This Ben Elton-scripted comedy featured a wealthy dowager, Edith, who was on the verge of death (she had “Corrington’s disease” and would be dead within nine months), sending her doltish grandson, Guy Fuddle (Adrian Edmondson), to find his four sisters, who were scattered across the world, and bring them back to her home at Fuddlewich.
Madelaine was living in an arty French commune, Joyce was a novice nun, hard-nut Roxanne was in jail, and Cassie was a Hollywood soap star and first-rate diva. All the sisters (and the grandmother) were played by a virtuoso Jennifer Saunders.
Grandmother’s real motives are revealed when the family reunites – she wants her estranged grandchildren to each donate an organ to save her.
The girls agree to do so, on the condition that she sign a share of her estate to each of them – a deal which Edith reluctantly accepts.
It turns out, though, that she has been misdiagnosed and is, in fact, pregnant. It is actually her cook (Dawn French) who has the disease (Dr De Quincy – played by Stephen Fry – had mixed up the urine samples), which she eventually succumbs to, much to the distress of the parlour maid Flossie (Helen Lederer).
Nonetheless, her vainglorious granddaughters take their share of Edith’s estate, leaving her and her newborn son destitute and homeless and Guy about to be wed to Flossie.
Guy’s quests were smartly filmed in an appropriate style, e.g. grainy documentary for the jail shots, soft-focus for the Tinseltown episode etc.
Even so, the show never quite sparked enough enthusiasm to counter its far-fetchedness.
Guest stars included Ruby Wax, Rik Mayall (as a psychopathic French priest), Keith Chegwin, Nigel Planer, John Sessions, Christopher Ryan, Sandi Toksvig, Lenny Henry (as an American hobo), Lance Percival, Norman Lovett, Norman Pace, and Chris Langham.
A budget was allocated for a second series, which was never commissioned (viewing figures were much poorer than expected). As a result, the money was used to produce the first series of Red Dwarf (1988).
Guy Fuddle Adrian Edmondson Edith/Madelaine/Joyce/Roxanne/Cassie Jennifer Saunders Cook
Dawn French Dr De Quincy Stephen Fry Flossie
Helen Lederer Dalcroix
Jim Broadbent Jim
Hugh Laurie Mother Superior
Una Stubbs Sister Ophelia
Ceri Jackson Roland
Ben Elton Sammy
Chris Barrie Television PA
Carol Hawkins
Madelaine was living in an arty French commune, Joyce was a novice nun, hard-nut Roxanne was in jail, and Cassie was a Hollywood soap star and first-rate diva. All the sisters (and the grandmother) were played by a virtuoso Jennifer Saunders.
Guy’s quests were smartly filmed in an appropriate style, e.g. grainy documentary for the jail shots, soft-focus for the Tinseltown episode etc.
