Clochemerle, a poor sleepy (fictional) village in the Beaujolais region of France, finds itself embroiled in a sea of controversy, scandal and political intrigue all started by the decision of Barthelemy Piechut (Cyril Cusack), the mayor, to erect a public convenience in the village square, immediately outside the church and before the windows of Justine Putet (Wendy Hiller), spinster and virgin.
When a Child of Mary becomes pregnant, the urinal and the ‘loose moral values’ that it apparently brings to the town are blamed, which in turn leads to the destruction of a statue in the church, leading to a war between the secularist Republicans, the Church, the aristocracy, the French Government and the Army.
Michael Mills attempted the virtually impossible and brought it off triumphantly in introducing no fewer than 32 characters – many of them who had prominent parts in later episodes – within the space of half an hour in the debut episode.
Depending upon narration rather than expository dialogue to present the people he preserved the irony of author Gabriel Chevalier’s prose of the 1920s and saved valuable viewing time. Peter Ustinov was just the man for the out of vision narration which did such a lot to create the mood and the atmosphere.
The use of British brogues and regional accents built a sense of truth far more readily than the more customary (and logically inexplicable) cod-French and broken English, and a host of familiar names and faces brought intelligence and obvious enjoyment to the acting.
The script was by one of British television’s most talented and successful teams, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
The series was filmed on location in the tiny village of Marchampt in the Rhône department in eastern France.
Narrator
Peter Ustinov Curé Ponosse
Roy Dotrice Justine Putet
Wendy Hiller Lagouche
Michael Golden Ploquin
Larry Noble Eugene Fadet
Richard Shaw Laroudel
John Turtle Mayor Barthelemy Piechut
Cyril Cusack Ernest Tafardel
Kenneth Griffith Adele Torbayon
Cyd Hayman Nicholas The Beadle
Bernard Bresslaw Francois Toumignon
Freddie Earlle Judith Toumignong
Catherine Rouvel Hippolyte Foncimagne
Christian Roberts Poipanel
John Barrett Machevoigne
Roland MacLeod Doctor Mouraille
Peter Madden Baroness Courtebiche
Micheline Presle Rose Bivaque
Georgina Moon Arthur Torbayon
Barry Linehan Madame Fadet
Carolyn Moody Claudius Brodequin
James Wardroper Madame Fouache
Deddie Davies Oscar De St. Choul
Ian Gray Madame Chavaigne
Ruth Harrison Madame Lagousse
Mollie Maureen Madame Voujon
Gwen Nelson Madame Nicholas
Miriam Raymond Blazot
Gordon Rollings
Episodes
The Magnificent Idea of Barthelemey Piechut, the Mayor | The Triumphant Inauguration of a Municipal Amenity | The Spirited Protest of Justine Pulet | The Awful Awakening of Claudius Brodequin | The Painful Infliction of Nicholas the Beadle | The Scandalous Outcome of a Night of Destruction | The Inexorable Power of the Third Republic | The Dreaded Arrival of Captain Tardivaux | The Glorious Triumph of Barthelemey Piechut
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Narrator
Eugene Fadet
Francois Toumignon
Baroness Courtebiche
