High & Dry is derived from a radio spin off from Dad's Army which was then retooled by Yorkshire Television as a sitcom. By the time it arrived on television all character connections to Dad's Army were erased.
The writers of this was Harold Snoad who used a pseudonym as he was still contracted to the BBC and Michael Knowles better known as the actor who looked like Prince Charles and appeared in It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
Set in the post war period, the first episode sees Bernard Cribbins playing Ron Archer who along with his dimwitted son Trevor, arrive at the derelict Midbourne Pier. The dilapidated pier is for sale by Midbourne Council for a knockdown 5 shillings. The problem is that the council expects the buyer to pay £2000 every 6 months for three years for maintenance. That is a princely sum in that time.
Ron does not have the money but expects he will be able to borrow the money from his estranged brother in law Richard Talbot (Richard Wilson) who is a bank manager. Richard is surprised to see Ron and refuses to lend him the money until Ron mentions some of Richard's indiscretions with a landlady and some travellers cheques that went missing.
There is obviously a touch of Only Fools and Horses about this sitcom which had become very popular by the mid 80s. Ron is certainly a post war Del Boy with a barking mad get rich scheme and his son is very much a Rodney Trotter mixed with Private Pike. Ron even constantly get his historical facts wrong and certain words mixed up.
Richard Wilson is very much the straight man in the first episode. A respected man of the community who is on first name terms with ever important person in the council. You can see why he might be embarrassed if Ron loosened his tongue.
This is very much an old fashioned sitcom that relies on strong writing. Unfortunately the writing is weak, it is not funny apart from when someone slammed the door on young Trevor.
The writers of this was Harold Snoad who used a pseudonym as he was still contracted to the BBC and Michael Knowles better known as the actor who looked like Prince Charles and appeared in It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
Set in the post war period, the first episode sees Bernard Cribbins playing Ron Archer who along with his dimwitted son Trevor, arrive at the derelict Midbourne Pier. The dilapidated pier is for sale by Midbourne Council for a knockdown 5 shillings. The problem is that the council expects the buyer to pay £2000 every 6 months for three years for maintenance. That is a princely sum in that time.
Ron does not have the money but expects he will be able to borrow the money from his estranged brother in law Richard Talbot (Richard Wilson) who is a bank manager. Richard is surprised to see Ron and refuses to lend him the money until Ron mentions some of Richard's indiscretions with a landlady and some travellers cheques that went missing.
There is obviously a touch of Only Fools and Horses about this sitcom which had become very popular by the mid 80s. Ron is certainly a post war Del Boy with a barking mad get rich scheme and his son is very much a Rodney Trotter mixed with Private Pike. Ron even constantly get his historical facts wrong and certain words mixed up.
Richard Wilson is very much the straight man in the first episode. A respected man of the community who is on first name terms with ever important person in the council. You can see why he might be embarrassed if Ron loosened his tongue.
This is very much an old fashioned sitcom that relies on strong writing. Unfortunately the writing is weak, it is not funny apart from when someone slammed the door on young Trevor.