Caine

I loved this whe I was a kid, anyone remember it? I wonder if it was ever made available.

Cyril Cusack & Kenneth Griffith were in it..... who was the promiscuous young girl?

wearysloth

Magnificent Idea Of Barthelemey Piechut

Alas, not pictures from the show...but might help.

I have a horrible suspicion that I actually thought the show was French at the time...

mr_sepia_tone

~ ~ ~ ~

'Clochemerle'

Adapted for television by Ray Galton & Alan Simpson from the novel by Gabriel Chevallier.
The year is 1925 and the place is Clochmerle, a small wine-growing village in Beaujolais.

When Mayor Barthelemey Piechut (Socialist) decides that his town of Clochmerle requires a monument that will extol the virtues of the Republic and his own administration he ponders long and hard for something suitable. He follows the lead of the ancient Romans, famed for hygiene and noble edifices. He decides that the perfect expression of these two concepts would be a public urinal.
Little was he to dream that this would lead to scandals that would shatter the peacefulness of the town and eventually have world-wide repercussions.

Review: “Brilliantly wry observation of sexual mores, politics and religion...”

“As an adolescent watching this TV series in the 1970’s, the appeal of the bevy of nubile young actresses in this series was obvious. On closer inspection however, the clever witty social commentary of the author, Gabriel Chevalier, on rural French civil and religious contradictions and conflict, engages the viewer and leaves a lasting impression.

The quality of the cast - Roy Dotrice, Kenneth Griffith, Cyril Cusack etc; the bravado and joie de vivre of the marvellous adaptation by Galton and Simpson and the vocal skills of the wry narration by the exemplary Peter Ustinov all combine to make this one of the best BBC co-productions ever undertaken.

Visually stunning, it is a major crime that this ever-relevant; de-bagging of pomposity and prudishness has all but disappeared. Why it has never been released on VHS / DVD needs explanation by the BBC hierarchy at the earliest opportunity! Are you reading this BBC? If there is a legal wrangle somewhere that needs sorting out, please do so immediately.TV series this good will not be made today - so please let us cherish the work of the past masters.” - a-lund

hankoler

I remember this , it was brilliant ,well worth a repeat showing.

Caine

Thanks for that, I'd forgotten what a great cast it was

dpgmel

Featured the lovely Madeline Smith as Hortense !

This really should get a release.

Chevyman

Cyd Hayman as Adele Torbayon

The book is a good read too. It's set in Beaujolais; one of my favourite areas in France. Not far from there, north of Macon, there is a real pissoir

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all

"Don't tread on Greta Garbo, as you walk down the boulevard?"

Caine

I've got the book too...a well worn, dog-eared Penguin Classic.

Chevyman

Agreed. If ever it is released I'll be be near the front of the queue

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all

"Don't tread on Greta Garbo, as you walk down the boulevard?"

Bernardo

Agreed a really good earthy read and easily makes up for not seeing the TV series.