List of Rentaghost episodes
The following is a list of episodes of the British children's comedy Rentaghost, which aired on BBC1 from 6 January 1976 to 6 November 1984.[1]
Selected episodes were last shown on the BBC from October 2003 until January 2004, as part of Dick & Dom's weekend morning shows on CBBC.[2]
Episodes[]
Series 1 (January 1976)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | TBA | Bob Block | 6 January 1976 | |
| Recently-deceased Fred Mumford needs to find money to fund his new ghost rental business. He hopes his parents will help him, However, they haven't yet been told their son is dead.[3] | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Series 1 Episode 2" | TBA | Bob Block | 13 January 1976 | |
| Mumford and his fellow ghosts set out to exorcise a ghost which has been terrorising London's Heathrow Airport. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Series 1 Episode 3" | TBA | Bob Block | 20 January 1976 | |
| Mumford and his colleagues decide to tell their landlord, Mr Meaker, that they are really ghosts. The shock of this lands Mr Meaker in the local hospital, where the Rentaghost team offer to provide a conjuring act for the centenary celebrations. As ghosts they find it easy to vanish—but Mumford has some difficulty in becoming visible again! | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Series 1 Episode 4" | TBA | Bob Block | 27 January 1976 | |
| The Rentaghost team are engaged by a security firm to patrol a large department store and stop shoplifting. However, Claypole is going through a mischievous phase when his poltergeist powers are at their strongest.... | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Series 1 Episode 5" | TBA | Bob Block | 3 February 1976 | |
| Haunting a stately home proves to be something of a trial of strength for Mumford. His ghostly Uncle Arthur provides him with an assorted bunch of spooks to help the haunting, then calls them out on strike. Mumford is determined to overcome all the obstacles, even though it might mean temporarily losing his head! | ||||||
Series 2 (May 1976)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | "Series 2 Episode 1" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 18 May 1976 | |
| The trio return in a new series to a new office and a new commercial venture as private detectives. But Mr Mumford 's idea of putting a tail on the suspect is very different from Mr Claypole's! | ||||||
| 7 | 2 | "Series 2 Episode 2" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 25 May 1976 | |
| Rentaghost Transport is the brain-wave of Mr Mumford—but when the ghosts' efforts with fare-paying passengers goes wrong, Mr Mumford decides to concentrate on a furniture removal service. The results are hair-raising! | ||||||
| 8 | 3 | "Series 2 Episode 3" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 1 June 1976 | |
| Mr Mumford, Mr Claypole and Mr Davenport have no money to pay the rent. However, instead of an eviction order, Mr Meaker, their landlord, has a brilliant idea—the ghosts can present a concert starring the world's greatest artists, like Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci, and William Shakespeare. | ||||||
| 9 | 4 | "Series 2 Episode 4" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 8 June 1976 | |
| Mr Claypole is capable of shrinking things to a fraction of their normal size. This talent persuades Rentaghost to go into the storage business—but there is one shrinkage that nobody expects. | ||||||
| 10 | 5 | "Series 2 Episode 5" | TBA | Bob Block | 15 June 1976 | |
| Efficiency is required in the Rentaghost office. The arrival of a ghost efficiency expert causes more chaos than ever! | ||||||
| 11 | 6 | "Series 2 Episode 6" | TBA | Bob Block | 22 June 1976 | |
