DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE
THOSE WONDERFUL TV TIMES REVIEW
BY MARIE BIRCH
Now, I am going back to the
Summer of 1978, when I had got over, my first Flutter of being a Mind Your
Language Fan, because Mind Your Language had been transmitted, during January
1978. But that is another story, and one which will be included via my Mind
Your Language first series episode review! But suffice it to say, I had become
a Barry Evans Fan, and my heart was all a flutter with desire for him, and I
was truly desparate to find out, all I could about
him, especially where his film and theatre career was concerned! And this was a
Summer, when I had just finished Junior School and I
was due to start Senior School during the September of 1978. I was fully aware
that a second series of Mind Your Language was in production during the Summer
of 1978 via various press reports, and all been well, it would be transmitted
during the Autumn of 1978, well round about late October 1978 to be precise,
which was fair enough, so I at least had a second series of Mind Your Language
to look forward to! But in the meantime, what knowledge did I have about the
actor Barry Evans? But I was partly in luck, because my parents bought me a
copy of The Look In magazine, which was a Junior
version of The TV Times. Admittedly at first Look In didn't have many details
about Barry Evans or Mind Your Language, because even though the first series
of Mind Your Language had been very popular, it wasn't until the second series
of Mind Your Language, that things really got going via Look In, but it did
have a Doctor On The Go picture strip, which was the last but one series of The
Doctor series, which I had assumed was definitely the last Doctor series, until
BBC1, aired Doctor at the Top, during early January 1991. And I was always
amused by the Doctor On The Go picture strips in Look In, and I had seen some
of Doctor On The Go, when it was on round about 1976, but I do not remember it
all that well, really, and as British comedy was at it's
peak round about the late seventies, I do remember been more into Fawlty Towers, Porridge, Rising Damp and Some Mothers Do 'ave 'em, at the time, and I had
really, loved watching: Black Beauty and Anne of Green Gables/Anne Of Avonlea,
which were a lot better in my opinion than the classical dramas of today, but
that is just a general opinion of course, and British comedy is not at all like
it is today, and you had a lot more choice then, and even though I have got a
lot of great respect for the actors who appear in modern comedies, for example:
Martin Clunes in Men Behaving Badly and Joanna Lumley
in Absolutely Fabulous, but they have never really appealed to me, like the
sixties and seventies comedies did for me, at the time, but the point that I am
making is, that there was so much to choose from, where British comedy was
concerned, that you could never find the time to watch every single British
comedy that was going, but I did remember the cast list in Doctor On The Go
vaguely, and they were: Robin Nedwell who had played:
Duncan Waring, Geoffrey Davies who had played: Dick
Stuart-Clarke, George Layton who had: played Paul Collier and Earnest Clark and
Bob Todd (Check that out, at a Later Date! Marie Birch), who had both played:
Sir Geoffrey Loftus and Jacquie Ann-Carr who had played: Katherine Wright.
There are some more actors and characters who need to be added to this review,
but I will have to look through my notes in my folder to bring them to mind,
but Look In would always have a very short television guide at the end of the
magazine, but I did notice in one particular edition, that they were going to
have an awards ceremony for readers favourite programmes! And guess which was one of the programmes, that
you could nominate, for the Competition?! It was none other than Mind Your
Language, of course and there was a form that you could fill in, which would
cover your favourite TV programmes!
I cannot really remember what my other choices were, and even though there were
other categories to fill in, I think if I can recall to mind, one of my choices
was: The Bionic Woman, which was one of my all time favourite
programmes during the late seventies, but my Mother
helped me fill the form, of course and we made sure that it was posted, and I
was on tenterhooks until I received the Look In edition that would tell me
whether Mind Your Language had won a Look In comedy award or not. To be honest,
I wasn't really expecting very much where this, had been concerned, but within
the space of a month, however, I just happened to be watching Magpie. Now
Magpie wasn't really a programme that I was into, but
I have got great respect for the presenters of Magpie: Mick Robertson and Jenny
Hanley. Looking back at it now, even though Magpie could never compete with
Blue Peter, I still think that it had a lot to offer, especially where it's
involvement with Look In was concerned, and what was more the Magpie Team were
announcing the results of the Look In Favourite Programmes Awards, and I was suddenly sitting on the lounge
floor with bated breath, and I could not believe it when I discovered that Mind
Your Language had won the award for best comedy of that year! And they even
showed a still of Barry Evans in the classroom with his students! It had really
made my day and I could not wait any longer! I scanned through my copy of Look
In, and lo and behold Mind Your Language had won the Look In Comedy Award, and
what was more there was a photograph with the cast of Mind Your Language holding
the award, well Barry Evans was holding the award up to be precise! But that
was all that I had to keep me going where Mind Your Language was concerned,
apart from seeing a clip of it, on BBC1 where Jeremy Brown explained to
Giovanni Capello that a polygon was not a
disappearing parrot! I cannot remember exactly what the Children’s Show, was
about now, but it did include clips from old and new comedies and Mind Your
Language was one of them, and it was a real rarity to see a clip from an ITV
comedy on BBC1 in those days, I can tell you! But there was one day during the
Summer, when I happened to be watching an ITV Quiz Show, and that particular,
ITV Quiz Show, had been called: Those Wonderful TV Times, and I think that
Gloria Hunniford, had been, it's Presenter, at the
time, but it was an ITV Quiz Show, that had been, quite popular for a time, but
there have been other quiz shows which have superseded it over the years, like the Former: BBC1: Evening: Game Show: Telly Addicts,
which had been Hosted, by Noel Edmonds, for instance. But to my
utmost surprise, I had noticed, that one, of the Quiz Members, had been, none
other, than the Mind Your Language Star: Francoise Pascal, who had played:
Jeremy Brown’s Love Interest, the Sexy French Student: Danielle Favre'! And
Francoise’s Team, could not, be offered, the questions, about that, etcetera! I
cannot recall the other Quiz Members, to mind now. But anyhow, without any
further ado, there had been, a clip, from Doctor in the House, at long last!
