History Series / OhDoctorBeeching

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Creator/JuliaDeakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspden[[note]] Misspelled as "Paul Aspen" in the credits.[[/note]]); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Creator/StephenLewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (New); elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Creator/IvorRoberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_axe railway axe]] - 2,000 stations to close, 67,000 jobs to be lost - forces the staff to pull up their socks.

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Creator/JuliaDeakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspden[[note]] Misspelled as "Paul Aspen" in the credits.[[/note]]); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Creator/StephenLewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (New); elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_axe railway axe]] - 2,000 stations to close, 67,000 jobs to be lost - forces the staff to pull up their socks.

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Julia Deakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspden[[note]] Misspelled as "Paul Aspen" in the credits.[[/note]]); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Creator/StephenLewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (New); elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_axe railway axe]] - 2,000 stations to close, 67,000 jobs to be lost - forces the staff to pull up their socks.

* GrumpyOldMan: Harry Lambert, true to most roles played by Stephen Lewis, is almost never seen smiling. He is close to retirement, and much as he hates his job (hence his many side enterprises), he hates the changes being made on the railways even more. He also gets easily angered when he hears Wilfred playing the electric guitar, partly because Wilfred isn't very good but more because he hates rock and roll for being too loud. (Not that this stops him from recruiting Wilfred to play guitar in his band, Harry Lambert and the Rhythm Rascals.)

* HelicopterParents: Jack constantly fusses over the short skirts Gloria is wearing, and pours metaphorical cold water on any man who shows interest in her. When Parkin comes to suspect Gloria might be his daughter, he also criticises the skirts she wears as too short.
* HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: Ethel recalls in "Sleeping Around" that her father was an abusive drunk; he once stuffed her mother into a dustbin head first, and, when she was nearly eighteen, he tried to put her across his knee to spank her but she fended him off with a GroinAttack.

* OverprotectiveDad: Jack constantly fusses over the short skirts Gloria is wearing, and pours metaphorical cold water on any man who shows interest in her. When Parkin comes to suspect Gloria might be his daughter, he also criticises the skirts she wears as too short.

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Julia Deakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspden[[note]] Misspelled as "Paul Aspen" in the credits.[[/note]]); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (New); elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_axe railway axe]] - 2,000 stations to close, 67,000 jobs to be lost - forces the staff to pull up their socks.

* CoolTrain: The ex-LMS/BR 2-6-0 "Blossom" and her GWR chocolate-cream coaches, which suits the rural nature of Hatley.

A {{Britcom}} created by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which ran for two series from 1996-97 and starred some of the same cast members as Croft's earlier series ''Series/YouRangMLord'', including Creator/PaulShane, Creator/JeffreyHolland, Creator/SuPollard (all of whom had also appeared in Croft's still earlier series ''Series/HiDeHi''), Creator/PerryBenson, and Barbara New.

* UniversalAdaptorCast: Creator/PaulShane, Creator/JeffreyHolland, and Creator/SuPollard play the same sort of characters they played in David Croft's previous series ''Series/HiDeHi'' and ''Series/YouRangMLord'', with Shane as the working-class LovableRogue, Holland as the morally upright StraightMan, and Pollard as TheDitz. Barbara New and Perry Benson play similar roles to those they played in ''Series/YouRangMLord'' as well, with New as the slightly dotty outsider and Benson as a half-wit (with hints of HiddenDepths) at the bottom of the career ladder.

A {{Britcom}} created by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which ran for two series from 1996-97 and starred some of the same cast members as Croft's earlier series ''Series/YouRangMLord'', including Creator/PaulShane, Creator/JeffreyHolland, Creator/SuPollard (all of whom had also appeared in Croft's still earlier series ''Series/HiDeHi''), Perry Benson, and Barbara New.

A {{Britcom}} created by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which ran for two series from 1996-97 and starred some of the same cast members as Croft's earlier series ''Series/YouRangMLord'', including Creator/PaulShane, Jeffrey Holland, Creator/SuPollard (all of whom had also appeared in Croft's still earlier series ''Series/HiDeHi''), Perry Benson, and Barbara New.

* UniversalAdaptorCast: Creator/PaulShane, Jeffrey Holland, and Creator/SuPollard play the same sort of characters they played in David Croft's previous series ''Series/HiDeHi'' and ''Series/YouRangMLord'', with Shane as the working-class LovableRogue, Holland as the morally upright StraightMan, and Pollard as TheDitz. Barbara New and Perry Benson play similar roles to those they played in ''Series/YouRangMLord'' as well, with New as the slightly dotty outsider and Benson as a half-wit (with hints of HiddenDepths) at the bottom of the career ladder.

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Julia Deakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspden[[note]] Misspelled as "Paul Aspen" in the credits.[[/note]]); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (Barbara New); elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Perry Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_axe railway axe]] - 2,000 stations to close, 67,000 jobs to be lost - forces the staff to pull up their socks.

A {{Britcom}} created by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which ran for two series from 1996-97 and starred some of the same cast members as Croft's earlier series ''Series/YouRangMLord'', including Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland, Creator/SuPollard (all of whom had also appeared in Croft's still earlier series ''Series/HiDeHi''), Perry Benson, and Barbara New.

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Paul Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Julia Deakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Su Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspden[[note]] Misspelled as "Paul Aspen" in the credits.[[/note]]); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (Barbara New); elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Perry Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Jeffrey Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_axe railway axe]] - 2,000 stations to close, 67,000 jobs to be lost - forces the staff to pull up their socks.

