Based loosely on the novel by Richard Gordon, Doctor In The House was the first of a number of ‘Doctor’ series made between 1969 – 1977.
Michael Upton, Duncan Waring, Paul Collier and Dick Stuart-Clark were medical students at St Swithin’s teaching hospital in London (exterior filming took place at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone, East London).
Robin Nedwell played Dr Duncan Waring, starring alongside George Layton, Geoffrey Davies and Ernest Clark.
The students were keen to do well but, unfortunately, their talent for attracting disaster made them a constant thorn in the side of the imposing Professor Geoffrey Loftus (a fearsome variation on the formidable Sir Lancelot Spratt of the original books).
Geoffrey Davies (who portrayed the suave and debonair Dick Stuart-Clark) went to art school and worked as a commercial artist for a short time before deciding to fulfil his ambition and become an actor.
He spent 18 months with the Harrogate Repertory Company before taking a two-year course at RADA, after which he landed the role of Lieutenant Faversham in the film Oh What A Lovely War(1969).
Doctor in the House was written by some comedy heavyweights, amongst them Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden (of The Goodies), John Cleese and Graham Chapman from Monty Python, Barry Cryer and Bernard McKenna. Both Garden and Chapman were qualified medical doctors and so were especially appropriate writers.
The main force behind the TV series, though, was Frank Muir who, as head of comedy at the new London ITV franchise LWT, was determined to get Richard Gordon’s Doctor saga on to the small screen.
Although screened in black and white, the first series was actually made in colour, so when eight of the episodes were repeated early in 1970 they were seen in colour for the first time.
The series ultimately appeared under various guises such as Doctor In Charge and Doctor At Sea during its run and was briefly revived by BBC1 as Doctorson Top in 1991.
Barry Evans died in 1997 after spending the last years of his life as a Leicestershire taxi driver. Robin Nedwell collapsed and died On 1 February 1999 during a routine visit to a doctor’s surgery near his home in Hedge End, near Southampton.
Geoffrey Davies died on 13 July 2023. He was 84.
Michael Upton
Barry Evans
Duncan Waring
Robin Nedwell
Paul Collier
George Layton
Dick Stuart-Clark
Geoffrey Davies
Professor Geoffrey Loftus
Ernest Clark
Dave Briddock
Simon Cuff
Danny Hooley
Jonathan Lynn
Huw Evans
Martin Shaw Vincent Arthur English
The Dean
Ralph Michael
Episodes
Why Do You Want To Be A Doctor? / Settling In / It’s All Go / Peace And Quiet / The Students Are Revolting / Rallying Round / If In Doubt, Cut It Out / War Of The Mascots / Getting The Bird / The Rocky Mountain Spotted / Fever Casino / Keep It Clean / All For Love / Pass Or Fail / It’s All In The Little Blue Book / What Seems To Be The Trouble? / Take Off Your Clothes . . . And Hide / Nice Bodywork, Lovely Finish / Look Into My Eyes / Put Your Hand On That / The Royal Visit / If You Can Help Somebody – Don’t! / Hot Off The Presses / A Stitch In Time / May The Best Man . . . / Doctor On The Box / Finals
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