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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    Hardwicke House

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    1 9 8 7 (UK)
    1 x 60 minute episode
    1 x 30 minute episode

    This ITV series debuted in a special 60-minute episode with the South African ambassador’s son – rejoicing under the name of Smutts Van der Git (Courtney Roper-Knight) – enrolling at Hardwicke House Comprehensive and soon learning that self-defence, extortion and blackmail were all part of a typical day.

    By the second episode, a new term was underway and the teachers were battling to get their hands on the school’s paper and pens.

    Roy Kinnear played the harassed, hapless and hopeless headmaster, Mr R G Wickham, in charge of the motliest collection of misfits ever to throw chalk or ink bombs. Other staff members included Deputy Head Mr Mackintosh (Roger Sloman), French Mistress Cynthia Crabbe (Pam Ferris), PE teacher Harry Savage (Tony Haygarth), History master Dick Flashman (Gavin Richards), Head of English Herbert Fowl (Granville Saxton), Maths Master Erik “Moose” Magnusson (Duncan Preston) and Geography Master Peter Philpott (Nick Wilton).

    Although seven episodes were made, only two were broadcast (the 60-minute premiere and one 30 minute episode) on consecutive nights. Due to extreme press and public reaction to its anarchic content, the series was pulled from the schedules and has never been shown since.

    Bizarrely, Hardwicke House was given a prime-time mid-evening slot and was billed as family viewing. But the show was not a traditional family sitcom.

    It was zany and over-the-top – similar in style to The Young Ones or Bottom – in the vein of so-called “alternative comedy” in the early-to-mid 1980s.

    With a late-night time slot, there would likely have been little uproar surrounding it and it may have survived.

    Mr R G Wickham
    Roy Kinnear
    Cynthia Crabbe
    Pam Ferris
    Harry Savage
    Tony Haygarth
    Moose Magnusson
    Duncan Preston
    Slasher Bates
    Kevin Allen
    Dick Flashman
    Gavin Richards
    Herbert Fowl
    Granville Saxton
    Mr Paul Mackintosh
    Roger Sloman
    Peter Philpott
    Nick Wilton
    Agnes
    Liz Fraser
    Spotty
    Paul Spurrier
    Ernie
    Mick O’Donoughue
    Donna
    Cindy Marshall-Day
    Smutts Van der Git
    Courtney Roper-Knight
    Mrs Van der Git
    Deborah Norton
    Mr Van der Git
    Nigel Pegram
    Stan
    Christopher Driscoll
    Terry
    Patrick Doyle
    Junior
    Chris Pitt
    Leroy
    Mark Monero
    John
    Paul Darlow

    Video

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