Wyatt's Watchdogs
Encyclopedia
Wyatt's Watchdogs was a 30 minute BBC1 situation comedy that starred Brian Wilde
and Trevor Bannister
. Created and written by Miles Tredinnick
, the six episode series was transmitted in the autumn of 1988. Alan J W Bell directed and the music was composed by Ronnie Hazlehurst
.
The show was set in the fictional commuter village of Bradly Bush although actually filmed on location in Claygate
, Surrey, England.
Retired soldier Major John Wyatt (Brian Wilde
) is spurred into action after his sister Edwina’s (Anne Ridler) home is burgled in broad daylight. Ignoring correct police procedures, he forms his own Neighbourhood Watch group of incompetents and patrols the streets in his Range Rover known locally as the ‘Dogmobile’. The Watch members are a hopeless bunch drawn together to fight crime, and bungling and personality clashes are highly evident. Brian Wilde
as Major Wyatt clashes worst of all with Peter Pitt (Trevor Bannister
), a smooth-talking womaniser and burglar-alarm salesman. He only has two things in mind - to flog his alarms and meet women! Other regular characters include the glamorous man-eater Virginia (April Walker), an interfering Vicar (David Jackson
), and a frustrated police sergeant, Springer (James Warrior).
The show actually had the working title of Every Street Should Have One but this was changed at the last minute to Wyatt's Watchdogs. The reason being that the BBC were transmitting the programme on Monday evenings straight after ITV's Coronation Street
but before another BBC show called Streets Apart.
This series was part of the reason Brian Wilde
returned to Last of the Summer Wine
after falling out with Alan J. W. Bell
just before he left Last of the Summer Wine
in 1985 they solved their differences and when the time came to film in 1989 due to Michael Aldridge
having to leave the show for personal reasons the character of Seymour Utterthwaite had to be replaced and Brian agreed to return as Foggy Dewhurst after solving his differences on this show and stayed for seven more years.
Brian Wilde
, Trevor Bannister
, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson
, Tom Radcliffe, Peter O'Sullevan
(voice only), Julia Binstead and Sarah Whitlock.
Episode Two: Getting Out And Spreading The Word.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Noel Johnson
, Lisa Bloor, Deborah Lavin, Frank Tregear, Richard Kane, Mary Blatchford, Ian Redford
, Margaret Ashley, Helena McCarthy, Gabrielle Blunt and Aimée Delamain.
Episode Three: Mark It Or Bust! (Directed by Andy Smith).
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Eva Stuart, Timothy Carlton
and Andrew Reardon.
Episode Four: There Are Fairy Cakes At The Bottom Of My Garden.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Robin Parkinson, Julie Morgan and Diana Fulker.
Episode Five: Just Act Natural.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Frederick Treves
, Keith Smith
, Russell Wootton, Richard Davies
, Belinda Lee, Pamela Dale, Charles Appleby and Frank Tregear.
Episode Six: A Clot On The Landscape.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Clive Mantle
, Claire Lacey, Martin Benson
and Roger Ostime.
Brian Wilde
Brian George Wilde was an English actor, best known for his roles in television comedy, including Mr Barrowclough in Porridge and "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine...
and Trevor Bannister
Trevor Bannister
Trevor Gordon Bannister was an English actor best known for playing the womanising junior salesman Mr. Lucas in the sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1979, and for his role as Toby Mulberry Smith in the longest-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, from 2003 until it ended its run in 2010...
. Created and written by Miles Tredinnick
Miles Tredinnick
Miles Tredinnick, also known as Riff Regan, is a rock musician, songwriter and a stage and screen writer. In the 1970s, he was the lead singer with the British rock band London. Afterwards he went on to write comedy plays for the stage...
, the six episode series was transmitted in the autumn of 1988. Alan J W Bell directed and the music was composed by Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronald "Ronnie" Hazlehurst was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director....
.
The show was set in the fictional commuter village of Bradly Bush although actually filmed on location in Claygate
Claygate
Claygate is a village in the English county of Surrey, approximately south west of London and within the Metropolitan Green Belt.It is primarily a residential area but with offices, farms and two shopping areas with a supermarket, five pubs and numerous restaurants...
, Surrey, England.
Retired soldier Major John Wyatt (Brian Wilde
Brian Wilde
Brian George Wilde was an English actor, best known for his roles in television comedy, including Mr Barrowclough in Porridge and "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine...
) is spurred into action after his sister Edwina’s (Anne Ridler) home is burgled in broad daylight. Ignoring correct police procedures, he forms his own Neighbourhood Watch group of incompetents and patrols the streets in his Range Rover known locally as the ‘Dogmobile’. The Watch members are a hopeless bunch drawn together to fight crime, and bungling and personality clashes are highly evident. Brian Wilde
Brian Wilde
Brian George Wilde was an English actor, best known for his roles in television comedy, including Mr Barrowclough in Porridge and "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine...
as Major Wyatt clashes worst of all with Peter Pitt (Trevor Bannister
Trevor Bannister
Trevor Gordon Bannister was an English actor best known for playing the womanising junior salesman Mr. Lucas in the sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1979, and for his role as Toby Mulberry Smith in the longest-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, from 2003 until it ended its run in 2010...
