From Richard Spendlove, and David Croft, writer of Dad s Army and Hi-de-Hi!, Oh Doctor Beeching! has been a firm favourite with millions of British comedy fans. Arriving in 1963, please alight at the small branch railway station of Hatley, threatened with closure under the Beeching Axe. Paul Shane stars as porter Jack Skinner, married to the café-managing May (Julia Deakin), who was once in a close relationship with new station master Cecil Parkin (Jeffrey Holland). Also on the platform of this quaint and quirky railway station are May's daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw), booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Su Pollard) and signalman, and jack-of-all-trades (all of them off the books), Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis). Over 19 fun-filled episodes, Oh Doctor Beeching! celebrates everything that was great about Britain and the British Railway, back when the greatest challenge in rail travel was getting a decent cup of tea.
D**E
Blast from The past
I saw this in my suggestions the other day and remember like watching it during the summer of 1996 but never saw the whole series or the second one I was like 11 years old.But 23 years later I am finally able to rewatch it :)So I remember the odd episodes but since receiving this boxset I have watched the first complete first series and onto the second one while i write this review. I have found this comedy Oh Doctor Beeching just full of laughs from start to finish. Forgot it was based in the 60s well when I was a kid that never really Dawned on me when watching it in the 90s. But if you do buy this boxset you will absolutely love it. See all the workers on Hatley Station and worried about there jobs if there train station closes. How skinners wife knows the new station manager as she had a fling with him before he went to war. The brilliant Su Pollard playing the ticket Clark. Will say it again love this comedy and in 2019 it has brought me tons of laughter. Might have to buy some more golden oldies comedies :)
S**D
Terrific series - but where's the original pilot?
The last series from the pen of the marvellous David Croft (Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Hi-De-Hi!, You Rang M'Lord). While it doesn't quite hit the heights of those series, which Croft co-wrote with Jimmy Perry, it's still hugely enjoyable and like those series takes a period setting and makes you want to be a part of it.The cast is excellent, particularly Jeffrey Holland, Paul Shane and Su Pollard, all of Hi-De-Hi! fame, and Stephen Lewis of On the Buses also puts in memorable and very funny regular appearances.DVD quality is excellent throughout. However, even after several reissues and changes of video label, there is still no sign of the original pilot episode aired on the BBC, and this would have made a nice bonus feature. Not something to put anyone off, though. Plenty to enjoy in this steam railway set comedy as the characters try desperately to keep their little country station open in the 1960s era of Dr Beeching's infamous cuts to British railways.
M**R
Delivery caused damage
The discs were fine, but the dvd case got broken as the delivery driver tried to squeeze it through my letterbox. They didn't even knock, just forced it through and I heard cracking. I wasn't able to get to the door so couldn't even speak to the driver. This was a gift for my partners birthday. Not impressed. But no complaints about the seller. It would be nice if the drivers were less aggressive with our parcels, this isn't the first time sadly. But we are thoroughly enjoying watching it again.
V**A
Underrated sitcom
The writing credentials for this sitcom are impeccable and include Dad’s Army and Hi Di Hi. Taking a number of cast from the latter, this is set in England at the time the railway services were being savaged by Beecham. I’m old enough to remember small country railway stations with a stationmaster, porters, a cafe and every such station was attended to with pride by those who managed it. They were clean, often picturesque and a vital link in isolated communities.This four disc set has around 9 hours of viewing and captures the essence of a very different way of life. It’s filled with observational humour and social comment. Just as one might expect from the writers. It’s a series now largely forgotten but it deserves a wider audience. Well worth a look; well developed characters and enough gentle humour to keep your interest.
Y**R
A Great British TV Comedy classic!
This is a very funny British comedy series written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, set in the early 1960s when the Transport Minister, Doctor Beeching, was busy streamlining the uneconomical railway network by closing most of the rural branch-lines. It stars three of the popular cast from “Hi-De-Hi!” and “You Rang, M’Lord?”, Paul Shane, Su Pollard and Jeffrey Holland - and is a must for every devotee of British Television Comedy!
M**.
Simply Brilliant
Underrated piece of fantastic British comedy from the Hi-De-Hi gang. Julia Deakin fits right in with this fabulous ensemble piece and is instantly elevated to comedy legend. The whole cast are great, the scripts are witty, the sets are beautiful.Although set in 1963, the comedy itself is timeless. If you love Hi-De-Hi and You Rang M'lord, you will adore this too.I think this is one of the funniest sitcoms this country has ever produced and is one of the last of the great, traditional British sitcoms.
D**G
A Forgotten Gem
Another wonderfully warm series from David Croft. An ensemble comedy which brings together many favourites to create an escape from modernity. In my opinion a greatly underrated series worthy of standing next to the late Major Crofts other work.
B**D
Oh Doctor Beeching
OK, never watched it first time around and for me it doesn't really tick the boxes in terms of nostalgia or being very funny, the cast is mainly composed of those from hi di hi, which worked well, but this series doesn't have anything like the same comedy factor or nostalgia and the presence of the guy who was in on the buses playing the same role only in a signal box detracts further from itOverall disappointing, with better scripts and maybe made more like a drama with some amusing parts it might have been interesting and far more enjoyable as it is it leaves me thinking I could have found better options
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