A pompous preparatory schoolmaster struggles to maintain order and dignity at a boys’ school in the 1940s.
At Burgrove, a minor boys’ preparatory school, the pedantic and ineffectual mathematics master A. J. Wentworth (Arthur Lowe) battles daily to uphold his authority. His attempts to impart knowledge and discipline are consistently thwarted by the anarchic pupils in his charge and undermined by his colleagues, including the formidable Headmaster, Saunders (Harry Andrews), and the shrewd Matron (Marion Mathie). Each episode chronicles a fresh set of humiliations for Wentworth, from classroom chaos and sporting failures to his futile efforts to impress the school’s parents and governors.
This gentle sitcom was a fitting swansong for its star, Arthur Lowe, who died shortly after production was completed. Based on the humorous diaries created by H.F. Ellis for Punch magazine, the series was a perfect vehicle for Lowe’s singular talent for playing men of misplaced self-importance. Wentworth is a direct comedic descendant of Captain Mainwaring: a man whose vanity and insecurity are perpetually punctured by the reality of his situation. The production captures the slightly down-at-heel atmosphere of a 1940s boarding school, providing a nostalgic, if chaotic, backdrop for a comedy built entirely on character.
Broadcast: ITV, 6 Episodes, Mondays, 12 July – 23 August 1982
Adapted by: Basil Boothroyd, from the book by H.F. Ellis
Producer: Michael Mills
Director: Michael Mills
Main Cast: Arthur Lowe (A. J. Wentworth), Harry Andrews (Headmaster Saunders), Marion Mathie (Matron), Ronnie Stevens (Rawlinson), Michael Bevis (Gilbert), Marcus Evans (Mason), Alistair Callender (Anderson)