| Rentanews Agency is formed by Mr Meaker, and the three ghosts become ace reporters. Their big 'scoop' would be an interview with the famous psychiatrist, Dr Springveldt—but Dr Springveldt is publicity-shy and does not like reporters. | ||||||
Series 3 (1977)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | "Series 3 Episode 1" | TBA | Bob Block | 22 February 1977 | |
| The ghostly trio return, managed by their agent Mr Meaker. Disastrous results occur when they decide to give people whatever weather they want—and the arrival of a new ghost, Catastrophe Kate, makes things worse. | ||||||
| 13 | 2 | "Series 3 Episode 2" | TBA | Bob Block | 1 March 1977 | |
| Mr Claypole is in a mischievous mood. When Mr Meaker wishes that he received as much attention as his wife gives to their budgie, Mr Claypole overhears and a spell gets out of hand. | ||||||
| 14 | 3 | "Series 3 Episode 3" | TBA | Bob Block | 8 March 1977 | |
| The ghosts are helping Mr and Mrs Meaker with their amateur variety show. Their help turns the variety into comedy and chaos. | ||||||
| 15 | 4 | "Series 3 Episode 4" | TBA | Bob Block | 15 March 1977 | |
| When the Rentaghost trio are forced to move out of their premises, other occupants move in—they're ghosts, too! | ||||||
| 16 | 5 | "Series 3 Episode 5" | Renny Rye | Bob Block | 22 March 1977 | |
| Mr Mumford's parsnips are not as big as he'd like them to be; a simple spell should fix that. But Mr Claypole's spell is not as simple as it should be! | ||||||
| 17 | 6 | "Series 3 Episode 6" | TBA | Bob Block | 29 March 1977 | |
| The ghosts win £500 on Premium Bonds and decide to use it to treat Harold Meaker as a gesture of appreciation. Unfortunately the events of the previous few weeks have placed Mr Meaker on the verge of a nervous breakdown and he gets the wrong idea... | ||||||
Series 4 (1978)[]
This series was accompanied by a Christmas special, which was the last episode in the show to feature the characters of Fred Mumford and Hubert Davenport.
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1 | "Series 4 Episode 1" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 14 September 1978 | |
| The ghosts have a chance to become a nationwide success with Rentapotion, until Mr Claypole mistakes a potion's power and Hazel the McWitch arrives on the scene. | ||||||
| 19 | 2 | "Series 4 Episode 2" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 21 September 1978 | |
| Mr Meaker's efforts to open a gentleman's tailoring shop push the ghosts to their limits, so they go on strike—and visit the seaside. | ||||||
| 20 | 3 | "Series 4 Episode 3" | TBA | Bob Block | 28 September 1978 | |
| Ethel Meaker is suffering the after-effects of being a Cocker Spaniel. Her barking alarms the neighbours and leads to a row with her husband. The Ghostly Trio attempt to smooth things over—with the help of Catastrophe Kate. | ||||||
| 21 | 4 | "Series 4 Episode 4" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 5 October 1978 | |
| With the help of Hazel the McWitch, the ghosts open a restaurant, but their plans misfire and Hazel is dismissed—she decides to take her revenge. | ||||||
| 22 | 5 | "Series 4 Episode 5" | TBA | Bob Block | 12 October 1978 | |
| Mrs Meaker is worried that her husband will injure himself while keeping fit—and the Mumfords need a hand to move a heavy cooker. Perhaps the Ghostly Trio will help? That's a mistake! | ||||||
| 23 | 6 | "Series 4 Episode 6" | TBA | Bob Block | 19 October 1978 | |
| The Rentaghost Charity Fete Committee consists of Mr Mumford, Mr Davenport, Mr Claypole, Mr and Mrs Meaker—and Catastrophe Kate. With four spooks involved, it's a fete worse than death! | ||||||
| 24 | 7 | "RentaSanta" | TBA | Bob Block | 19 December 1979 | |
| Christmas with Rentaghost: the ghostly trio are engaged as Santa Clauses by a department store while the Meakers prepare for an amateur production of Aladdin. It's Christmas chaos when the festive frolics get out of hand! Mr. Claypole's antics cause problems as he brings a pantomime horse, Dobbin, to life... and finds he cannot undo the spell. (This episode had been due to air a year earlier on 21 December 1978, but industrial action at the BBC prevented it.) | ||||||
