Oh Doctor Beeching!

[quadrophenia]

Is it available on DVD I remember quite liking it!

[jonboy]

I bought the DVD set from Amazon a few years ago, there are no extras just the episodes, it did contain the pilot where Jack's wife May was played by Sherry Hewson but I see its been re-packaged so I don't know if it still does.

[nunky]

I normally like Sherrie Hewson but much prefer Julia Deakin as May.

[Col]

The opening theme tune doesn't have much of a 'railway' feel about it in my opinion, and I do prefer the version at the end with the lyrical content. Any idea why that version wasn't used in the opening credits when a few comedies attributed to Croft/Perry do seem to favour lyrics in the main theme tune? 

[JM2461]

Feb 5, 2017 3:25:09 GMT 12 Col said:

The opening theme tune doesn't have much of a 'railway' feel about it in my opinion, and I do prefer the version at the end with the lyrical content. Any idea why that version wasn't used in the opening credits when a few comedies attributed to Croft/Perry do seem to favour lyrics in the main theme tune? 

It doesn't answer your question, but I was watching Oh, Mr Porter (1937), a few weeks ago and the opening song in that movie is the same tune that the song in the closing credits are in Oh, Doctor Beeching, with of course different words. I was thinking it sounded familiar.

I first remember seeing Oh, Doctor Beeching in the late-90s in Australia late one night about 11pm and wondering what the hell it was. Then I saw the credits and some familiar faces and thought it was some old show I'd missed, but was amazed it was new. 

Having been a train driver (and railway worker) for many years at the time I could relate to the show and found it interesting. I started at a rural station fairly similar to that when I was 16, but I think I was a bit smarter than that dopey young one they had in the show. 

[Dave Homewood]

The tune from Oh Mr Porter was suggested to David Croft by Paul Shane, who was a fan of the old movie (as was David).

[jonboy]

Another good reason for using the old Oh Mr Porter tune would be it would be out of copyright so you could change the words and not have to pay a penny for using it ?

[Col]

Mar 9, 2017 4:32:16 GMT 12 jonboy said:

Another good reason for using the old Oh Mr Porter tune would be it would be out of copyright so you could change the words and not have to pay a penny for using it ?

That's a good point. Maybe that was the thinking in the radio series of Dad's Army when the band theme was used and not the Bud Flanagan version? Having said that, I've no idea if royalties are still paid when a contributer to a song has passed away.

[Alan Hayes]

Probably my views on Oh Doctor Beeching are out of kilter with most people here, but I rather like it! I've breezed through all 19 episodes on DVD (bar the original pilot which was absent from the set) in just three days.

I remember watching and enjoying the series when it first aired and was disappointed when it didn't return for a third run.

Certainly, it's not in the same league as the Croft and Perry series, but in my opinion it's a step up from the Croft and Lloyd ones. The biggest drawback is that the characters are all paper thin - and are each driven by one or two defining characteristics - Jack's paranoia about his wife, Parkin's romantic wooing of his past love, Ethel's desire for a man (any man!), Harry's annoyance about having to fit in "ruddy trains" between his odd jobs, etc, etc.

I agree with others in the thread about the excruciatingly unfunny "My husband was a train driver, you know," uttered by Vera in almost every episode. Each time, these remarks elicit a burst of laughter from the studio audience, and each time I failed to see why. The same effect - of someone who repeats the same stories ad infinitum - could have been achieved more subtly and without the use of the same line, over and over.

Despite this, the series IS funny (to me at least) and the 1963 setting is a pleasant one to spend the occasional half-hour in. The Hatley Station location (in reality Arley Station on the Severn Valley Railway) is gorgeous, as is the steam locomotive. The crane shots at the beginning of each episode show the location to its best advantage - I really must visit one day.

Of course what makes the series eminently watchable for me is the cast, composed of familiar faces from Croft and Perry shows - Paul Shane, Su Pollard, Jeffrey Holland, Barbara New, Ivor Roberts, Perry Benson - and welcome newcomers like Stephen Lewis (who makes me laugh here much more than he ever did in the awful On the Buses) and Julia Deakin (who was later a favourite character of mine in Spaced).

Poignant final episode of course, in the light of recent news, with the wonderful Windsor Davies appearing as the Hatley Mayor. (And arguably not being given material that really allowed him to shine.)

All in all, I have to say I do love this series, find it a very easy show to watch and return to, but can see its faults as well as its strengths.

[Alan Hayes]

As an aside, this thread title is incorrect: It's "Oh Doctor Beeching!", not "Oh! Doctor Beeching!".

[Dave Homewood]

Sorted.

[Andy Howells]

I recall David Croft telling me how disappointed it wasn't picked up for a third series at one of the Dad's Army Bressingham events.

I only have the first series on DVD, was disappointed the original pilot isn't on there despite it saying otherwise on the sleeve!

[Alan Hayes]

I think the confusion arises from it being remade at the start of the series (unless it was different - I've not seen it since its first showing).

[Dave Homewood]

My understanding is the pilot and the remade pilot were pretty much identical except for the substituted actress as one of the ladies in the pilot could not do the series so they remade her scenes.

[Alan Hayes]

Yes, that's my understanding. Sherrie Hewson wasn't available for the series, so they cast Julia Deakin in her place.

[dwhall2511]

I loved this show at the time. Remember one episode was delayed on 31 August 1997 as Diana died.

[jonboy]

I think they did play around with the scheduling of the second series , It was on Sunday teatime to start with

[dwhall2511]

Sept 2, 2019 5:58:04 GMT 12 jonboy said:

I think they did play around with the scheduling of the second series , It was on Sunday teatime to start with

It was delayed because of broadcast of the World Athletics Championships and Diana's death.

[neilold]

I always assumed the su Pollard version was a rework of the old Mari Lloyd version. Which was also reworked for oh Mr porter. The lyrics to the Pollard version are similar to Lloyd's, only with beaching being a naughty man rather than Lloyd being a silly girl