Oh, Doctor Beeching!

Oh, Doctor Beeching!
Titlescreen featuring a BR standard class 2
Format	Situation comedy
Created by	David Croft Richard Spendlove
Written by	David Croft Richard Spendlove John Stevenson Paul Minett Brian Leveson John Chapman
Directed by	Roy Gould
Starring	Paul Shane Jeffrey Holland Su Pollard Julia Deakin Stephen Lewis
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	20 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	David Croft
Producer(s)	David Croft Charles Galland
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One
Original run	14 August 1995 (1995-08-14) – 28 September 1997 (1997-09-28)

Oh, Doctor Beeching! is a British television sitcom written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which, after a broadcast pilot on 14 August 1995, ran for two series from 8 July 1996, with the last episode being broadcast on 28 September 1997. The series is notable for being the last in a series of three comedies by co-writer David Croft to use many of the same actors, starting with Hi-de-Hi!, and followed by You Rang, M'Lord?.

Introduction

Oh, Doctor Beeching! focuses on the small fictional branch line railway station of Hatley, which is threatened with closure under the Beeching Axe. The programme was filmed on the Severn Valley Railway, with the part of Hatley station being played by the Arley SVR station in Upper Arley.

Plot

In the pilot episode, Jack Skinner (Paul Shane) the porter is acting station master until a replacement is found. Jack deeply loves his wife May (played by Sherrie Hewson in the pilot episode, with her scenes re-recorded by Julia Deakin when repeated as the first episode of the regular series) who runs the station buffet, but is prone to becoming very jealous of her around other men. Without a station master the station has become rather disorganised: for instance the eternally miserable signalman, Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis), is so underworked that he is running several sidelines from his signalbox - including hair-cutting, selling fruit and vegetables, repairing bicycles, and taking bets - seeing his signaling duties as a distraction; he frequently speaks of "ruddy trains". The station is part run by the eccentric, easily flustered booking clerk, Ethel Schumann (Su Pollard), who is always on the lookout for a new man in her life, and whose late-teenaged son Wilfred (Paul Aspen), the product of a relationship with a now deceased American soldier during the war, is the station dogsbody. Wilfred often comes across as stupid, but sometimes displays signs that he is brighter than he appears - for instance, in the episode "The Van", he finds Arnold's missing wife, Jessica.

Also present are Vera Plumtree, (Barbara New), who has no particular role, but seems to do various jobs around the station and acts as Mr. Parkin's housekeeper. Her late husband used to work on the railway, as she frequently reminds the other members of staff, (her catchphrase is, "he was an engine driver, you know"). She always muddles her words (Ethel also sometimes muddles her words, but not as often), and has an unrequited love for Harry (who always ignores her advances); Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw), Jack and May's pretty teenage daughter, who loves wearing short skirts, much to the chagrin of the father. She shows an interest in men, but Jack is over-protective, and won't let any man take her out; the elderly engine driver, Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts); his inexperienced fireman, Ralph (Perry Benson), who is training to be a driver; the flirtatious guard, Percy (Terry John), with whom Ethel appears to be quite besotted at times. He returns her advances, but seems to prefer Gloria's friend, Amy Matlock (Tara Daniels), who appears in most episodes, albeit usually briefly. Richard Spendlove, the director, also appeared in several episodes as Mr Orkindale, the strait-laced district inspector.

Soon the new station master arrives in the guise of Cecil Parkin (Jeffrey Holland), a stern, well spoken man. He is amazed to learn that the café is run by May (then called Blanchflower), with whom he had a passionate fling during the war before she married Jack - although we later learn that she was seeing both of them at the same time. Although Jack is in the dark as to May and Cecil's history, he takes an instant dislike to the new station master. A running subplot to the series is the question of whether Gloria is actually Jack's daughter, or the result of May's fling with Cecil (although in the second series episode "Father's Day", it is generally concluded that Jack is her father). Meanwhile, at the end of the episode a newspaper article is found threatening the station with closure under the Beeching Axe, which begins the series.

A running gag in the series was Vera almost finding out about Cecil and May's relationship. Mr Parkin steals every moment he possibly can with May, often sneaking into the kitchen near the beginning of the day, before anyone else has arrived, and Vera caught them almost every time.

The programme ran for two series, although the final episode did not conclude by answering whether the station was closed, as it was unknown at the time of production whether a third series would be produced or not.

Episodes

Main article: List of Oh, Doctor Beeching! episodes

Characters & cast

Cecil Parkin (Jeffrey Holland), the new station master at Hatley who appears midway through the first episode. He is a perfectionist, and is determined to make the station the best on the line. On the surface, he seems refined, but it turns out that he knows the station's buffet manageress because they had a passionate affair, which was going on behind her boyfriend (later husband) Jack Skinner's back. He still has lecherous thoughts about her, and in several episodes he tries his best to get her to leave Jack. The station staff react to him in different ways - most are tolerant of him, but Jack and Harry, the signalman, take an intense dislike to him, which only slightly mellows as the series goes on.

