For some time now I've been racking my brains for an answer. I cannot remember what the name of this programme was.
I remember many years ago I watched a TV programme (possibly a play). It was not, as far as I remember a series for the characters but could have been in Saturday Theatre or Play for today or Comedy Playhouse. I'm not even sure of the main actor but believe it was either Roy Hudd or Roy Castle.
The synopsis is:
The young man visits the house of his girl-friend's parents for the first time to spend the weekend. He greets them and is then shown up to his room, their newly-decorated guest room, by his girl friend and he stands his case next to the wall at the end of the bed. She leaves him to get settled and he picks up his case but in doing so he scuffs the wall leaving a mark. He decides he cannot leave it like that so attempts to rub it clean. Of course that makes it worse, so he tries a wet flannel and manages to spread the mark even more. Of course he must leave his efforts and go down to socialize with the family and eat dinner but he cannot wait to get back to the task in hand. His girl friend is not too pleased when he cuts his attentions to her short after the parents have gone to bed as he must get back to the task in hand. He returns to the bedroom and makes further attempts to clean up. As the night progresses he goes searching through the house and discovers some rolls of wallpaper and paint and returns to redecorate the room. The parents are kept awake by the sounds of redecoration etc. Finally and exhausted Roy finishes the room and it doesn't look too bad. He staggers down to breakfast and fends off the questions as to what he was doing all night. He returns to the room to pack up and as he picks up his case he brushes the wall with it (again) and again leaving a mark - fade to credits!!
This has been driving me mad for ages!
Does it ring any bells?
I've looked in the Radio Times Genome, online, I've asked on the TVV online forum but all to no avail. I even tried writing to both Roys!!

Quote: fhb @ 3rd October 2023, 5:31 AM

For some time now I've been racking my brains for an answer. I cannot remember what the name of this programme was.
I remember many years ago I watched a TV programme (possibly a play). It was not, as far as I remember a series for the characters but could have been in Saturday Theatre or Play for today or Comedy Playhouse. I'm not even sure of the main actor but believe it was either Roy Hudd or Roy Castle.
The synopsis is:
The young man visits the house of his girl-friend's parents for the first time to spend the weekend. He greets them and is then shown up to his room, their newly-decorated guest room, by his girl friend and he stands his case next to the wall at the end of the bed. She leaves him to get settled and he picks up his case but in doing so he scuffs the wall leaving a mark. He decides he cannot leave it like that so attempts to rub it clean. Of course that makes it worse, so he tries a wet flannel and manages to spread the mark even more. Of course he must leave his efforts and go down to socialize with the family and eat dinner but he cannot wait to get back to the task in hand. His girl friend is not too pleased when he cuts his attentions to her short after the parents have gone to bed as he must get back to the task in hand. He returns to the bedroom and makes further attempts to clean up. As the night progresses he goes searching through the house and discovers some rolls of wallpaper and paint and returns to redecorate the room. The parents are kept awake by the sounds of redecoration etc. Finally and exhausted Roy finishes the room and it doesn't look too bad. He staggers down to breakfast and fends off the questions as to what he was doing all night. He returns to the room to pack up and as he picks up his case he brushes the wall with it (again) and again leaving a mark - fade to credits!!
This has been driving me mad for ages!
Does it ring any bells?
I've looked in the Radio Times Genome, online, I've asked on the TVV online forum but all to no avail. I even tried writing to both Roys!!

View original

You wrote to both Roys? When was that? Roy Castle died in 1994. Roy Hudd passed on in 2020. Neither were very similar to each other despite both being called Roy.
Good luck anyway. Have you gone through all their entries on the Internet Movie Database?

Yes - I've been looking a long time!. I've looked through IMDB but I have a feeling this may have been in a series like Play for Today, and each play is not always listed with details. I live in hope I'l get some wisdom from this group!

Doesn't that 'wallpapering in a panic to cover up something' plot line also happen in an episode of George and Mildred?
No help to you at all, but I'm sure I've seen it somewhere else.

It doesn't sound like either of the Roys to me.

What kind of time are you thinking about? 1960s, 1970s or later?

I'm not sure but I would think 70's

There's always Facebook to try (not that I'm totally au fait with it).

There is a sort of fan page for Roy Hudd on......

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100042219021257

But not Roy Castle as far as I can see, but like Chappers, it doesn't sound the sort of thing to me either would have done.

Can't help you either but I love the scenario, and it does sound very 1970s and comedy playhouseish, have you looked at the full list? there were a lot them made. Also Alan Bennett did some light comedy one offs for ITV in the 70s with similar quirky plots and were very good, from memory.

It also sounds similar to the plotlines of a Sharp Intake of Breath but this wasn't a one off thing.

Alfred - Now that is interesting!. As I thought it may have been a play I followed your suggestion and went to IMDB and looked at the Comedy Playhouse entries. Quite often the details are not there and although the details aren't there there was a mention of Series 4 Episode 7 of Comedy Playhouse. No descriuption but it is titled HUDD. Interesting!! So I followed this and find it was broadcast 1965 15 July. It only has 4 characters and that would also apply to my scenario. I've checked BBC Radio Time Genome and they write:
20:50
Comedy Playhouse: Hudd

BBC One logo
BBC One
Thu 15th Jul 1965, 20:50 on BBC One London
by George Evans and Derek Collyer
Comedy Playhouse presenting Roy Hudd as Hudd
with Noel Dyson, Tony Hilton, Maureen Crombie

See page 43

Contributors
Writer:
George Evans
Writer:
Derek Collyer
Signature Music:
Ron Grainer
Incidental Music:
Dennis Wilson
Designer:
Roger Cheveley
Executive Producer:
Graeme Muir
Producer:
John Paddy Carstairs
Himself:Roy Hudd
[Actor]:Noel Dyson
[Actor]:Tony Hilton
Susan:Maureen Crombie
Source: Radio Times

This does sound good but I'd like to look at page 43 they refer to as that might give a description!

Mmm, could be Hudd: it was commissioned to a full six-part series the following year, with no other returning characters or setting. Sadly all seven programmes are missing.

My only problem with it being Hudd is that it was 1965! My feeling is that it was later and even think it may have been in colour. Isn't memory a problem!!!

It can be but I know black and white and colour memories can get muddled up. I once hunted for a lost black and white photo and it turned out to be in a colour only album. I believe it's quite common to confuse them as well if you've been brought up with both b&w and colour film. I doubt under 50s will have the same problem unless they like watching old films.

And I've been astounded while watching nostalgia TV channels how well into the '70s some tv progs were still made in b&w. Budgie was still in b&w to at least '73 and quite a few ITV dramas I've seen with a similar date on. And not really connected, but people can dream in b&w, and I'm one, although only remember doing so once.

Some programmes were affected by strike action, don't forget: and others only still survive in B&W despite being made in colour originally.

Which together with the many wiped shows just adds to the confusion and difficulty in finding episodes from this era like the one fbh is looking for. Why they have two different type of film versions of the same filmed show is beyond me (although I suspect it must be to do with cost).

And then there were an awful lot of series which started in b&w and finished in colour, of which I've heard for many, puts them off the whole show. And I can see why, as I find viewing the b&w series of Dad's Army and especially S&S quite a chore after being used to all the colour episodes. And yet something like HHH is a more enjoyable watch because I know there wasn't a colour version. And I've never had this issue with b&w films, just TV.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 8th October 2023, 9:37 AM

................. as I find viewing the b&w series of Dad's Army..........quite a chore after being used to all the colour episodes.

View original

Really? Never bothered me, somehow made it for a more authentic period piece.