Bolam and Bowles launch comedy series

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 16

Bolam and Bowles launch comedy series

James Bolam, of “When The Boat Comes In” and a visitor to New Zealand earlier last year, is the star of a new Yorkshire Television comedy, “Only When I Laugh.” The series brings together the award-winning writer, Eric Chappell — of “Rising’Damp” — and a cast led by. Bolam, Peter Bowles, Christopher ’ Strauli, Richard Wilson and Derrick Branche. “Only When I Laugh” ; entered Britain’s “Top 20” charts with its opening episode, and eventually at-

tracted a larger audience than any other ITV situation comedy. The final episode reached the No. 1 spot in the ratings — the only ITV comedy series to do so during the year. A lorry driver, Roy Figgis (played by Bolam), is tough, grumbling, working - class - and - proud - of - it. He is in hospital bound with more operational scars about his- ■ person than a failed knife thrower’s assistant. ; He is firmly convinced that," his complaint — whatever it may be —

is destined to become a major chapter . in the annals of medical history. Gentlemanly hypochondriac‘Archie Glover (Peter Bowles) is also in the ward' having convinced the house surgeon, Thorpe, that his. complaints — if he really does havj any — are destined to re-write most of rthe major chapters in medical history: Young ■ Norman Binns (Christopher Strauli) is temperamentally sandwiched between. Figgis and Glover. He doesn’t know much about, any of the

chapters in the annals of medical history. Thanks, however, to the influences of his two ward mates, he’s learning fast. On the staff side the house surgeon, ■ Thorpe (Richard Wilson), continues to resist the temptation to have a nervous breakdown. And Gupte, t he harassed Indian male nurse has so far resisted the temptation of packing .in the Florence Nightingale lark and opening a . curry house. The seven, 30-minute episodes of this series open on One on April 14.