''Potter'' is a

British sitcom A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television. Most British sitcoms are recorded on studio sets, while some have an element of location filming. A handful are made almost exclusively on location ...

written by

Roy Clarke Royston Clarke Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 28 January 1930), usually known as Roy Clarke, is an English comedy writer best known for creating the sitcoms ''Last of the Summer Wine'', ''Keeping Up Appearances'', ''Open All Hours'' a ...

. Running for three series, it originally starred

Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe (22 September 1915 – 15 April 1982) was an English actor. His acting career spanned 36 years, including starring roles in numerous theatre and television productions. He played Captain Mainwaring in the British sitcom ''Dad' ...

as Redvers Potter, a busybody former sweet manufacturer ("Pottermints - the hotter mints") with time on his hands following retirement. Set in suburban South London, the series followed Potter in his various attempts to keep himself occupied by interfering in other people's business. The series co-starred

Noel Dyson Elsie Noël Dyson (23 December 1916 – 29 June 1995) was an English character actress Dyson played a number of roles in theatre, television and films (including in telemovies) but is best remembered as a versatile character actress in TV seri ...

as his wife Aileen, John Barron as the Vicar, Lally Bowers as Redvers' sister Harriet, Ken Wynne as Harriet's eccentric and camp husband Willie and

John Warner John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1979 to 200 ...

as "Tolly" Tolliver, his next-door neighbour. Characters in later series included

Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett OBE (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing rag-and-bone man Harold Steptoe alongside Wilfrid Brambell in the long-running BBC television sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'' ( ...

as the comic ex-gangster Harry Tooms and

Brenda Cowling Brenda Rose Cowling (23 April 1925 – 2 October 2010) was an English actress from London. Cowling wanted to be a film actress from the time she was a child; however, upon leaving school, she trained instead as a shorthand typist. Biography Aft ...

as Jane.

Episodes

The first series comprised 6 episodes, and aired in March–April, 1979. The second series comprised 7 episodes, and aired the following year, from February–April, 1980. Plans for a third series were already underway when Lowe died (in April 1982), so Lowe was replaced by

Robin Bailey William Henry Mettam "Robin" Bailey (5 October 1919 – 14 January 1999) was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. Often cast in upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Mr Justice Graves in Thames Television's ''R ...

in the 7-episode third series, which aired the following year between July–August 1983, after which the series was discontinued.Potter
at the former

BBC Guide to Comedy BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

(archive), retrieved 3 September 2010 Most episodes end with Potter and the Vicar sitting on a sofa discussing the events that unfolded throughout the episode, and in Series 3 end with them sitting outside in the vicarage.

Third series

There were plans that the third series of ''Potter'', starring Arthur Lowe, would be recorded in the summer of 1982, with six further episodes. They would most likely have been broadcast in the spring of 1983.

Reception

Mark Lewisohn Mark Lewisohn (born 16 June 1958) is an English historian and biographer. Since the 1980s, he has written many reference books about the Beatles and has worked for EMI, MPL Communications and Apple Corps.

notes that although many of the characters (long-suffering wife, vicar, neighbour) were sitcom clichés "they seemed less so in the skilled hands of writer Roy Clarke, who had already proved a master of naturally humorous dialogue".

Cast and characters

* Redvers Potter (

(series 1-2),

(series 3)), a retired sweet manufacturer, who is determined to keep productive in his retirement. He is ignorant towards other people and he considers himself an expert on almost everything. Most times he asserts himself, the recipient of his 'helpful suggestions' ends up worse than they were before he became involved. He is snobbish towards non-English people, the younger generation and also the lower classes. He also overwhelms his wife into doing things that she does not want to do like taking long walks and cutting out on fatty foods although he doesn't do the same. Lowe only appears in the first two series (13 episodes). * Aileen Potter (

) Redvers' long suffering wife who clearly loves her husband but is annoyed by his snobbish attitude. She is a stay at home wife. She is the only character who appears in all 20 episodes over the three series. * Gerald, The Vicar ( John Barron) * Harriet (Lally Bowers) * Willie (Ken Wynne) * "Tolly" Tolliver (

) * Harry Tooms (

Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler (31 July 1916 – 8 November 1979) was an English actor who after having started his career on stage, was best remembered for numerous appearances in films and television from the 1940s to the 1970s. Personal life Tafler was bor ...

) (series 1), (

) (series 2) * Jane (

), the vicar's wife

Novelisation

A book written by

and Christine Sparks was released in 1979.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Potter Television shows set in London 1979 British television series debuts 1983 British television series endings BBC television sitcoms 1970s British sitcoms 1980s British sitcoms English-language television shows