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SERIES 5 - First broadcast 19711. The Bishop Warms Up No synopsis yet. TV version first broadcast: 13th May 1971 (B&W telerecording
still exists) 2. The Bishop Entertains No synopsis yet. TV version first broadcast: 20th May 1971 (B&W telerecording
still exists) 3. The Bishop Gives A Present No synopsis yet. TV version first broadcast: 27th May 1971 (episode still exists) 4. The Bishop Shows His Loyalty No synopsis yet. TV version first broadcast: 3rd Jun 1971 (episode still exists) 5. The Bishop Has A Rest It is Saturday afternoon. The Bishop and the Archdeacon are looking forward to a quiet nap after a disappointing lunch of stewed mince served up by Noote, it being the housekeeper's day off. The Archdeacon informs the Bishop that it is his turn for the comfy chair, as the Bishop has gone to sleep in it for the past two Saturdays in a row. Miffed, the Bishop settles onto the sofa. Noote comes in, togged up in the housekeeper's apron and gloves. He is bitter at having been left all the washing up to do again after having done all the cooking. And as well as the washing up from lunch, there is last night's dinner, the cocoa jug from supper, not forgetting the rice pudding dish from lunch... The Archdeacon interrupts Noote's rant. He can't remember any pudding. That's because Noote forgot to serve it and left it in the oven, the chaplain informs them. But with a bit of soaking they may be able to chip the old rice pudding off the bowl... The Bishop tells Noote he and the Archdeacon have important things to discuss and so won't be able to help him with the washing up. The important things to discuss are revealed when Noote has gone out of the room to confront the washing-up – a pair of inflatable pillows they can go to sleep on pulled from the Archdeacon's briefcase. The clanging and crashing of cathedral bells rudely shatter the peace, however. Rushing out to discover what is causing the awful noise, the three are confronted by the Dean, who is collecting funds to start a new bell-ringing society. Noote points out that bell ringing at St Ogg's has been banned under an edict of a former Dean. The Dean points out that he can overturn the decisions of a previous incumbent. Besides, he promises they will only ring the bells for 30 minutes on a Sunday morning... The Bishop and Archdeacon are happier after they realise this, and the Bishop removes all objections. He and the Archdeacon are, after all, on parochial visits on Sunday mornings. As peace is about to break out between them, the Dean points out that to achieve excellence for their 30 minute sessions on a Sunday, they will need to have to practice for 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon... Annoyed as he has already removed all his objections, the Bishop and the Archdeacon storm back into the Bishop's study. Noote joins them and points out that the original interdiction on bell ringing was imposed because of fears that the cathedral's 14th century tower would collapse because of the reverberations. Deciding enough is enough, the triumvirate storm up to the bell tower, where they interrupt the Dean, his wife and the other bell ringers in mid swing. They tell him of their fears, but the Dean stills their arguments by telling them he has already had the tower investigated by an engineer who has declared it safe. Besides, the 14th century tower was rebuilt and strengthened by the Victorians. As they leave the tower, Noote notices a crack in the wall. Once more, the three interrupt the Dean and the bell ringers mid pull. The Dean, upset at the crack, rushes off to call an engineer for advice. While waiting for his return, Mrs Pugh-Critchley notices the crack is in fact a large cobweb. Annoyed by their mistake, and fearing the Dean's reaction when he finds out there is no crack after all, the Bishop, Noote and the Archdeacon return to the palace. There they are met by a contrite Pugh-Critchley, who reveals that while he was on the phone to the engineer, his wife had come in and noticed a crack in the Deanery wall. It seems it was this building that was threatened by the bell ringing in the past, not the tower. Bell ringing will continue at St Ogg's, but not for three months, while work to strengthen the Deanery takes place. In the meantime, can the Pugh-Critchley's beg a favour? The Bishop assures them they can ask anything of him provided the cathedral bells won't ring for three months... And is horrified when he finds he has agreed to let the bell ringers practice in his study on Saturday afternoons with handbells... Offered the choice of joining the bell ringers or helping Noote with the washing up, the Bishop and the Archdeacon dash off to become campanologists. This is one of the happiest of the surviving TV episodes. The script is light and beautifully played by all, particularly by Joan Sanderson and John Barron as the Pugh-Critchley's who constantly have their bell ringing interrupted. There is also lovely playing by Robertson Hare, who as the Archdeacon comes in part way through a conversation on bell ringing and imagines he is listening to salacious revelations about the love life of the Dean and his wife, not to mention Nimmo, who is at his most put-upon as Noote. TV version first broadcast: 10th Jun 1971 (episode still exists) 6. The Bishop Loses His Chaplain No synopsis yet. TV version first broadcast: 17th Jun 1971 (episode still exists) |
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© 2008 British Sitcom Guide. No reproduction without permission.
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Broadcast dates provided by Ian Beard. Page author: Adam Jezard
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ALL GAS AND GAITERS
