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The Pickerskill Reports. Image shows from L to R: Harry Hindle-Rand (Thomas Sangster), Dr Henry Pickerskill (Ian McDiarmid). Image credit: Curtains For Radio.

The Pickerskill Reports
The Pickerskill Reports. Dr Henry Pickerskill (Ian McDiarmid). Image credit: Curtains For Radio.

The Pickerskill Reports

Black comedy series starring Ian McDiarmid as Dr Pickerskill, a retired English master looking back at the lives of his most entertaining pupils

Genre:
Comedy Drama
Broadcast:
2009  (BBC Radio 4)
Episodes:
4 (1 series)
Starring:
Ian McDiarmid, Richard Johnson, Philip Madoc, Michael Sarne
Writers:
Andrew McGibbon
Production:
Curtains For Radio

Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars) is Dr Henry Pickerskill, the retired English master of Haunchurst School for boys. Richard Johnson (Bleak Expectations) and Philip Madoc (Dad's Army) also have regular parts in the show.

Told in the form of flashbacks and letters from the ex-pupils to Pickerskill, each episode tells the darkly comic account of the life of one of the pupils. Shaped by Haunchurst School, these boys' flaws and gifts are analysed by Pickerskill and we find out what became of them in adulthood.

In the first episode, a wicked pupil encourages a school teacher's alcoholism with altar wine, exposing the teacher to bribes for answers to end of term exams. Pickerskill believes the boy to be a ruthless sociopath and predicts he will go on to do very well indeed.