| Wyatt's Watchdogs | |
|---|---|
Opening title |
|
| Format | Comedy |
| Created by | Miles Tredinnick (Writer) Alan J W Bell (Director, Producer) |
| Starring | Brian Wilde Trevor Bannister Anne Ridler April Walker David Jackson James Warrior Tom Radcliffe |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC (produced by BBC Television) |
| Original run | October 17 – November 21, 1988 |
Wyatt's Watchdogs was a 30 minute BBC1 situation comedy that starred Brian Wilde and Trevor Bannister. Created and written by Miles Tredinnick, the six episode series was transmitted in the autumn of 1988. Alan J W Bell directed and the music was composed by Ronnie Hazlehurst.
The show was set in the fictional commuter village of Bradly Bush although actually filmed on location in Claygate, Surrey, England.
Retired soldier Major John Wyatt (Brian Wilde) is spurred into action after his sister Edwina’s (Anne Ridler) home is burgled in broad daylight. Ignoring correct police procedures, he forms his own Neighbourhood Watch group of incompetents and patrols the streets in his Range Rover known locally as the ‘Dogmobile’. The Watch members are a hopeless bunch drawn together to fight crime, and bungling and personality clashes are highly evident. Brian Wilde as Major Wyatt clashes worst of all with Peter Pitt (Trevor Bannister), a smooth-talking womaniser and burglar-alarm salesman. He only has two things in mind - to flog his alarms and meet women! Other regular characters include the glamorous man-eater Virginia (April Walker), an interfering Vicar (David Jackson), and a frustrated police sergeant, Springer (James Warrior).
The show actually had the working title of Every Street Should Have One but this was changed at the last minute to Wyatt's Watchdogs. The reason being that the BBC were transmitting the programme on Monday evenings straight after ITV's Coronation Street but before another BBC show called Streets Apart.
This series was part of the reason Brian Wilde returned to Last of the Summer Wine after falling out with Alan J. W. Bell just before he left Last of the Summer Wine in 1985 they solved their differences and when the time came to film in 1989 due to Michael Aldridge having to leave the show for personal reasons the character of Seymour Utterthwaite had to be replaced and Brian agreed to return as Foggy Dewhurst after solving his differences on this show and stayed for seven more years.
Episode One: One Big, One Not So Big.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Tom Radcliffe, Peter O'Sullevan (voice only), Julia Binstead and Sarah Whitlock.
Episode Two: Getting Out And Spreading The Word.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Noel Johnson, Lisa Bloor, Deborah Lavin, Frank Tregear, Richard Kane, Mary Blatchford, Ian Redford, Margaret Ashley, Helena McCarthy, Gabrielle Blunt and Aimée Delamain.
Episode Three: Mark It Or Bust! (Directed by Andy Smith).
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Eva Stuart, Timothy Carlton and Andrew Reardon.
Episode Four: There Are Fairy Cakes At The Bottom Of My Garden.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Robin Parkinson, Julie Morgan and Diana Fulker.
Episode Five: Just Act Natural.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Frederick Treves, Keith Smith, Russell Wootton, Richard Davies, Belinda Lee, Pamela Dale, Charles Appleby and Frank Tregear.
Episode Six: A Clot On The Landscape.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Clive Mantle, Claire Lacey, Martin Benson and Roger Ostime.
To date the series has not yet been released on DVD.