* UniversalAdaptorCast: Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland, and Creator/SuPollard play the same sort of characters they played in David Croft's previous series ''Series/HiDeHi'' and ''Series/YouRangMLord'', with Shane as the working-class LovableRogue, Holland as the morally upright StraightMan, and Pollard as TheDitz. Barbara New and Perry Benson play similar roles to those they played in ''Series/YouRangMLord'' as well, with New as the slightly dotty outsider and Benson as a half-wit (with hints of HiddenDepths) at the bottom of the career ladder.

A {{Britcom}} created by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which ran for two series from 1996-97 and starred some of the same cast members as Croft's earlier series ''Series/YouRangMLord'', including Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland, Su Pollard (all of whom had also appeared in Croft's still earlier series ''Series/HiDeHi''), Perry Benson, and Barbara New.

* DoItYourselfThemeTune: The theme tune, a parody version of an 1893 music hall song called "Oh! Mr. Porter", was sung over the closing credits by Su Pollard, who played Ethel Schumann.

* UniversalAdaptorCast: Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland, and Su Pollard play the same sort of characters they played in David Croft's previous series ''Series/HiDeHi'' and ''Series/YouRangMLord'', with Shane as the working-class LovableRogue, Holland as the morally upright StraightMan, and Pollard as TheDitz. Barbara New and Perry Benson play similar roles to those they played in ''Series/YouRangMLord'' as well, with New as the slightly dotty outsider and Benson as a half-wit (with hints of HiddenDepths) at the bottom of the career ladder.

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Paul Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Julia Deakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Su Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspden[[note]] Misspelled as "Paul Aspen" in the credits.[[/note]]); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (Barbara New); elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Perry Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Jeffrey Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a railway axe - 2,000 stations to close, 67,000 jobs to be lost - forces the staff to pull up their socks.

In 1963, the rural train station of Hatley is being operated by a ragtag team of British Rail employees, including porter/acting stationmaster Jack Skinner (Paul Shane), his wife and station buffet manager May (Julia Deakin), and their teenaged daughter Gloria (Lindsay Grimshaw); flustered booking clerk Ethel Schumann (Su Pollard) and her dozy son Wilfred (Paul Aspen); grumpy signalman/entrepreneur Harry Lambert (Stephen Lewis); odd job woman Vera Plumtree (Barbara New), elderly engine driver Arnold Thomas (Ivor Roberts) and his novice fireman Ralph (Perry Benson); and skirt-chasing guard Percy (Terry John). The arrival of the new station master, Cecil Parkin (Jeffrey Holland), coupled with Doctor Beeching's announcement of a railway axe, forces the staff to pull up their socks.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: In "A Bowl in the Hand", Parkin has put Jack on duty on the day of the station's Bowls Club outing and put himself on the team in his place. Jack tries to ask him to let May stay behind while Vera handles the catering for the outing on compassionate grounds; as Parkin had put Jack on duty and slated May to handle the catering precisely so he could steal some time alone with her away from Jack, he refuses. Mr Orkindale arrives in the middle of this conversation, and Parkin declares that while Beeching is wielding his axe, railway employees must put duty first and pleasure a distant second. Orkindale agrees, then asks why Parkin is not in uniform but Jack is; Jack, he explains, is the star of the bowls team and cannot be left behind. He orders Parkin to stay behind while Jack joins the bowls outing - after all, duty first, pleasure a distant second.

* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: Gloria is supposedly Jack and May's daughter, but when Parkin arrives at Hatley and May introduces him to Gloria, he does the maths and realises she was conceived when he and May were seeing each other. (It is revealed in the second series episode "Father's Day" that her father is probably [[spoiler:Jack after all]].)

* NotWhatItLooksLike: In "Past Love", Parkin returns from his lunchtime meeting on the same train as Gloria, and they are both standing by the door as the train pulls into Hatley. However, Ralph misjudges the stopping distance yet again, and Parkin and Gloria are thrown against each other as the train lurches to a halt. Parkin's fiancée, Edna, opens the door to find what looks like Parkin trying to seduce Gloria. (Parkin is particularly horrified by this conclusion as he thinks Gloria might be his daughter, but Edna is the last person he wants to find out he might have an illegitimate child, so he cannot clear up the misunderstanding so easily.)

* ReallyGetsAround: May, in her younger days. Not only was she seeing Jack and Parkin at the same time when Gloria was conceived, but there are several episodes where May or Gloria reference other male admirers whom she was seeing on a regular basis.

* GrumpyOldMan: Harry Lambert is close to retirement, and much as he hates his job (hence his many side enterprises), he hates the changes being made on the railways even more. He also gets easily angered when he hears Wilfred playing the electric guitar, partly because Wilfred isn't very good but more because he hates rock and roll for being too loud. (Not that this stops him from recruiting Wilfred to play guitar in his band, Harry Lambert and the Rhythm Rascals.)

* LastSecondWordSwap: Parkin does this if someone (usually Vera) barges in while opening his heart to May Skinner. For example, "A Bowl in the Hand" features this exchange:

* BookDumb: Ralph tries to avert this by reading books about Ancient Greece, as he has aspirations beyond being an engine driver. He tells Ethel he is working through the great figures of Ancient Greece alphabetically, and that he is currently on Creator/{{Aristophanes}} and Creator/{{Aristotle}}. Ethel says her favourite ancient historical figure when she was at school was [[Creator/GaiusJuliusCaesar Caesar]]. Ralph then reveals himself as a straight example of Book Dumb by saying he won't get up to "S" for a long time.