An enigmatic stranger named Mr Pye (Derek Jacobi) – a retired bank manager – arrives on the idyllic Channel Island of Sark to spread the love of God (whom he calls “The Great Pal”).
Having arranged to stay with the formidable cheroot-smoking landlady Miss Dredger (Judy Parfitt), he starts on the wrong foot by inviting the bulky and cantankerous Miss George (Betty Marsden), a loathed neighbour of hers, to ride with them in the horse and carriage.
As he gets to know the other residents, such as the lovelorn artist Thorpe (Richard O’Callaghan) and free-spirited Tanty (Robin McCaffrey) – the island’s tart with a heart of gold, he begins to take over the running of Miss Dredger’s home, much to her annoyance.
Having persuaded Miss Dredger to invite Miss George to stay at her home, Mr Pye has plans for Miss George when he arranges a picnic on the beach for the residents to showcase the power of faith.
But his plans are thrown off course when Tanty spots something in the water while in a tryst with a lover in the caves nearby.
Later, Mr Pye meets a naked Tanty walking back from a swim, but when he offers his shirt to cover her, she notices two marks on his back.
When he examines them the next morning, he discovers that he is beginning to grow wings, but his attempts to try and remove them backfire badly.
Mr Pye’s attempt to rid himself of his wings by behaving badly goes spectacularly wrong, with Miss George dying of a heart attack.
After his behaviour at Miss George’s funeral alienates many of the locals, he confides in Miss Dredger about his secret wings. She agrees with him that he must do bad – or even evil – for his wings to disappear, and he sets about doing so around the island.
But as it begins to work, his actions have a peculiar effect on him, and his odd behaviour prompts some residents to call for his removal from the island.
Miss Dredger, Tanty and Thorpe are stunned when Mr Pye reveals he has now grown horns as a result of his bad behaviour (to remove his wings).
Reckoning that he is being punished by “Pal” for not being humble in his preaching, Mr Pye decides he needs to suffer humiliation at the hands of the island residents at the Cattle Show for his curse to be removed.
But Miss Dredger and Tanty have fears about his plans, which prove well-founded when his appearance at the Cattle Show prompts locals to believe he is a devil, putting Mr Pye’s life in grave danger.
Patricia Hayes plays Miss Dredger’s ancient relic of a cook, Kaka, whose food has a knack of reducing the appetite of even the greediest seagull to nothing.
This Channel 4 miniseries was adapted by Donald Churchill from Mervyn Peake’s fantasy novel.
Mr Harold Pye
Derek Jacobi Miss Dredger
Judy Parfitt Thorpe
Richard O’Callaghan Tanty
Robin McCaffrey Major Havershot
Ralph Nossek Mrs Rice
Amanda Reiss Mr Rice
Howard Lew Lewis Mrs Porter
Sarah Dawson Mr Porter
Michael Turner Mr Le Loup
Bill Monks Mr Dubois
Michael Hamon Miss George
Betty Marsden Charlie
Trevor Cooper Lady Corkpowder
Jo Scott Matthews Pepe
Kevin Adams Kaka
Patricia Hayes
Episodes
Preparing the Way | The First Martyr | The Perjured Soul | Made for the Moonlight
Having arranged to stay with the formidable cheroot-smoking landlady Miss Dredger (Judy Parfitt), he starts on the wrong foot by inviting the bulky and cantankerous Miss George (Betty Marsden), a loathed neighbour of hers, to ride with them in the horse and carriage.
When he examines them the next morning, he discovers that he is beginning to grow wings, but his attempts to try and remove them backfire badly.
Reckoning that he is being punished by “Pal” for not being humble in his preaching, Mr Pye decides he needs to suffer humiliation at the hands of the island residents at the Cattle Show for his curse to be removed.
