Doctor In The House

Doctor In The House

1969 - United Kingdom

Top-notch comedy series whose memory was devalued by later spin-offs including an ill-advised revival (Doctor at the Top) in 1991. Mind you, with an original scriptwriting team that included John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden and Jonathan Lynn, (Chapman and Garden were both qualified doctors themselves) you would expect nothing less. 

This sitcom was based on Richard Gordon's series of books and had previously been adapted for the cinema starting with a 1954 production starring Dirk Bogarde as medical student Simon Sparrow. Frank Muir, then head of comedy at the newly formed ITV franchise LWT commissioned the series, which starred Barry Evans (later to appear in Mind Your Language but now sadly deceased) as the lead character, now named Michael Upton. 

To accompany him were an assortment of unlikely students including Geoffrey Davies as the posh and sometimes snooty -but always work-shy, Dick Stuart-Clark, Robin Nedwell as Duncan Waring (the character took centre stage after Evans left the series in 1972) and George Layton as Paul Collier. Opposition came in the form of Richard O'Sullivan as the whimpish and slimy Laurence Bingham who was always buttering up to his superiors, not least of all Professor Geoffrey Loftus (Ernest Clark) who was the TV equivalent to James Robinson-Justice's Sir Lancelot Spratt in the cinema. The action took place within the fictitious walls and wards of St Swithin's whilst exterior scenes were shot outside true-life Wanstead Hospital (long since converted into residential apartments). 

Doctor In The House

Guest stars in the series included David Jason, James Beck and Susan George, whilst Martin Shaw appeared as a regular character in season one and Jonathan Lynn (who went on to co-write the superb Yes, Minister) did the same in season two. However, and perhaps more significantly, in series three (re-titled Doctor at Large), John Cleese included in one of his scripts a rather rude hotel keeper. One of the writers on that series, Bernard McKenna remembers: "I was at a dress rehearsals at LWT sitting with H.Barclay and J. Cleese for (the) episode about a bonkers hotel manager that Upton (Barry Evans) was having problems with when the producer Humphrey Barclay said to John 'There's a series in that hotel owner'...I remember John being sceptical! The rest is history..."

Published on December 7th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

The Bulldog Breed

A single series of seven comedies about Tom, the perennial optimist, as he wanders through life leaving chaos in his wake totally oblivious to the problems he causes for everyone.

Also tagged Britcom

Surgical Spirit

Sheila Sabatini is a brilliant surgeon, but her sharp tongue gets her into trouble with fellow consultant surgeons, mainly because she likes to unearth their lazy and hypocritical behaviour at every opportunity

Also tagged Medical Comedy

The Professionals

"Anarchy, acts of terror, crimes against the public. To combat it I've got special men - experts from the army, the police, from every service. These are The Professionals."

Also starring Martin Shaw

Now Look Here

Ronnie Corbett as a bachelor who fails to break the ties with his domineering and emotionally manipulative mother, even after he marries

Also starring Richard Osullivan

Counterstrike

An alien 'agent', Simon King, sent to Earth by an intergalactic council posing as a journalist in order to unmask refugees from a dying planet, who wanted to take over the world.

Also released in 1969

Citizen James

Sid James in his first TV series after Hancock. Written by Galton and Simpson.

Also tagged Britcom

Kindly Leave the Kerb

A failed sitcom - three times over. Despite the sublime talents of Ronnie Barker, Richard O'Sullivan, Peter Jones, Peter Butterworth, Brian Murphy and Roy Kinnear, no one could raise a laugh from this dreary comedy concept

Also starring Richard Osullivan

Man About The House

A male student shares a flat with two attractive girls with hilarious consequences.

Also tagged Richard Osullivan

Ernest Clark

Ernest Clark, renowned as one of Britain's most distinguished actors, effortlessly navigated between the works of Shakespeare and his memorable portrayal in the smash hit Doctor in the House

Also starring Ernest Clark