Seven of One

Seven of One
Created by Ronnie Barker
Starring Ronnie Barker
Composer(s) Max Harris
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 7
Production
Running time 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel BBC2
Original run 25 March – 6 May 1973

Seven of One is a British comedy series that aired on BBC2 in 1973. Starring Ronnie Barker, 7 of One is a series of seven separate comedies that would serve as possible pilots for sitcoms. Originally it was to be called Six of One, which Barker planned to follow up with another series called Half Dozen of the Other. This was a BBC version of a similar showcase for LWT called Six Dates with Barker created in 1971.

In addition to Barker, 7 of One also featured Roy Castle, Bill Maynard, Talfryn Thomas, Prunella Scales, Glynn Edwards, Joan Sims, Keith Chegwin, Leslie Dwyer, Robin Parkinson, Sam Kelly, Christopher Biggins, Richard O'Callaghan, Yootha Joyce and Avis Bunnage in supporting roles. The series was released on BBC DVD in 2005.

List of episodes

"Open All Hours"
Arkwright, a miserly North-country shopkeeper and his put-upon nephew Granville (David Jason). Written by Roy Clarke
"Prisoner and Escort"
Norman Stanley Fletcher, a career criminal and his escorts — soft-hearted Mr Barrowclough (Brian Wilde) and authoritarian Mr Mackay (Fulton Mackay) going up to prison. Written by Dick Clement & Ian Le Frenais
"My Old Man"
An embittered former train driver is forced to leave his condemned home, and decides to go to live with his daughter and her "posh" husband by the railway. Written by Gerald Frow
"Spanner's Eleven"
The tale of ailing football team Ashfield Athletic and its trainer, local cabbie/hot-dog salesman/chauffeur Norman Spanner. Written by Roy Clarke
"Another Fine Mess"
Ronnie Barker and Roy Castle as two Laurel and Hardy impersonators who become their characters as an evening's farcical events escalate around them. Written by Hugh Leonard
"One Man's Meat"
A man is forced to go on a starvation diet by his wife (Prunella Scales). Written by Jack Goetz
"I'll Fly You for a Quid"
A Welsh family, the Owens, who bet on absolutely everything and anything, discover that their grandfather backed a winner on the day he died — but where is the betting slip? This pilot gave Ronnie Barker the idea for The Magnificent Evans (1984). Written by Dick Clement & Ian Le Frenais

Successful pilots

Whilst most of the pilots were not developed any further, Open All Hours and Prisoner and Escort were successfully developed into full series. Open All Hours was developed into a sitcom of the same name, while Prisoner and Escort became Porridge, which lead to a spinoff series called Going Straight in 1978 and a feature film adaptation in 1979. Additionally, My Old Man led to a short-lived series for Yorkshire Television including ITV but with an entirely new cast led by Clive Dunn.

References

    External links