friend the Archdeacon is elderly, tippling, and still with an eye for an attractive woman; and the Rev. Noote is naïve and accident prone. Their wish to live a quiet bachelor life is ruined by the overbearing Dean, who tries to bring rule by the book to the Cathedral.

The series initially aroused some controversy because of its portrayal of senior churchmen as bungling incompetents, although some churchmen quite enjoyed it, partly because it made them look human. 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.

Episodes

Pilot (1966)

*"The Bishop Rides Again" (17 May 1966) (part of "Comedy Playhouse")

eries One (1967)

#"The Bishop Gets the Sack" (31 January 1967)
#"The Bishop Meets a Bird" (7 February 1967)
#"The Bishop Writes a Sermon" (14 February 1967)
#"The Bishop Sees a Ghost" (21 February 1967)
#"The Bishop Turns to Crime" (28 February 1967)
#"Only Three Can Play" (7 March 1967)

eries Two (1967)

#"The Dean Goes Primitive" (24 November 1967)
#"The Bishop Gives a Party" (1 December 1967)
#"The Bishop Gets a Letter" (8 December 1967)
#"The Bishop Goes to Town" (15 December 1967)
#"Give a Dog a Bad Name" (22 December 1967)
#"The Bishop Gives a Shove" (29 December 1967)

Christmas Short (1968)

*"Oh, Brother!" and "All Gas and Gaiters" short as part of "Christmas Night with The Stars" (25 December 1968)

eries Three (1969)

#"The Bishop learns the Facts" (8 January 1969)
#"The Bishop has a Flutter" (15 January 1969)
#"The Bishop is Hospitable" (22 January 1969)
#"The Bishop Pays a Visit" (29 January 1969)
#"The Bishop takes a Holiday" (5 February 1969)
#"The Affair at Cookham Lock" (12 February 1969)
#"The Bishop Keeps his Diary" (19 February 1969)

eries Four (1970)

#"The Bishop Buys a Car" (15 April 1970)
#"The Bishop Gains a Reputation" (22 April 1970)
#"The Bishop Loves His Neighbour" (29 April 1970)
#"The Bishop Beats the System" (6 May 1970)
#"The Bishop Buys a Mug" (13 May 1970)
#"When In Rome" (20 May 1970)
#"The Bishop Takes Up Business" (27 May 1970)

eries Five (1971)

#"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)

The pilot and first two series were filmed in black-and-white. The third series, while being filmed in colour, was originally broadcast in monochrome. All bar eleven episodes are thought to have been wiped in the early 1970s.

Radio

A radio version of "All Gas and Gaiters" was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 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 found, and all are available through radio enthusiasts. Some episodes were re-broadcast on BBC7 in October and November 2006 and again a year later.

Episodes

eries 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)

eries 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)

DVD releases

The 11 surviving episodes were released on DVD by DD Home Entertainment in 2004. The set was accompanied by a detailed behind-the-scenes booklet, written by Andy Priestner in consultation with show's writers Edwin Apps and Pauline Devaney.

References

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/a/allgasandgaiters_7770165.shtml "All Gas And Gaiters"] at bbc.co.uk
* [http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/allgas/index.html "All Gas and Gaiters"] at British TV Comedy

External links

* [http://www.sitcom.co.uk/gas_gaiters/ "All Gas and Gaiters"] at British Sitcom Guide
* [http://www.radiolistings.co.uk/programmes/all_gas_and_gaiters.html "All Gas and Gaiters"] at RadioListings.co.uk