A recently retired army officer creates chaos as he attempts to apply military logic to civilian life.
The newly retired Brigadier Garnet Wellington-Bull (Alexander Gauge) struggles to adapt to a quieter life. Convinced that civilian problems can be solved with the same directness as a military campaign, the well-intentioned but blundering Brigadier wades into a series of misadventures. He is joined by his long-suffering daughter, Jane (Valerie Singleton), and his former subordinate, Captain ‘Sooty’ Pilkington (Donald Hewlett). Across the series, the Brigadier’s attempts to impose order on chaos see him encountering jewel thieves, film stars, and Soho restaurateurs, with predictably calamitous results.
This sitcom was constructed as a vehicle for its star, Alexander Gauge, playing the archetypal retired military man at sea in a civilian world. Creator Austin Melford, in a promotional feature for the Radio Times, described the titular Brigadier as a familiar type: a blunderer convinced of his own infallibility, who wades into any situation without considering the consequences. Gauge’s own military service was considered an asset to the production, which was granted a prestigious cover feature for its launch. The theme music was an early television credit for composer Trevor H. Stanford, better known under his performing name, Russ Conway.
Broadcast: BBC, 6 Episodes, Fridays, 12 June – 17 July 1959
Written by: Austin Melford
Produced and Directed by: Ronald Marsh
Theme Music: Trevor H. Stanford
Main Cast: Alexander Gauge (Brigadier Garnet Wellington-Bull), Valerie Singleton (Jane), Donald Hewlett (Captain ‘Sooty’ Pilkington)
