''George and the Dragon'' is a British

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

made by

ATV ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television stations and companies * Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne * ATV (Austria) * AT ...

for the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

network which was transmitted in four series comprising 26 episodes between 19 November 1966 and 31 October 1968. The regular cast was Sid James, Peggy Mount, John Le Mesurier and

Keith Marsh Keith Marsh (1926 – 28 January 2013) was an English actor who appeared in numerous television productions over a 50-year period. Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, he is perhaps best known for playing Jacko in the Thames Television sitcom '' ...

. The show was written by Harry Driver and Vince Powell; Shaun O'Riordan was the director, and Alan Tarrant was the main producer.

Outline

George Russell (James), a handyman and chauffeur, and Gabrielle Dragon (Mount), a housekeeper, are both employed by Colonel Maynard (Le Mesurier). Also among the staff is Ralph (Marsh), a gardener. George's lascivious behaviour has been responsible for the resignation of 16 previous housekeepers, but Gabrielle, a formidable widow in her forties, will have none of it. The two leading characters are frequently at crossed swords with each other and George regularly schemes to remove her from her job. Mount herself was unlike the 'battleaxe' characters she tended to play, and had known James for many years by the time of this series. They had worked together in the screen adaptation of the

Brian Rix Brian Norman Roger Rix, Baron Rix, (27 January 1924 – 20 August 2016) was an English actor-manager, who produced a record-breaking sequence of long-running farces on the London stage, including ''Dry Rot'', '' Simple Spymen'' and ''One for ...

-associated farce '' Dry Rot'' (1956). Mount reminded James of his own mother, while Mount found James a convivial colleague.''George and the Dragon''
Television Heaven It was while the second series was in production on 13 May 1967 that James had his first

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

Cast

* Sid James as George Russell * Peggy Mount as Gabrielle Dragon * John Le Mesurier as Colonel Maynard *

as Ralph

DVD release

Unlike many British television series of its era, ''George and the Dragon'' survives in its entirety with no episodes missing,''George and the Dragon'' (1966-68)
lostshows.com and has been issued as a DVD boxset.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0059987 1966 British television series debuts 1968 British television series endings 1960s British sitcoms 1960s British workplace comedy television series English-language television shows ITV sitcoms Television shows set in London Television shows shot at ATV Elstree Studios