Anthony Aloysius St John 'Tony' Hancock is one of life's losers. Fortunately for Tony, he rarely seems to notice the fact.

Bumbling headlong into one disastrous caper after another, the not-so-great actor of the age is aided and abetted by his friend and lodger, Australian Bill Kerr; on-off love-interests Moira Lister and Andrée Melly; secretary Griselda Pugh; and friend, confident, con-man and spiv, Sidney Balmoral James.

Whether taking the role of a school master, visiting the ballet, competing in the Monte Carlo rally, entertaining troops, buying a new home, taking up boxing or inheriting a Scottish castle, Tony often finds himself outwitted and conned by Sid - and more often than not, ultimately brought down by his own pomposity, ambition and stupidity.