"Fairly Secret Army" (1984) TV series 1984-1986

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Roy Ward Baker

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

22 October 1984 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A retired British Army major tries to fight the forces of anarchy by setting up a supposedly secret taskforce.

Cast

Geoffrey Palmer	...	Major Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott (13 episodes, 1984-1986)
Diane Fletcher	...	Nancy (6 episodes, 1984)
Jeremy Child	...	Beamish (6 episodes, 1984)

Runtime:

30 min (13 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Video Arts

Delightful spin off from Reggie Perrin

Although "Fairly Secret Army" never got much attention, it was a delightful little series starring Geoffrey Palmer, with a challenging premise for a teleplay-writer in these modern times: Make an obscure, far-right, wonderfully stuffy retired British army major into a lovable, and even sympathetic and huggable, fellow. He tries to form a tiny army dedicated to – something or other. It's never clear what. Certainly not the overthrow of the British government -- that's the very thing they oppose.

The series, which only ran to about a dozen episodes, was a spin off from the much better-known "Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin," in which Palmer played Reggie's wonderfully stuffy and perpetually unprepared Army officer brother-in-law, Jimmy (Major James Gordonstoun Anderson). ("Would you have any food, Reggie? Been rather a cockup on the catering front.") Palmer's Major Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott – different name but obviously an extension of the same character -- tries to raise a small and fairly secret army, but has to settle for one adoring upper-class lady, a popinjay sergeant and his wife, and a half-witted corporal (Richard Ridings).

The secret army is soon recruited by a shadowy man from government to infiltrate a revolutionary cell that seems to be as lethal as it is secretive. Good stuff.