Series 5 (1980)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1 | "Series 5 Episode 1" | TBA | Bob Block | 7 March 1980 | |
| Fred and Hubert have left for an extended tour of stately home hauntings, and so Mr. Claypole recruits two new members of Rentaghost: Hazel McWitch and Tamara Novek. Meanwhile, Dobbin learns how to transport himself and continues to cause problems for the Meakers. | ||||||
| 26 | 2 | "Series 5 Episode 2" | TBA | Bob Block | 11 March 1980 | |
| Mr Meaker is sick in bed and the ghosts have to look after him. Mrs Meaker decides to become a professional singer and develops a voice which can shatter glass. Mr and Mrs Perkins decide to have the Meakers investigated by a private detective. | ||||||
| 27 | 3 | "Series 5 Episode 3" | TBA | Bob Block | 14 March 1980 | |
| Mrs Meaker's glass-shattering voice now breaks wood, thanks to Mr Claypole! A singer is needed at Painting's Roller Disco, so Mr Meaker sees a way to get Ethel out of the house. | ||||||
| 28 | 4 | "Series 5 Episode 4" | TBA | Bob Block | 18 March 1980 | |
| Why is there chaos in Painting's Beauty Boutique? Who is Auntie Meg? Why does Ethel wear a dress in the bath? And how does Meaker manage to upset the Perkins this week? | ||||||
| 29 | 5 | "Series 5 Episode 5" | TBA | Bob Block | 21 March 1980 | |
| The plot thickens when it's invention time. Claypole and McWitch compete for the best invention. the Pooping Tom is now a Snooper, Tamara becomes a Private Eyeball, Ethel can't say "no", Meaker keeps a stiff upper petal, the Perkins are poetic, and Painting gives a party. | ||||||
Series 6 (1981)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | "Series 6 Episode 1" | TBA | Bob Block | 24 April 1981 | |
| The Meakers arrive by flying carpet to live next door to the Perkins; Ethel gets stuck on a chimney in an armchair with the Horse on her lap; Nadia Popov, a new ghost, joins Claypole in a Flying Bath and Hazel's dream potion perplexes the police! | ||||||
| 31 | 2 | "Series 6 Episode 2" | TBA | Bob Block | 1 May 1981 | |
| Meaker becomes a champion ice skater to promote Painting's new skates. The spooks get spots from powerful potions. The Perkins persuade a psychiatrist to peruse the neighbours. Nadia falls in love with Harold and Painting becomes a copy of a Painting. | ||||||
| 32 | 3 | "Series 6 Episode 3" | TBA | Bob Block | 8 May 1981 | |
| The horse is hiding under the table; the tortoise is racing round the house; the budgie is trying to break the door down; the kitten has just tried to eat the milkman and Mrs Perkins has a geranium on her cranium ... | ||||||
| 33 | 4 | "Series 6 Episode 4" | TBA | Bob Block | 15 May 1981 | |
| Nadia becomes a ping-pong ball, the horse becomes a pantomime Pegasus, Meaker becomes a green doll, Painting becomes a teddy bear and the Perkins put on a cabaret for Dr Newman! | ||||||
| 34 | 5 | "Series 6 Episode 5" | TBA | Bob Block | 22 May 1981 | |
| 35 | 6 | "Series 6 Episode 6" | TBA | Bob Block | 29 May 1981 | |
Series 7 (1982)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1 | "Series 7 Episode 1" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 5 October 1982 | |
| More madness when the Meakers lose their holiday. Painting loses his weight, the Perkins lose their tempers, and a Royal Command Performance for Queen Matilda hears the beat of dancing feet on 42nd Street! | ||||||
| 37 | 2 | "Series 7 Episode 2" | TBA | Bob Block | 12 October 1982 | |
| 38 | 3 | "Series 7 Episode 3" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 19 October 1982 | |
| A holiday of havoc at the seaside when Claypole makes a Spanish galleon materialise whose pirate owner turns Ethel Meaker into half a herring! | ||||||
