"The Galton & Simpson Playhouse" (1977) TV series

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

17 February 1977 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A series of seven individual sitcom pilots from writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom

Cast

Charles Gray	...	Charles (1 episode, 1977)
Arthur Lowe	...	Henry Duckworth (1 episode, 1977)
Freddie Jones	...	Peter (1 episode, 1977)
Mona Washbourne	...	Ethel Duckworth (1 episode, 1977)
Anton Diffring	...	Heinz Steiner (1 episode, 1977)
Edwin Apps		(1 episode, 1977)
Susan Baker		(1 episode, 1977)
Roy Barraclough	...	Eric (1 episode, 1977)
John Bird		(1 episode, 1977)
Richard Briers	...	Henry (1 episode, 1977)
Edwin Brown		(1 episode, 1977)
Fanny Carby	...	Linda (1 episode, 1977)
John Cazabon		(1 episode, 1977)
Norman Chappell		(1 episode, 1977)
Maria Charles		(1 episode, 1977)
Peggy Ann Clifford		(1 episode, 1977)
John Clive		(1 episode, 1977)
Nicholas Courtney		(1 episode, 1977)
Geoffrey Davion		(1 episode, 1977)
Frances de la Tour		(1 episode, 1977)
Ed Devereaux	...	Percy (1 episode, 1977)
Arnold Diamond		(1 episode, 1977)
Robert Dorning		(1 episode, 1977)
Freddie Earlle		(1 episode, 1977)
Claire Faulconbridge		(1 episode, 1977)
Gerald Flood		(1 episode, 1977)
Alan Freeman		(1 episode, 1977)
Frank Gatliff		(1 episode, 1977)
Robert Gillespie		(1 episode, 1977)
David Goodland		(1 episode, 1977)
Lois Hantz		(1 episode, 1977)
John Harvey		(1 episode, 1977)
Linda Hayden		(1 episode, 1977)
Patricia Hayes	...	Granny (1 episode, 1977)
Robin Hunter		(1 episode, 1977)
Edward Kemp		(1 episode, 1977)
Roy Kinnear	...	Richard Burton (1 episode, 1977)
André Maranne		(1 episode, 1977)
Henry McGee		(1 episode, 1977)
Penny Meredith		(1 episode, 1977)
Warren Mitchell	...	Albert (1 episode, 1977)
Aubrey Morris		(1 episode, 1977)
Michael O'Hagan		(1 episode, 1977)
Robin Parkinson		(1 episode, 1977)
Pauline Peart		(1 episode, 1977)
Gillian Raine	...	Joyce (1 episode, 1977)
Leonard Rossiter	...	Jim (1 episode, 1977)
David Rowlands		(1 episode, 1977)
Nicola Rowley		(1 episode, 1977)
John Sharp		(1 episode, 1977)
Kim Smith	...	Son (1 episode, 1977)
Harry Tardios		(1 episode, 1977)
Jan Waters		(1 episode, 1977)
Sally Watkins	...	Daughter (1 episode, 1977)
Lockwood West		(1 episode, 1977)
Alister Williamson		(1 episode, 1977)
Maggie Wright	...	Frau Steiner (1 episode, 1977)

Runtime:

UK:30 min (7 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Yorkshire Television (YTV)

Movie Connections:

Remade as "Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's..." (1996)

More like a Playmansion

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

A truly brilliant television series of seven individual sitcom episodes starring a big name written by the Godfather's of the British sitcom, Galton and Simpson.

Episode one 'Car Along the Pass' sees Arthur Lowe play Henry Duckworth, he's stuck in a ski-lift with a bunch of foreigners over the Alps so there's a chance to show these foreigners the British way of life. Episode two 'Swap you One of Those for One of These' is also about a Henry, a Henry Fairlane played by Richard Briers who attempts to take his wife to a wife swapping party. Episode three tells the story of Peter and Charles (Freddie Jones and Charles Gray) who do everything together until Peter mentions his wedding plans. Episode four 'Naught for thy Comfort' tells the story of Richard Burton (not the great actor) played by Roy Kinnear, as he uses alcohol as the perfect way to get over his wife leaving him. Episode five 'Variation on a Theme' tells a lovers relationship on a park bench between a man and a woman played by John Bird and Frances De La Tour. Episode 6 'I Tell you It's Burt Reynolds' tells the story of Jim played by Leonard Rossiter, who goes to great lengths to say an actor with a small part in 'McMillan & Wife' is Burt Reynolds and episode seven 'Big Deal at York City' tells the story of Albert Cakebread played by Warren Mitchell, who gets involved in a bit of poker on a train.

What a marvellous series that thankfully Network have bought out on DVD. There is no doubt about it, it helps when you know who you are writing for and what great actors Galton and Simpson had. It had my all time favourite actor Arthur Lowe along with fellow comedy legends: Rossiter, Mitchell, De La Tour, Briers and Kinnear. Galton and Simpson got the parts right for playing the part, as it is unlikely to imagine anybody but Arthur Lowe play Henry Duckworth for example and it would be unlikely to imagine Arthur Lowe playing the sex mad Richard Briers character in 'Swap you One of those for one of these' though it would have been amusing, it wouldn't have happened. 'Car Along the Pass' was brilliant, with brilliant British loyalty from Arthur Lowe, 'Swap you One of those for one of these' was great stuff from sex addict Richard Briers and he is very much like Sid James in this episode, in fact the plot resembles 'Carry On Camping' In fact had it not been for Sid's death in 1976, there would be a fine chance he would have played Henry Fairlane. Next up 'Cheers' was very well written and showed great satire to these posh 'How Lovely' bars. 'Naught for thy Comfort' saw a terrific breathless performance from Roy Kinnear and you felt for him in the episode. 'Variations for Comfort' was very clever comedy from Galton and Simpson. 'I Tell You it's Burt Reynolds' was one joke comedy at its finest and was hilariously funny, brilliant acting from Leonard Rossiter and 'Big Deal at York City' was a very exciting episode and great stuff from Warren Mitchell. The old card game cheating was explored by Galton and Simpson in the 1963 'Steptoe & Son' episode 'Full House' and later portrayed by John Sullivan in the 'Only Fools and Horses' episode 'A Losing Streak' It was a great series and has been a gem to watch. Professor Stahlman mentioned that it was a big achievement that Galton and Simpson had such great recognition to get there names in the title and I definitely agree. He says even Johnny Speight didn't manage it. That is actually untrue. He wrote a 1969 one of sketch show called 'Spate of Speight' starring Eric Sykes, but this was a one off, not a series. Galton and Simpson also managed it in the sixties with 'Galton and Simpson Comedy' As far as writing partnerships go,Galton and Simpson are probably my second favourite, beaten only by Perry & Croft. Best Episode: A very hard one as I'm stuck between 'Car Along the Pass' and 'I Tell you it's Burt Reynolds' If pushed (though my mind changes all the time), I'm going for I Tell you it's Burt Reynolds, Series 1 episode 6.