), a smooth-talking womaniser and burglar-alarm salesman. He only has two things in mind - to flog his alarms and meet women! Other regular characters include the glamorous man-eater Virginia (April Walker), an interfering Vicar (David Jackson
David Jackson (British actor)
David Jackson was a British actor best known for his role as Olag Gan in the Blake's 7 first two seasons and as Detective Constable Braithwaite in Z Cars from 1972-1978...
), and a frustrated police sergeant, Springer (James Warrior).
The show actually had the working title of Every Street Should Have One but this was changed at the last minute to Wyatt's Watchdogs. The reason being that the BBC were transmitting the programme on Monday evenings straight after ITV's Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
but before another BBC show called Streets Apart.
This series was part of the reason Brian Wilde
Brian Wilde
Brian George Wilde was an English actor, best known for his roles in television comedy, including Mr Barrowclough in Porridge and "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine...
returned to Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
after falling out with Alan J. W. Bell
Alan J. W. Bell
Alan J. W. Bell is a British television producer and director. He has produced and/or directed many BBC series since the early 1970s, most notably Last of the Summer Wine, Ripping Yarns and the TV adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...
just before he left Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
in 1985 they solved their differences and when the time came to film in 1989 due to Michael Aldridge
Michael Aldridge
Michael William ffolliott Aldridge was an English actor. While it was his role as Seymour in the television series Last of the Summer Wine which made him widely recognised, his long career as a successful character actor on stage and screen dated back to the 1930s.-Early life:The son of Dr...
having to leave the show for personal reasons the character of Seymour Utterthwaite had to be replaced and Brian agreed to return as Foggy Dewhurst after solving his differences on this show and stayed for seven more years.
Episodes and Cast
Episode One: One Big, One Not So Big.Brian Wilde
Brian Wilde
Brian George Wilde was an English actor, best known for his roles in television comedy, including Mr Barrowclough in Porridge and "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine...
, Trevor Bannister
Trevor Bannister
Trevor Gordon Bannister was an English actor best known for playing the womanising junior salesman Mr. Lucas in the sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1979, and for his role as Toby Mulberry Smith in the longest-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, from 2003 until it ended its run in 2010...
, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson
David Jackson (British actor)
David Jackson was a British actor best known for his role as Olag Gan in the Blake's 7 first two seasons and as Detective Constable Braithwaite in Z Cars from 1972-1978...
, Tom Radcliffe, Peter O'Sullevan
Peter O'Sullevan
Sir Peter O'Sullevan is a retired horse racing commentator for the BBC from 1947 to 1997, and correspondent for the Press Association, Daily Express and Today.-Early life:...
(voice only), Julia Binstead and Sarah Whitlock.
Episode Two: Getting Out And Spreading The Word.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Noel Johnson
Noel Johnson
Noel Johnson was an English actor.He was the radio voice of Dick Barton special agent on BBC radio and Dan Dare pilot of the future over Radio Luxembourg....
, Lisa Bloor, Deborah Lavin, Frank Tregear, Richard Kane, Mary Blatchford, Ian Redford
Ian Redford (actor)
Ian Redford is a British actor who has featured on stage, in film and on television in various roles, including that of pensioner Keith Appleyard in Coronation Street during 2005 and 2006...
, Margaret Ashley, Helena McCarthy, Gabrielle Blunt and Aimée Delamain.
Episode Three: Mark It Or Bust! (Directed by Andy Smith).
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Eva Stuart, Timothy Carlton
Timothy Carlton
Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English character actor. Among other work, he appeared in the sitcoms Executive Stress, Next of Kin and in the television film The Scarlet Pimpernel....
and Andrew Reardon.
Episode Four: There Are Fairy Cakes At The Bottom Of My Garden.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Robin Parkinson, Julie Morgan and Diana Fulker.
Episode Five: Just Act Natural.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Frederick Treves
Frederick Treves (actor)
Frederick William Treves BEM, is an English character actor with an extensive repertoire, specialising in avuncular military and titled types....
, Keith Smith
Keith Smith (actor)
Keith Smith is an English actor he is best known to for his roles in The Army Game and The Beiderbecke Trilogy. Smith also appeared in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin as a manager of a Grot shop.-Roles:* Private Hatchett, The Army Game * Mr Wheeler, The Beiderbecke Trilogy -External links:...
, Russell Wootton, Richard Davies
Richard Davies (actor)
Richard Davies is a Welsh actor, from Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales whose film and TV work covers many years but is probably best known for his performance as the exasperated schoolmaster Mr Price in the LWT popular situation comedy Please Sir!.Davies uses a broad Welsh accent for much of his...
, Belinda Lee, Pamela Dale, Charles Appleby and Frank Tregear.
Episode Six: A Clot On The Landscape.
Brian Wilde, Trevor Bannister, Anne Ridler, April Walker, James Warrior, David Jackson, Clive Mantle
Clive Mantle
-Early life and education:Mantle was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire. He was a pupil at Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire and a chorister in St John's College Choir for four years...
, Claire Lacey, Martin Benson
Martin Benson (actor)
Martin Benjamin Benson was an English character actor, who appeared in films, theatre and television. He appeared in both British and Hollywood productions.-Career:...
and Roger Ostime.