Jack Skinner (Paul Shane), the porter and deputy station master. He is deeply in love with his beautiful wife, May, but gets very jealous whenever she comes into close contact with other men, especially Mr Parkin. He heartily dislikes Parkin and shows it. He is an ex-soldier with a limp, from a wound he received during the war (only in Episode 9 we learn that his leg was wounded when he was thrown out of a pub and the landlady slammed the door on his foot, not during a battle).

Ethel Schumman (Su Pollard), in charge of the booking office. She is scatter-brained, and sometimes muddles her words. She often gets frustrated with Jack for his jealousy of May. She is also a flirt - she has a grown-up son from her marriage to a now deceased soldier named Earl, whom she frequently refers to in the earlier episodes. She is desperate for another boyfriend, and frequently makes advances to the station's guard, Percy, who appreciates her advances, but seems more interested in the regular commuter, Amy.

Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis), the signalman. He is eternally miserable, with Stephen Lewis portraying the character very much like "Blakey" in On the Buses. Because trains come through Hatley only a few times a day, he operates numerous sidelines from his box: growing vegetables, mending bikes and clocks, rearing farm animals for the staff's dinners, giving haircuts and taking bets.

May Skinner (Julia Deakin), buffet manageress. She had a passionate affair with Cecil Parkin before she married Jack, which ended when Parkin was called up to serve in the Army. She appears to genuinely love Jack, but she seems to still have buried feelings for Mr Parkin. She frequently resists Parkin's advances, but occasionally relents, even letting him kiss her in Episode 10, but states that it must never happen again. In early episodes it is hinted that Parkin is the father of her daughter, Gloria, but this is proved to be false in Episode 11.

Vera Plumtree (Barbara New), the station handywoman. She helps the staff, by cleaning their homes and washing clothes for them. She has much in common with Ethel: she muddles her words, and frequently talks about her unnamed late husband, who was an engine driver. She is in love with Harry, but it is unrequited.

Wilfred Schumann (Paul Aspen), Ethel's son. Most of the time comes across as extremely stupid, but occasionally shows unusual signs of intelligence: in Episode 13 it is Wilfred who finds Arnold's wife when she goes missing.

Gloria Skinner (Lindsay Grimshaw), Jack and May's grown-up daughter. A rebellious teenager, very fond of short skirts and the company of older men. She has a crush on Cecil Parkin, the new station master and Percy, the guard. Jack is over-protective, however, and will let no man in the station take Gloria out.

Percy (Terry John), the guard - the main station flirt. He flirts with every woman he comes into contact with, except Vera. But he seems to prefer Amy Matlock above others: he takes her out on several dates during the series, often leaving Ethel in the lurch. We learn in Episode 14 that he keeps promising to take Ethel out, but never does.

Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts), the train-driver. An old train-driver - one of the more minor characters. He is the star of the penultimate episode, where he goes to great lengths to make sure he is not sacked. He has a wife called Jessica, who appears to be mentally ill. He alludes to her in almost every episode, but she only appears briefly in Episode 13.

Ralph (Perry Benson), the trainee driver. Works with Arnold - the two often engage in comic banter. Ralph is dafter than Wilfred, and slow at learning to drive - but he drives the train perfectly in the final episode. Like Arnold, he is a minor character, but one episode centres around him - in Episode 14 he threatens to go on strike.

Amy Matlock (Tara Daniels), friend of Gloria's, in most episodes. She is often the object of Percy's desires.

Mr Orkindale (Richard Spendlove), the District Inspector. Dislikes Mr Parkin as much as everyone else, and in Episode 16 cheats him out of a place on the bowls club outing, just so he can have a few extra drinks.

Lady Lawrence (Angela Easterling), a rich woman who lives nearby, appears in two episodes. In Episode 6, she comes to collect her horse, Leo, and in Episode 17, she comes to the station to meet Dr Beeching - who turns out to be her gynaecologist, suggesting that she is pregnant.

Guest appearances

The co-writer Richard Spendlove made a number of guest appearances as the Inspector, Mr Orkindale. Another former Hi-De-Hi! regular, Felix Bowness, also made a number of appearances as the train Guard Bernie Bleasdale. Windsor Davies appeared in the final episode as the Mayor of Clumberfield, when the station staff re-enacted the station's opening for its 100th anniversary. Sally Grace appeared in episode 7 as Mr Parkin's former fiancee, Edna Taylor. The LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 No. 46521 from the Severn Valley Railway was used on the film set. The engine has now been sold to the Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group and is currently under overhaul at the Great Central Railway.

Title and music

The title was a reference to the music hall song and Will Hay film Oh, Mr. Porter!, and a modified version was sung as the end titles by Su Pollard:

Oh, Dr. Beeching what have you done?

There once were lots of trains to catch, but soon there will be none,

I'll have to buy a bike, 'cos I can't afford a car,

Oh, Dr. Beeching what a naughty man you are!

DVD release

The first series was released on DVD in 2004, and the second series in 2005. The packaging of the first series was slightly misleading, stating that it "included the pilot", whereas in fact it only contained the revised first episode, not the original version of the pilot.

A complete boxset containing both series and all 19 episodes is now available, distributed by Acorn Media UK.

External links

• Oh, Doctor Beeching! at BBC Programmes
• Oh, Doctor Beeching! at the British Comedy Guide
• Oh, Doctor Beeching! at the Internet Movie Database