Oh, Doctor Beeching!

Production

Following his work on You Rang, M'Lord?, David Croft severed his ties with the BBC in 1993, after criticising the network for not giving his latest sitcom any repeats on television – something he felt would have helped to build up its audience and improved its appeal. In response to this, the BBC decided to promise him full productive control for a new sitcom, focused on the lives of railway staff at a rural station during the 1960s. Croft agreed to the BBC's offer, and was partnered with Richard Spendlove, who had extensive history with the railways, rather than previous creative collaborators Jimmy Perry and Jeremy Lloyd.

A pilot for the sitcom was produced and aired in 1995 and proved a success with viewers, leading the BBC to commission Croft and Spendlove to produce a series; though broadcast of the sitcom's first series was delayed for a year. Much of the sitcom's filming required exterior shots with a location that would fit in with the 1960s, leading production staff to make use of the Severn Valley Railway due to its preservation work, both for a LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 locomotive (No 46521), as well Arley railway station, though the cost for this meant that the BBC was required to provide a large budget for the sitcom compared to other programming at the time.

Much of the cast who featured in the series were recruited from Croft's previous work on both Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?, with guest appearances from a number of Croft's other works with his former partner Jimmy Perry; Spendlove himself also made several appearances in the programme.

Premise

Oh, Doctor Beeching! focuses on the small fictional branch line railway station of Hatley, which has been disorganised since the retirement of its previous station master. Jack Skinner, the station's porter, does what he can to keep the station operational as its acting station master, alongside his family, friends and colleagues, including his wife May, who runs the buffet; Gloria, the Skinners' daughter, who volunteers when not teaching lessons; Harry Lambert, who serves as the local signalman; Ethel Schumann, an eccentric and easily flustered booking clerk; Wilfred, Ethel's somewhat dimwitted son, who serves as the station dogsbody; and Vera Plumtree, a local volunteer whose husband worked on the railway. In addition, the station often provides a respite for a regular train crew consisting of engine driver Arnold Thomas, his inexperienced fireman Ralph (who is training to be a driver himself), and flirtatious train guard Percy, whom Ethel is besotted with at times.

By 1963, the station is deemed in need of improvement, so a new station master, Cecil Parkin, is sent to oversee this. Parkin is a stern, but keen man who wishes to bring the station up to standards. However, his arrival presents a dilemma for May, who had a romantic fling with him while dating Jack, before the couple's marriage, and that she has no idea that Parkin still loves her even after they parted ways around the time of the Second World War. From the first episode, after Parkin arrives, the station staff receive news of a story printed in the papers in which Dr Richard Beeching has written a report to the British government recommending the closure of many branch lines and rural stations, with Parkin deciding to do whatever he can to prove the station and the line can run efficiently (while secretly having meetings with May), despite Jack disliking his presence and ideas.

Main cast

Cecil R. Parkin (Jeffrey Holland) Stationmaster – the new stationmaster at Hatley who appears midway through the first episode. He is a perfectionist and is determined to make the station the best on the line. On the surface, he seems refined, but it turns out that he knows the station's buffet manager because they had a passionate affair, which was going on behind her boyfriend (later husband) Jack Skinner's back. Parkin still has lecherous thoughts about her and in several episodes he tries his best to get her to leave Jack. The station staff react to him in different ways; most are tolerant of him, but Jack and Harry, the signalman, take an intense dislike to him, which only slightly mellows as the series goes on.

Jack Skinner (Paul Shane) Head Porter and Deputy Stationmaster – Skinner is deeply in love with his beautiful wife, May, but gets very jealous whenever she comes into close contact with other men, especially Cecil, whom he makes no secret of his dislike for. He is an ex-soldier with a limp from a wound he supposedly received during the war, but in episode 9 it is revealed that his leg was actually wounded when he was thrown out of a pub and the landlord's wife slammed the door on his foot, although Ethel changed the story to him jumping on a German tank to shove a land mine down it and a big German trapped his foot in the door.

Ethel Schumann (Su Pollard) Ticket Clerk – Schumann is scatter-brained and sometimes muddles her words. She often gets frustrated with Jack for his jealousy of May. She is also a flirt – she has a son from her marriage to a now deceased American soldier named Earl, whom she frequently refers to in the earlier episodes. She is desperate for another boyfriend and frequently makes advances towards the station's guard, Percy, who appreciates her advances, but seems more interested in the regular commuter, Amy. She is the only person May informs of her wartime fling with Cecil.

Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis) Signalman – Lambert is the eternally miserable signalman who never smiles and often sees the down side of things. He hates his job and the "ruddy trains". Because few trains serve Hatley, he operates numerous illegal sidelines from his box: growing vegetables, mending bikes and clocks, rearing farm animals (pigs, turkeys and chickens) for the staff's dinners, giving haircuts and taking bets. The staff know about these sidelines but keep quiet as they are beneficiaries from them and Cecil would put a stop to them if he found out. There is a recurring gag, where Harry will say, "if they poke their noses around, they will get the flat end o' my tongue", that person comes and he starts sucking up to them. He often resists Vera's advances.

Guest appearances

Other actors who had previously collaborated with David Croft made guest appearances in the series. Former Hi-de-Hi! regular Felix Bowness made a number of appearances as relief train guard Bernie Bleasdale. Windsor Davies appeared in the final episode as the mayor of Clumberfield, when the station staff re-enacted the station's opening for its 100th anniversary. James Pertwee, son of the actor Bill Pertwee, also made an appearance as a photographer in this final episode. Sally Grace appeared in Episode 7 as Mr Parkin's fiancée, Edna. Hugh Lloyd made an appearance in one episode as a chauffeur.

Title and music

The title is a reference to the 1892 music hall song "Oh! Mr Porter" and the 1937 Will Hay film Oh, Mr Porter!. A modified version of the song was sung during the end credits by actress Su Pollard:

Oh, Dr Beeching what have you done?

There once were lots of trains to catch, but soon there will be none,

I'll have to buy a bike, 'cos I can't afford a car,

Oh, Dr Beeching what a naughty man you are!

Episodes

Home media releases

The first series was released on VHS and DVD in 2004, while the second series on DVD only, in 2005. The packaging of the first series misleadingly stated that it "included the pilot"; in reality, it contained the revised first episode and not the original version of the pilot. Edits are made to certain episodes because of copyright music issues.

A complete box set containing both series and all 19 episodes (also including the original pilot) was made available, distributed by Acorn Media UK in 2009. It was later discontinued, but it was made available again in 2017.