The 1967 film 'To Sir With Love' starred Sidney Poitier as an American teacher attempting to educate unruly children in a rough East End London school. It may be coincidental, but the following year 'Please Sir!' appeared on I.T.V. John Esmonde and Bob Larbey originally took the idea to the B.B.C., but as the character of 'Dennis Dunstable' was educationally subnormal, they turned it down. The writers then approached the fledgling 'London Weekend Television'. Head of comedy Frank Muir also expressed reservations, but trusted the writers when they claimed Dennis would not be used as a figure of fun. Indeed he was not. Anyone trying to belittle Dennis would have to contend with the class' No.1 hard man - 'Eric Duffy'.
John Alderton was cast as the idealistic schoolteacher 'Bernard Hedges' ( known as 'Privet' by his class ). Long before 'Basil Fawlty', Hedges had "Right!" as a catchphrase. The actor's best known television role up to that point was 'Dr.Richard Boone' in the A.T.V. soap 'Emergency Ward 10'. Deryck Guyler was originally supposed to play 'Mr.Cromwell' the dithering headmaster, but on finding it hard to cast the role of 'Potter' the caretaker, producer Mark Stuart suggested that Guyler be given the role. It worked out for the best; the pompous, war-obsessed 'Potter', forever grovelling in Cromwell's presence, proved to be one of the show's most popular characters.
One fair criticism was that the actors playing the pupils looked too old. Peter Cleall, a.k.a. 'Duffy' was five years younger than Alderton! One should remember that there were strict Equity rules regarding the use of child actors at that time and besides, you could say the same about the cast of the film 'Grease'!
The first episode opened with Hedges' first day at Fenn St. School. He finds the teachers incompetent and the children, particularly Class 5C, out of control. It sounds like the premise of a hard-hitting social drama, but Esmonde and Larbey were able to mine a rich vein of comedy. As well as Dunstable and Duffy, the pupils included flash Peter Craven, sexy Sharon Eversleigh, overwrought Maureen Bullock, and ( my favourite ) Frankie Abbott, a would-be hard case who turns into a mummy's boy when threatened ( the inspiration for 'Ralph Tanner' in Esmonde and Larbey's later sitcom 'The Other One', possibly? ). 'Mr.Cromwell' presided over a crack teaching force consisting of cynical Welshman 'Mr.Price', frosty 'Miss Ewell' ( she and the headmaster had a thing going in the first two series ), and the long overdue for retirement 'Mr.Smith'.
Hedges commanded respect from 5C, and he in turn often got them out of trouble. In a funny sort of way, he became a father figure. This was most apparent in the episode 'Situations Vacant', when he stood up to Dennis' drunken, violent father ( the excellent Peter Bayliss ).
'Please Sir' was a big hit for I.T.V., ( unsurprisingly, its biggest fans were children ) alongside other L.W.T. shows such as 'On The Buses' and 'Doctor In The House'. The first series boasted forty minute long episodes, in common with other L.W.T. sitcoms of the time, but subsequent seasons adopted the standard twenty-five minute length. In 1971, the inevitable feature film spin-off appeared - one of the better ones, it has to be said.
After three seasons, Hedges married the lovely Penny ( Jill Kerman ) and resigned from Fenn St. School. In his place came 'David Ffitchett-Brown' played by the late Richard Warwick, an altogether trendier ( and less likable ) character. The pupils changed too, for the worse. The dim-witted 'Gobber Gibbons' ( Charles Bolton ) made 'Abbott' seem like Professor Stephen Hawking. The ratings plummeted and the show was cancelled. However, the old Fenn Street gang made a welcome reappearance in one of the last episodes ( 'Old Fennians Day' ). Eventually, they got their own show, which ran to three seasons.
'Please Sir' was of its time, when school milk was free, pupils could not rely on parents to drive them to and from school, and the cane frequently used to punish bad behaviour. It should be seen not as a social document, however, but a comedy show and a good one at that.
John Alderton was cast as the idealistic schoolteacher 'Bernard Hedges' ( known as 'Privet' by his class ). Long before 'Basil Fawlty', Hedges had "Right!" as a catchphrase. The actor's best known television role up to that point was 'Dr.Richard Boone' in the A.T.V. soap 'Emergency Ward 10'. Deryck Guyler was originally supposed to play 'Mr.Cromwell' the dithering headmaster, but on finding it hard to cast the role of 'Potter' the caretaker, producer Mark Stuart suggested that Guyler be given the role. It worked out for the best; the pompous, war-obsessed 'Potter', forever grovelling in Cromwell's presence, proved to be one of the show's most popular characters.
One fair criticism was that the actors playing the pupils looked too old. Peter Cleall, a.k.a. 'Duffy' was five years younger than Alderton! One should remember that there were strict Equity rules regarding the use of child actors at that time and besides, you could say the same about the cast of the film 'Grease'!
The first episode opened with Hedges' first day at Fenn St. School. He finds the teachers incompetent and the children, particularly Class 5C, out of control. It sounds like the premise of a hard-hitting social drama, but Esmonde and Larbey were able to mine a rich vein of comedy. As well as Dunstable and Duffy, the pupils included flash Peter Craven, sexy Sharon Eversleigh, overwrought Maureen Bullock, and ( my favourite ) Frankie Abbott, a would-be hard case who turns into a mummy's boy when threatened ( the inspiration for 'Ralph Tanner' in Esmonde and Larbey's later sitcom 'The Other One', possibly? ). 'Mr.Cromwell' presided over a crack teaching force consisting of cynical Welshman 'Mr.Price', frosty 'Miss Ewell' ( she and the headmaster had a thing going in the first two series ), and the long overdue for retirement 'Mr.Smith'.
Hedges commanded respect from 5C, and he in turn often got them out of trouble. In a funny sort of way, he became a father figure. This was most apparent in the episode 'Situations Vacant', when he stood up to Dennis' drunken, violent father ( the excellent Peter Bayliss ).
'Please Sir' was a big hit for I.T.V., ( unsurprisingly, its biggest fans were children ) alongside other L.W.T. shows such as 'On The Buses' and 'Doctor In The House'. The first series boasted forty minute long episodes, in common with other L.W.T. sitcoms of the time, but subsequent seasons adopted the standard twenty-five minute length. In 1971, the inevitable feature film spin-off appeared - one of the better ones, it has to be said.
After three seasons, Hedges married the lovely Penny ( Jill Kerman ) and resigned from Fenn St. School. In his place came 'David Ffitchett-Brown' played by the late Richard Warwick, an altogether trendier ( and less likable ) character. The pupils changed too, for the worse. The dim-witted 'Gobber Gibbons' ( Charles Bolton ) made 'Abbott' seem like Professor Stephen Hawking. The ratings plummeted and the show was cancelled. However, the old Fenn Street gang made a welcome reappearance in one of the last episodes ( 'Old Fennians Day' ). Eventually, they got their own show, which ran to three seasons.
'Please Sir' was of its time, when school milk was free, pupils could not rely on parents to drive them to and from school, and the cane frequently used to punish bad behaviour. It should be seen not as a social document, however, but a comedy show and a good one at that.