| 39 | 4 | "Series 7 Episode 4" | TBA | Bob Block | 26 October 1982 | |
| 40 | 5 | "Series 7 Episode 5" | TBA | Bob Block | 2 November 1982 | |
| 41 | 6 | "Series 7 Episode 6" | TBA | Bob Block | 9 November 1982 | |
| 42 | 7 | "Series 7 Episode 7" | TBA | Bob Block | 16 November 1982 | |
| 43 | 8 | "Series 7 Episode 8" | TBA | Bob Block | 23 November 1982 | |
| 44 | 9 | "Series 7 Episode 9" | TBA | Bob Block | 30 November 1982 | |
| 45 | 10 | "Series 7 Episode 10" | TBA | Bob Block | 7 December 1982 | |
| 46 | 11 | "Series 7 Episode 11" | TBA | Bob Block | 14 December 1982 | |
| 47 | 12 | "Series 7 Episode 12" | TBA | Bob Block | 21 December 1982 | |
| 48 | 13 | "Series 7 Episode 13" | TBA | Bob Block | 29 December 1982 | |
Series 8 (1983)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | "Series 8 Episode 1" | TBA | Bob Block | 18 October 1983 | |
| Mr. Meaker decides to take Ethel on a camping trip - but when he asks the ghosts to help him set up the camp site, things don't go smoothly. | ||||||
| 50 | 2 | "Series 8 Episode 2" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 25 October 1983 | |
| Adam Painting is having problems with his new restaurant due to staff walkouts and exorbitant heating bills. He decides the ideal people to resolve his issues are the spooks at Rentaghost. | ||||||
| 51 | 3 | "Series 8 Episode 3" | Jeremy Swan | Bob Block | 1 November 1983 | |
| Queen Matilda returns from the spirit world with the desire to experience life as a commoner - a job vacancy as a cleaner for the Perkins seems too good an opportunity to miss. | ||||||
| 52 | 4 | "Series 8 Episode 4" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 8 November 1983 | |
| Mr. Claypole celebrates his 860th birthday with some fun and games. Unfortunately for the next door neighbours, the Perkins, their nervous Aunt Mabel is coming to visit. | ||||||
| 53 | 5 | "Series 8 Episode 5" | Jeremy Swan and David Crichton | Bob Block | 15 November 1983 | |
| Adam Painting wants the ghosts to help out in his department store. Unfortunately, things are complicated by McWitch's dream potions, and the return of Whatsiname Smith. | ||||||
Series 9 (1984)[]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 1 | "Series 9 Episode 1" | TBA | Bob Block | 9 October 1984 | |
| The Meakers' cellar is occupied by a fire-breathing dragon. | ||||||
| 55 | 2 | "Series 9 Episode 2" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 16 October 1984 | |
| When Whatsisname Smith says "jump!", everybody jumps. But the jumpiest of all is the Perkins' Aunt Mabel! | ||||||
| 56 | 3 | "Series 9 Episode 3" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 23 October 1984 | |
| After falling off Mount Everest, Ethel decides to tell the Perkins about the Spooks. Susie Starlight helps her, Claypole and Nadia hinder her; and the dreaded McDonald McDougal witchnaps Hazel! | ||||||
| 57 | 4 | "Series 9 Episode 4" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 30 October 1984 | |
| The Meakers' car is still in the Perkins' kitchen and none of the Spooks can remember the correct spell for getting it out! Could things possibly get worse? Yes! | ||||||
| 58 | 5 | "Series 9 Episode 5" | David Crichton | Bob Block | 6 November 1984 | |
| Claypole's self-propelled bed and McWitch's appearance-changing potion have got to be tested, and who better than on the Meakers - heh, heh, heh! | ||||||
References[]
- ^ "BBC - Comedy Guide - Rentaghost". Archived from the original on 13 December 2004. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Rentaghost". BBC Genome. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ "Rentaghost 1". BBC Genome. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
Categories:
- Lists of British sitcom episodes
- Lists of British children's television series episodes