TV's first ecclesiastical comedy, All Gas and Gaiters was enjoyed by over 10 million viewers on BBC One between 1966 and 1971. Written by husband-and-wife-team Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps, it was so popular that a selection of scripts were revised and re-recorded for radio with the same star cast as the television series.
Robertson Hare starred as the Archdeacon of the fictional St Ogg's Cathedral. An elderly gentleman fond of a tipple and with an eye for the ladies, he shares the cloisters with his clerical companions, the easy-going Bishop (William Mervyn) and the naïve, accident-prone Chaplain (Derek Nimmo and Jonathan Cecil). All they want is a quiet life – but this wish is constantly thwarted by the overbearing Dean (John Barron), and all too often, chaos and confusion abound as they are caught up in a series of hilarious misadventures.
This collection comprises all 33 episodes of the classic comedy. Among the guest stars are David Jason, Richard Caldicot, Doris Hare, Hugh Paddick, Deryck Guyler and Julia McKenzie.
Written by Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps
Produced by David Hatch and John Dyas
Cast
Archdeacon........................Robert Hare
Bishop........................William Mervyn
Bishop's Chaplain (The Reverend Mervyn Noote)........................Derek Nimmo/Jonathan Cecil
Dean........................John Barron
Please note: the sound quality of this title may vary due to the age of the recordings