Oh Doctor Beeching!

[dieselbashdave]

Hi all,

I've just recently found Dr Beeching on YouTube (pretty funny stuff ) and I'm wondering if anyone knows whether scenes were actually filmed on the actual train (when it comes to things like the driver and fireman in the cab talking) or whether it was a mockup in the studio with blue-screening instead?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Oh I remember that series when it was shown on BBC1 brand new; my favourite scene is dopey Wilf getting caught in a semaphore signal while attending to the lamp...

 

[theblackwatch]

The station itself was Arley on the Severn Valley I think (long time since I saw the programme though) - the terraced houses aren't there in reality though!

 

[dieselbashdave]

Oh I remember that series when it was shown on BBC1 brand new; my favourite scene is dopey Wilf getting caught in a semaphore signal while attending to the lamp...

Yeah that was "Horse Play"; hilarious. Love it when Ethel shouts "give over!" at the fire extinguisher whilst it begins interjecting Mr Parkin's rant, along with everyone telling Harry his signal's smoking!

I'll have to buy the box set some-time from Amazon to keep myself occupied over the summer!

 

[ACE1888]

Enjoyed that series, shame it's not repeated on Gold or a 'retro' channel like it...

 

[Aictos]

It's a pity that it only ran to 2 series, it really had the potential to run to 4 series.

What really killed it off was the demand then as is the case now for reality TV to be mass produced so people in charge in TV land went for quantity rather then quality as a former teacher used to state at school.

It's quite enjoyable and funny in parts especially when Harry smiles, it's the same smile he used in Holiday on the Buses as he acts the role of the security inspector at a holiday camp and on the first day instructs his staff to smile!

The other scene I loved with Harry was with the tax inspector comes to see Mr Parkin, her fiancée and Harry comes up with all excuses possible to explain his business dealings.

 

[GearJammer]

I got both series on DVD box set, they crack me up everytime, especially when Parkin tries to get that dopey bloke to knock and wait at a door for the 'come in' responce, funny as, lol

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I told my wife to look at some of the clips avaiable on YouTube and she wants me to thank "dieselbashdave" for putting this thread on as a reminder. She said it brought back memories of a very funny series, with "Peggy" and Paul Shane from Hi-di-Hi", the Inspector from "On the buses" who ended up working for "Auntie Wainwright" in Last of the Summer Wine, plus many other well known faces, whose joint acting talents made for a superb series.

 

[dieselbashdave]

I told my wife to look at some of the clips avaiable on YouTube and she wants me to thank "dieselbashdave" for putting this thread on as a reminder. She said it brought back memories of a very funny series, with "Peggy" and Paul Shane from Hi-di-Hi", the Inspector from "On the buses" who ended up working for "Auntie Wainwright" in Last of the Summer Wine, plus many other well known faces, whose joint acting talents made for a superb series.

Glad Mrs Sidorczuk is having a good time on YT

As my dad said just the other day, they don't make comedies like they used to nowadays sadly. David Croft also gave us Allo Allo, Are You Being Served and something else that has slipped my mind at the moment!
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Incidentally Richard Spendlove (co-writer of Oh Dr B) was also a stationmaster in the BR days apparently, if Wikipedia's anything to go by.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

As my dad said just the other day, they don't make comedies like they used to nowadays sadly. David Croft also gave us Allo Allo, Are You Being Served and something else that has slipped my mind at the moment!

Your dad and I have much in common. You could know how good a series was if David Croft was involved with the making of any series. I still remember "It aint half hot mum" set in an overseas British military camp where the soldiers were all part of a group who really were "end-of-the-pier entertainers" with a very strict Welsh sergeant-major. Don Estelle was one of the group. I think that David Croft was also concerned with You rang m'Lord and possibly with Hi-de-Hi (but I am not really sure of that one).

 

[dieselbashdave]

IAHHM, wasn't Windsor Davies (Welsh megaphone on legs lol) in that? I remember him from Carry On England as Sgt Major "Tiger", being chased by Joan Sims and from the Wispa advert (courtesy of YouTube).

 

[Aictos]

Incidentally Richard Spendlove (co-writer of Oh Dr B) was also a stationmaster in the BR days apparently, if Wikipedia's anything to go by.

If you actually take a look at his official site @ www.richardspendlove.com and read his biography (click here)

You will see he was in fact for 35 years a railwayman arriving in Cambridge when appointed Relief Station Master in 1963 which made him one of the youngest to ever be appointed.

 

[dieselbashdave]

Cool thanks for that link, it's very informative and interesting. It puts flesh on the bones of Mr Spendlove He was quite good as Mr Orkindale in Oh Dr B, sarcastic and cold yet hilarious and just in time with his witticisms (however you spell it!).