And, that
very first clip, in question, had Barry’s character: Michael Upton, meeting a
panel of Doctors, who were, on the board, of St Swithin’s,
with regard, to him, wanting a place, at St Swithin’s!
And therefore, I had soon worked it out, that I had been watching, a clip, of
the very First episode of Doctor in the House: Why Do You Want To Be A Doctor? And, up until then, I had never even, seen
an episode of Doctor in the House/at Large, even though, I had seen, one or two
episodes of Doctor On The Go, at the time, but that had been about it! And, I
had just not, been able, to see, a full Episode, of Doctor at Large, until
1980! But I will go into, a bit more detail, where that
is concerned! And, so the Panel of Doctors, who had been, on the Board, of St Swithin’s, had also included, non other, than Geoffrey
Loftus (Earnest Clark)! And, he had really given, Michael Upton, a very hard
time, indeed! Loftus had asked Upton, what his interests (i.e:
Leisure Activities), had been, at the time, etcetera! And Upton,
had kindly informed, Loftus, that he was interested, in Current Affairs.
Unfortunately however, Upton, could not answer Loftus’
question about who, the Vice President of the United States of America, had been,
at the time! So for those of you, who are interested, the Vice President of the
United States of America had been: Spiro Agnew, from this brand new emerging
country, as Loftus, has so tactfully put it, to him! Loftus has also asked,
Upton, whether he liked reading, which he did, and he had also asked him, just
exactly what, he was reading, at that point in time! And Upton,
had kindly informed: Loftus, that he was reading: the Private Eye Book of
Boobs, which Loftus, had really felt, was really quite informative, albeit, in
a rather sarcastic manner! And, Loftus, had also, gone on, to ask, Upton, about
what other hobbies, he had got! And Upton, had informed, Loftus,
that he was interested, in Rugby, and dancing, and acting. And Upton, had also gone on, to inform, Loftus, that his
Brother: Terry, is a ballet dancer, with the Royal Ballet! And Upton, also had to reassure, Loftus, that his Brother:
Terry, was married! But that said, however, Upton’s Brother: Terry,
had actually appeared, in the Doctor in the House: Series I: Episode: Keep It
Clean! And Upton’s Brother: Terry, had come, to help Upton, and his Fellow
Medical Students out, because Upton, had been, appointed, as the Producer, by
the Dean, of the Medical School. And, as it had turned out, Upton’s Brother:
Terry, had got, a friend, who was known, as Butch! You do not get, to see,
Butch, in the Doctor in the House: Series I: Episode: Keep It Clean!, but Upton, does speak to him, on the telephone, just
before he speaks, to his Brother: Terry. Loftus had also asked, Upton, if he
was Religious, and Upton, had informed him, that he was: Church of England. C
of E! What else! And Loftus, had eventually got, to the root, of just exactly,
why Upton, had wanted, to be a Doctor, because he could see through, what
Upton’s Father, had suggested, that he say, to the Panel of Doctors, on the
Board, of St Swithin’s, which had been - “Medicine,
has always fascinated me, as a Science”. And Upton, had also gone on, to inform
Loftus, that he had worked, as a Redcoat, at Butlins
(I think, that there may, have been, a tribute, to Cliff Richard, there! Marie
Birch) And quite naturally, Loftus, had kindly informed Upton, that St Swithin’s, was a Hospital, and not, a Holiday Camp! But
that said, however, Upton, had gone on, to inform Loftus, that he liked,
working with people, and that, he had wanted, to do good, for his Fellow Man.
