Only When I Laugh - Season 1 ( Only When I Laugh - Season One )

Only When I Laugh - Season 1 (DVD) (*)

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Alternate Title: Only When I Laugh - Season One
Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
Australia ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
169 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1979 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Vernon Lawrence
Graeme Muir

Written By:
Eric Chappell

Actors:
James Bolam ..... Roy Figgis (29 episodes, 1979-1982)
Peter Bowles ..... Archie Glover (29 episodes, 1979-1982)
Christopher Strauli ..... Norman Binns (29 episodes, 1979-1982)
Richard Wilson ..... Dr. Gordon Thorpe (29 episodes, 1979-1982)
Derrick Branche ..... Gupte (22 episodes, 1979-1981)

Synopsis:

Only When I Laugh Season One follows the hilarious exploits of three hypochondriacal hospital patients who drive the doctors and nurses nutty with their silly antics. Driven batty with boredom, Archie, Roy and Norman dish up outrageous rumours and wild speculation, throwing the rest of the ward into full scale panic. By the time the wacky trio has bickered over window views, surgical operations and coveted collection of girlie mags, you will find yourself in stiches!
Season 1
A Bed with a View S1, Ep1 29 Oct. 1979
Operation Norman S1, Ep2 5 Nov. 1979
The Rumour S1, Ep3 12 Nov. 1979
The Man with the Face S1, Ep4 19 Nov. 1979
Let Them Eat Cake S1, Ep5 26 Nov. 1979
Tangled Web S1, Ep6 3 Dec. 1979
Is There a Doctor in the House? S1, Ep7 10 Dec. 1979

Season 1
A Bed with a View S1, Ep1 29 Oct. 1979
Young Norman Binns is admitted to Dr Thorpe's hospital ward and is tricked by pessimistic patient Figgis into swapping beds with him so that Figgis can have the bed with the window view. As a result the doctor and staff nurse Gupte confuse the two men's symptoms. Then hypochondriac Glover tells Figgis that the last occupant of the bed has 'gone to a better place', scaring him into giving it back to Norman, though Glover's claim that he is dying means that Norman loses the bed again.
Operation Norman S1, Ep2 5 Nov. 1979
Norman has to have an operation for his appendix to be removed but Figgis's doom-laden description of operations and Dr Thorpe's tiredness do not give him confidence and he hides in the toilet, having to be coaxed out. Gupte uses a hypodermic syringe to knock him out but accidentally injects Glover so that the only way Norman will be persuaded to have the operation is if he is accompanied by Figgis - who, to Dr Thorpe's glee, hates the sight of blood.
The Rumour S1, Ep3 12 Nov. 1979
Dr Thorpe is telling Gupte that his dog Victor is not well but Gupte misunderstands and thinks he is talking about his son. The patients also fall prey to the misunderstanding, for various reasons each of them believing that they are going to die. Dr Thorpe manages to tell Figgis and Norman the truth but by this time Glover has rung up his boss to tell him exactly what he thinks of him.
The Man with the Face S1, Ep4 19 Nov. 1979
Glover has been seeing a Greek girl Anna and panics when her violent boyfriend Nico comes looking for him so Figgis wraps his head in bandages and says he is a burns victim. Aware that Nico will want to see him with the bandages removed Figgis then swathes Norman in bandages so that he can be the one to face Nico - and for good measure covers his own head up, causing Dr Thorpe no end of confusion.
Let Them Eat Cake S1, Ep5 26 Nov. 1979
The patients find the hospital food disgusting and decide to go on hunger strike but soon weaken. However Clegg, who serves the food then decides to go on strike himself, but has his foot run over by Dr Thorpe whilst on the picket line outside the hospital. Eventually he is persuaded to go back to work and the patients can eat again - only to be confronted by the irate cook demanding to know who is criticizing her food.
Tangled Web S1, Ep6 3 Dec. 1979
Norman is reading 'Tangled Web', a hospital romance, when he sees new nurse Sally, who is exactly like the book's heroine. He is keen to express his feelings for her but finds he has rivals in Glover, Dr Thorpe and Gupte, who are all keen to pursue. Eventually Figgis sets Thorpe and Gupte against each other and gets rid of Glover but even Norman is surprised by his idol's passionate response.
Is There a Doctor in the House? S1, Ep7 10 Dec. 1979
Glover is discharged and Figgis is unhappy as he has nobody with whom to argue so he goes to the local pub pretending to be a doctor and diagnosing people with terrible illnesses, filling the ward. When Dr Thorpe finds out he goes after Figgis, giving Gupte instructions to hit him but when Gupte sees Thorpe examining a patient he assumes it is Figgis in his doctor's guise and hits him instead. As a result the doctor ends up as a patient with Norman, Figgis - and Glover, who has been readmitted as not well enough to go home.

Only When I Laugh was a screamingly funny show from 'Rising Damp' author Eric Chappell. Three patients from differing social backgrounds - trouble making lorry driver Roy Figgis ( James Bolam ), naive Norman Binns ( Christopher Strauli ), and rich hypochondriac Archie Glover ( Peter Bowles ) - share a hospital ward. Their 'nemesis' is the pompous Dr.Gordon Thorpe ( Richard Wilson in what was his best television role before 'One Foot In The Grave' ). The Indian male nurse Gupte ( Derrick Branche ) was well-meaning but incompetent, and this led to the series being branded 'racist' in some quarters. Gupte mysteriously vanished from the later episodes. Bolam's 'Figgis' wasn't far removed from 'Terry Collier' of 'Likely Lads' fame, while Bowles' 'Glover' was a try-out for his later series 'The Bounder'.

This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 29 March, 2014.