Bachelor Father (British TV series)

Bachelor Father
GenreSitcom
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series2
No. of episodes22 + 2 shorts
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release17 September 1970 (1970-09-17) –
25 December 1971 (1971-12-25)

Bachelor Father is a British sitcom starring Ian Carmichael that aired for two series from 1970 to 1971. It was written by Richard Waring.

Background

Bachelor Father is loosely based on the life of Peter Lloyd Jeffcock. Jeffcock was a bachelor who had fostered twelve children. He later wrote an autobiography called Only Uncle. Richard Waring, who wrote Bachelor Father, based some of the plots on incidents told in Only Uncle. Waring said that he would have kept more to Only Uncle, but many of the true stories were so far-fetched, he thought the public wouldn't believe them.[1]

Cast

Plot

Peter Lamb is a rich man who has always wanted a family, but failed to sustain any relationships. In the first episode, he decides to foster children. He then fosters a variety of diverse children

Survival status

22 episodes in total were produced; because of the BBC's wiping policy in the 1970s, only one episode still exists in its original colour form, the first one: "Family Feeling". The other existing episodes below, indicated with an asterisk, survive as 16mm black and white telerecordings.[2]

Series One (1970)

  1. Family Feeling (17 September 70)*
  2. All in the Family (24 September 70)*
  3. First of the Many (1 October 70)
  4. The Normal Front (8 October 70)
  5. Birthday Boys (15 October 70)*
  6. The Peter Pan Syndrome (22 October 70)
  7. A Little Learning (29 October 70)
  8. A Spot of Natural Expression (5 November 70)
  9. A Man's Man About The House (12 November 70)
  10. A Kind of Love-In (19 November 70)
  11. Time To Go Home (26 November 70)
  12. Love They Neighbour (3 December 70)
  13. Feminine Company (10 December 70)

Special (1970)

Series Two (1971)

  1. Pet Ideas (16 September 71)*
  2. House Guest (23 September 71)*
  3. Partners in Crime (30 September 71)*
  4. Economy Class (7 October 71)*
  5. Not in Front of the Children (14 October 71)*
  6. Name This Child (21 October 71)*
  7. Gently Does It (28 October 71)*
  8. Woman About The House (4 November 71)*
  9. Peter Lamb – This Is Your Anniversary (11 November 71)*

Special (1971)

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy". BBC Worldwide Ltd. 2003.
  2. ^ "Missing or incomplete episodes for programme Bachelor Father", lostshows.com

References