But Loftus, had not, been buying that, especially as he could see, that Upton,
had not, been very convincing, with regard, to his reasons, for wanting, to
become, a Doctor, in the first place! And Loftus, had come right out with it-
“Upton, your Father is a Doctor, and you have never thought, about been
everything else, have you?!” Put like that, Upton,
knew that, he could no longer deny the fact, in question. Fortunately however,
Loftus had insisted, that they would, all look forward, to seeing him, in
September. And, that had been, the end of that particular scene, of the very
first Episode of Doctor in the House: Why Do You Want To Be A Doctor?, had come to a close, where the Former: Quiz Show: Those
Wonderful TV Times, had been concerned!
And now,
that the Contestants, had got, to answer, some questions, with regard, to that
clip, of the very First episode of Doctor in the House: Why Do You Want To Be A Doctor? And the questions, that the Contestants, had
to answer, with regard, to that clip, of the very First episode of Doctor in
the House: Why Do You Want To Be A Doctor?, had been:
Who had been, the Actor, who had played: Michael Upton? And, the answer, to
that, had been: Barry Evans! As one, would expect, naturally, of course! And,
who had been, the Actor, who had played, the Professor of Surgery, at St Swithin’s Hospital? And, the answer, to that, had been:
Earnest Clark. And, who had been, the Actor, who had played, the Dean of St Swithin’s Hospital? And, the answer, to that, had been:
Ralph Michael. And I am afraid, that had been, all that I could remember,
where: Those Wonderful TV Times, had been concerned,
etcetera!
And Barry,
had also, been, a Guest on: The ITV Quiz Show: Those Wonderful TV Times, on the
Bank Holiday: Easter Good Friday the 24th of March: 1978. And, I am ashamed, to
have, to admit, that I had, run away, from the Television, in the Lounge, at my
Parents House, because I had happened, to notice, that Barry, had grown, a
Moustache, at the time, after he had, Finished Filming, the very First Series,
of Mind Your Language, during 1977! And, I am afraid, that I have, never liked,
to see, Men, with Moustaches, when all is said and done! But that said,
however, I am afraid, that I have, deeply regretted, running away, from Barry,
after I had seen, Barry, with his Moustache, at the time, on: The ITV Quiz
Show: Those Wonderful TV Times, on the Bank Holiday: Easter Good Friday the
24th of March: 1978, ever since, then, because I had not, seen, the rest, of:
The ITV Quiz Show: Those Wonderful TV Times, on the Bank Holiday: Easter Good
Friday the 24th of March: 1978, all the way through, at the time, even though,
I had seen: Barry E…, on the End Titles, on: The ITV Quiz Show: Those Wonderful
TV Times, on the Bank Holiday: Easter Good Friday the 24th of March: 1978, at
the very least! And, I had also missed, the first Fifteen minutes, of: The ITV
Quiz Show: Those Wonderful TV Times, on the Bank Holiday: Easter Good Friday
the 24th of March: 1978, when Barry, had been, a Guest, on it, at the time! And
I had only seen, the back end, of: The ITV Quiz Show: Those Wonderful TV Times,
on the Bank Holiday: Easter Good Friday the 24th of March: 1978, anyway, when
all had been said and done! And, a part of me, had been, in denial, that Barry,
had grown, a Moustache, for The ITV Quiz Show: Those Wonderful TV Times, on the
Bank Holiday: Easter Good Friday the 24th of March: 1978, even though, my
curiosity, had got, the better, of me, over the end, especially, as Barry, had
made, very few Guest appearances, on Chat Shows, and Quiz Shows, over the
years, when all had been said and done! But that said, however, I had found
out, via the Internet Movie Database, that it had been, Barry, all along!,
years later!, because I am afraid, that I had not, been sure, that it had been,
Barry, all along, at the time, anyway! But that said, however, Barry had grown,
a Moustache, for the Second Series of Doctor in the House, and I really do
feel, that it, had definitely, not suited him! And that, had been, because his
Fellow Medical Students, had made fun of it, especially, as Paul Collier
(George Layton), had thought, that a Spider, had landed, on Upton’s face, and
he had offered, to put, some Weedkiller, on it! And
maybe, the Moustache, that Barry, had grown, when he had been, on: The ITV Quiz
Show: Those Wonderful TV Times, on the Bank Holiday: Easter Good Friday the
24th of March: 1978, had looked, a lot bushier, than the Moustache, which he
had grown, for Doctor In The House, now that I think of it, looking back, at
it!, when it actually comes down to it, at the end of the day! But that said,
however, that Particular Edition, of Those Wonderful TV Times, had encouraged
me, to get into, the Doctor Series, over the years! And I Reckon,
that had been, well worth it, in the end, when it actually comes down to it, at
the end of the day!
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19TH NOVEMBER 2017
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