Hardwicke House

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Hardwicke House
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Paula Burdon
Written by	Richard Hall Simon Wright
Directed by	John Stroud
Starring	Roy Kinnear Pam Ferris Duncan Preston
Theme music composer	Peter Brewis
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	2 (+ five untransmitted)
Production
Producer	Paula Burdon
Running time	50 minutes (Episode 1) 25 minutes (Episodes 2–7)
Production company	Central Independent Television
Release
Original network	ITV
Original release	24 February (1987-02-24) – 25 February 1987 (1987-02-25)

Hardwicke House is a seven episode sitcom produced by Central Independent Television for the network ITV which was originally produced in the beginning of 1987. It was so negatively received that only the first two episodes were transmitted.

The fifth episode “The Old Boys”, did however gain a cult following amongst fans of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, when all the episodes eventually surfaced on YouTube.

Plot and episode titles[]

The series is set in the large comprehensive school of the title, the staff of which are as dysfunctional as the pupils. One teacher is a multiple murderer while the deputy headmaster lusts after male pupils. One teacher, Moose Magnusson, is on an extended exchange placement because his own school in Iceland refuses to have him back.

• Episode 1 – "The Visit" (24 February 1987)
• Episode 2 – "The First Day of Term" (25 February 1987)
• Episode 3 – "Interview Day" (scheduled for 4 March 1987)^[1]
• Episode 4 – "Prize Giving" (scheduled for 11 March 1987)^[2]
• Episode 5 – "Old Boys" (scheduled for 18 March 1987)^[3]
• Episode 6 – "An Inspector Calls" (scheduled for 25 March 1987)^[4]
• Episode 7 – "Passion Play" (scheduled for 1 April 1987)^[5]

Production and curtailed broadcast[]

The series was extensively trailed and also mentioned on the front cover of the TV Times for the week of the first two episodes, a double length premiere and a “regular” episode which were shown on consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Later episodes were scheduled for subsequent Wednesdays, but the public and press outcry against the series was so great that the series was pulled and replaced with repeats of Chance in a Million before the third episode was aired. The decision to pull the show was taken at such short notice that TV Times was unable to change its listings and the Hardwicke House feature.

References[]

External links[]

• Hardwicke House at IMDb
• Fan site

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