All Gas and Gaiters
Noel Davies samples some vintage ecclesiastical comedy
“A review”, you ask, “In Christis? What ever for?” Well this is a review relevant to Christis since All Gas and Gaiters was an ecclesiastical comedy that ran on BBC television from 1966 to 1971. Although most of the episodes have sadly been lost over the years, eleven have survived including the much-praised pilot and these have recently been released on DVD. Since I didn’t write anything for the previous two issues of Christis and since my family will lynch me if I don’t do something, why not review All Gas and Gaiters?
Set in the fictional Anglican cathedral of St Oggs, the series looked at the various misadventures of the Bishop, his Chaplain and the Archdeacon. Inevitably each episode was an attempt by the Bishop, played by William Meryn, to maintain his easy life in the face of his grim and austere Dean played excellently by John Barron along with Derek Nimmo’s naïve Chaplain and Robertson Hare’s elderly sherry tippling Archdeacon. Sound a bit like Father Ted? Well I can assure you that there the rough similarity ends. This, after all, is still the late 1960s where it was risky to even do an ecclesiastical comedy. Those familiar with the surreal nature of Craggy Island or the satire of Dogma will probably be disappointed with All Gas and Gaiters. It’s not a biting criticism of the Anglican Church or of religion in general but a light-hearted poke at the churchmen of England. It’s all in good fun and in a world where comedy seems to have descended into savage mockery, the innocence of All Gas and Gaiters is refreshing.
However, the old-fashioned nature of the series also means it can produce as many groans as it does laughs. In the last episode, for example, the Chaplain is overloaded with work and needs a typist to help him finish it (oh what days they were!). When the Archdeacon arrives, the Chaplain talks of needing “a girl” since he can’t cope on his own any more. The dialogue shifts clumsily from talking about a typist to talking about a girl and you know full well that the Archdeacon will get the wrong end of the stick. Certainly it produces some chuckles and was risky for the time but you can’t escape the feeling that it’s all slightly too predictable. Enter All Gas and Gaiters with the mindset of watching Dad’s Army or Open All Hours and you’ll enjoy it. Enter with the mindset of Coupling or Father Ted and you’ll probably find it all quite boring.
The comparison with Dad’s Army is particularly relevant since the two are quite similar. Both made the transition from black and white to colour and both were largely made up of older actors. Indeed, Robertson Hare made his television debut in the series at the sprightly age of 75. And both series had simple formats. Dad’s Army took place mostly in the church hall while All Gas and Gaiters was mostly set in the Bishop’s office. Comedy that can be sustained without the need for flashy sets or constant set change has my admiration and for that I recommend that you should see it. It’s perfect Sunday viewing while you wait for The Antiques Roadshow. Now, where’s my sherry?