Oh, Brother!
| Oh Brother! | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Written by |
David Climie Austin Steele |
| Starring |
Derek Nimmo Felix Aylmer Derek Francis |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC1 |
| Original run | 13 September 1968 – 27 February 1970 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Oh, Father! |
Oh, Brother! is a British situation comedy show on BBC television starring Derek Nimmo, which was broadcast between 1968 and 1970.
Synopsis
The series was set in a monastery, with Nimmo cast as the well-meaning but inept novice Brother Dominic. It was basically a successor to All Gas and Gaiters, where Nimmo had played a very similar role, the main difference being that Brother Dominic was working-class, whereas Nimmo's previous character, Rev. Mervyn Noote, had been upper-class.
Reception
Oh, Brother! was not quite as successful or as affectionately remembered as the earlier programme, although it did last three series containing 19 episodes, only eight of which exist in the BBC archives. The comic potential in a monastery may have been rather limited, although it did benefit from a cast which included some experienced actors, particularly Nimmo himself and Felix Aylmer as Father Abbot.
Episodes
Series 1 (1968)
- The Voice Of The Turtle (13 September 68)
- A House Of Merchandise (20 September 68)
- My Brother's Keeper (27 September 68)
- The Sins Of The Father (4 October 68)
- The Root Of All Evil (11 October 68)
- Treasures On Earth (18 October 68)
Series 2 (1969)
- A Goodly Inheritance (11 April 69)
- Thine House In Order (18 April 69)
- A Mother In Israel (25 April 69)
- Behold This Dreamer (2 May 69)
- An Uncertain Sound (9 May 69)
- In The Beginning (16 May 69)
Series 3 (1970)
- A Still, Small Voice (16 January 70)
- By The Fleshpots (23 January 70)
- The Laughter Of A Fool (30 January 70)
- A Fool Returneth (6 February 70)
- The Hands Of Esau (13 February 70)
- A Stone Of Stumbling (20 February 70)
- The Fullness Of His Days (27 February 70)
Surviving episodes
| Series No' | Ep No' | Title | Broadcast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | Episode 1 | The Voice Of The Turtle | 13/9/68 | |
| Series 3 | Episode 1 | A Still Small Voice | 16/1/70 | |
| Series 3 | Episode 2 | By The Fleshpots | 23/1/70 | |
| Series 3 | Episode 3 | The Laughter Of A Fool | 30/1/70 | |
| Series 3 | Episode 4 | A Fool Returneth | 6/2/70 | |
| Series 3 | Episode 5 | The Hands Of Esau | 13/2/70 | |
| Series 3 | Episode 6 | A Stone For Stumbling | 20/2/70 | |
| Series 3 | Episode 7 | The Fullness Of His Days | 27/2/70 |
DVD release
A Region 2 DVD was released in 2004.[1]
Sequel series
Oh, Brother! was followed by a sequel Oh, Father! in 1973, also starring Nimmo and with the same writers. In this series, Dominic left the monastery and became a Roman Catholic priest. It had a supporting cast of Laurence Naismith, Pearl Hackney and David Kelly. This was not a success and only lasted a single series of seven episodes.