Oh, Doctor Beeching!

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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 line of 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 (Julia Deakin) 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 grown-up 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 director of the railway.

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 over whether Gloria is actually Jack and May’s daughter, or a 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.

The original pilot later had sections re-filmed, with Julia Deakin replacing Sherrie Hewson as May, and shown as the first episode in the regular run.

The programme ran for two series, although the final episode did not conclude by answering whether the station was closed.

Episodes

Characters

Cecil Parkin, 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 tries 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, station porter. Jack is the 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 Mr. Parkin and shows it. He is an ex-soldier with a limp, from a wound he received during the war (only not in battle- we learn that his leg was wounded when he was thrown out of a pub and the landlady slammed the door on his foot).

Ethel Schumman, 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 interest in the regular commuter, Amy.

Harry Lambert, the signalman. He is eternally miserable. Because trains come through Hatley only two or three times a day, he operates numerous sidelines from his box- growing vegetables, mending bikes and clocks, rearing farm animals for the staff's dinners, and taking bets.

May Skinner, buffet manageress.

Vera Plumtree, 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, Ethel's son. Most of the time comes across as extremely stupid, but occasionally shows unusual signs of intelligence- it is Wilfred who finds Arnold's wife when she goes missing.

Gloria Skinner, 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. Jack is as jealous of her as May, however- he will let no man in the station take Gloria out.

Percy, 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 2 that he keeps promising to take Ethel out, but never does.

Arnold Thomas, 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, 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, Friend of Gloria's, in most episodes. She is Percy's main love interest.

Mr. Orkindale, The District Inspector. Dislikes Mr. Parkin as much as everyone else, and in Episode 17 cheats him out of a -place on the bowls club outing, just so he can have a few extra drinks.

Lady Lawrence, a rich woman who lives nearby, appears in two episodes. In episode 6, she comes to collect her horse, Leo, and in episode 18, she comes to the station to meet Dr. Beeching- who turns out to be her gynaecologist, suggesting that she is pregnant.

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!

Cast

• Paul Shane as Jack Skinner, the porter
• Julia Deakin as May Skinner, buffet manageress; played by Sherrie Hewson in the original pilot
• Jeffrey Holland as Cecil Parkin, the station master
• Stephen Lewis as Harry Lambert, the signalman
• Su Pollard as Ethel Schumann, the booking clerk
• Paul Aspen as Wilfred Schumann, the junior porter
• Ivor Roberts as Arnold Thomas, the engine driver
• Perry Benson as Ralph, the fireman
• Barbara New as Vera Plumtree of Railway Cottages
• Terry John as Percy, the train guard
• Lindsay Grimshaw as Gloria Skinner, daughter of May and Jack (or is it May and Cecil?)
• Tara Daniels as Amy Matlock, regular train commuter and Gloria's friend (semi-regular)

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 ticket collector Bernie Bleasdale. 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.

DVD release

The first series was released on DVD in 2004, with the second series released on DVD 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 the Internet Movie Database
• BBC Comedy Guide: Oh, Doctor Beeching!
• British Sitcom Guide