"Shelley" (1979) TV series 1979-1983

Creator:

Peter Tilbury
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Genre:

Comedy

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Hywel Bennett	...	James Shelley (39 episodes, 1979-1984)
Belinda Sinclair	...	Fran (29 episodes, 1979-1984)
Josephine Tewson	...	Mrs. Hawkins (23 episodes, 1979-1982)

Series Directed by
Anthony Parker		(36 episodes, 1979-1984)

Series Writing credits
Peter Tilbury		(39 episodes, 1979-1984)
Andy Hamilton		(5 episodes, 1982-1984)
Guy Jenkin		(4 episodes, 1982-1984)
Barry Pilton		(4 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Produced by
Anthony Parker	....	producer (36 episodes, 1979-1984)

Series Original Music by
Ron Grainer		(26 episodes, 1979-1982)

Series Casting by
James Liggat		(unknown episodes)
Shirley Teece		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Jan Chaney		(11 episodes, 1980-1984)
Anthony Cartledge		(8 episodes, 1982)
Tony Borer		(7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Peter Elliott		(7 episodes, 1982-1984)

Series Costume Design by
Pam Doolan		(unknown episodes)
Linda Fleckney-Clark		(unknown episodes)
Allard Tobin		(unknown episodes)
Frank Van Raay		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Joan Botham	....	makeup supervisor (unknown episodes)
Ann Briggs	....	makeup supervisor (unknown episodes)
Morna Ferguson	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Pauline Gyertson	....	makeup supervisor (unknown episodes)
Pearl Rashbass	....	makeup supervisor (unknown episodes)
Gilly Wakeford	....	makeup supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Richard Churchill	....	sound supervisor (unknown episodes)
Brian Hibbert	....	sound supervisor (unknown episodes)
Peter Willcocks	....	sound supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Almond	....	senior camera operator (unknown episodes)
John Darnell	....	senior camera operator (unknown episodes)
Roy Easton	....	senior camera operator (unknown episodes)
Adrian J. Fearnley	....	senior camera operator (unknown episodes)
Brian Kerr	....	vision controller (unknown episodes)
Bill Marley	....	vision controller (unknown episodes)
Bob Mason	....	vision controller (unknown episodes)
David Motture	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)
Keith Reed	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)
Ken Tester-Brown	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Nick Bigsby	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes)
Peter Boffin	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes)
Grant Goodwin	....	editor: video tape (unknown episodes)
Camilla Keenan	....	editor: video tape (unknown episodes)
Martin Perrett	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes)
Peter Phillips	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes)
Fred Turner	....	editor: video tape (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Aidan Boulter	....	floor assistant (16 episodes, 1980-1981)
Tricia Barnes	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Irene Clark	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Fred Cope	....	studio supervisor (unknown episodes)
David Downing	....	floor manager (unknown episodes)
Barbara Dudley-Evans	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Bruce Englefield	....	studio supervisor (unknown episodes)
Peter Groome	....	studio supervisor (unknown episodes)
Dick Hibberd	....	studio supervisor (unknown episodes)
Janet Mullins	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Diana Paskin	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Dave Sparks	....	studio supervisor (unknown episodes)
Patrick Vance	....	floor manager (unknown episodes)
Fizz Waters	....	floor manager (unknown episodes)
John White-Jones	....	studio supervisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Thames Television

Distributors

• Independent Television (ITV)

Other Companies

• Thames Studios, Teddington, Middlesex, England, UK  taping location

Runtime:

30 min (39 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

Thames Television

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy Connections: Drop the Dead Donkey (#4.3)" (2006)

Love On The Dole - With a Phd

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

University graduate James Shelley is an unemployment statistic in Thatcher's Britain. With a difference. He doesn't work because he doesn't want to. With girlfriend Fran, he lives in Mrs.Hawkins' boarding house in Pangloss Road. When not laying about in bed all day he is to be found either in the pub or else engaging in witty repartee with the harassed staff of the local Unemployment Benefit Office.

The timing of 'Shelley' was perfect; as unemployment rose to three million in the early '80's, the character was seen by some as a champion of the underdog, a man who shrugged off the insults of toffee-nosed D.H.S.S. officers, and gave as good as he got.

Hywel Bennett was outstanding as Shelley, and Peter Tilbury's scripts were a world away from normal I.T.V. sitcom fare. Belinda Sinclair made a good foil, often matching him insult for insult. When Fran departed ( along with Tilbury ), the show declined in quality, despite first-rate scripts by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, as Shelley seemed lonely and down in the dumps on his own. It recovered some of its sparkle in 1988 when it returned as 'The Return Of Shelley', taking the opportunity to mock the 'yuppie' phenomenon of the time.

'Rising Damp' is rightly regarded as I.T.V.'s best sitcom, but in my view 'Shelley' runs it a close second.