Eleven years after 'Doctor Down Under', Duncan Waring and Dick Stuart-Clark were back on British soil, and reunited with their old pal Paul Collier and Professor Loftus for this short-lived B.B.C. series.
Actor/writer George Layton thought there would be tremendous public interest in seeing the St.Swithins gang again - there wasn't. Far too much time had elapsed - and public taste changed - since the original show ended in 1977. Layton acknowledged this by ringing changes on the main characters; Waring was now a devoted family man, Collier a practitioner of private medicine, and Stuart-Clark ( rather improbably ) had replaced Loftus as Professor of Surgery.
Bad continuity errors abounded - how could Waring have been married for twenty years when, in 1971, he was in America? For those who wanted the 'lads' back as they were, it was a crushing disappointment.
Appearing on the 'Wogan' show to publicise his latest sitcom 'Trouble In Mind', Richard O'Sullivan claimed he'd been approached about playing 'Bingham' again, but proved unavailable, hence the creation of the character played by Roger Sloman - 'Dr.Lionel Snell'.
Layton wrote over half the series, ex-'Goodie' Bill Oddie penned the rest, including a very funny one in which Duncan opts to have a vasectomy. The show's failure was particularly sad in light of the fact that the original had been one of I.T.V.'s biggest comedy successes in the '70's. Lightning didn't strike twice, alas.
Actor/writer George Layton thought there would be tremendous public interest in seeing the St.Swithins gang again - there wasn't. Far too much time had elapsed - and public taste changed - since the original show ended in 1977. Layton acknowledged this by ringing changes on the main characters; Waring was now a devoted family man, Collier a practitioner of private medicine, and Stuart-Clark ( rather improbably ) had replaced Loftus as Professor of Surgery.
Bad continuity errors abounded - how could Waring have been married for twenty years when, in 1971, he was in America? For those who wanted the 'lads' back as they were, it was a crushing disappointment.
Appearing on the 'Wogan' show to publicise his latest sitcom 'Trouble In Mind', Richard O'Sullivan claimed he'd been approached about playing 'Bingham' again, but proved unavailable, hence the creation of the character played by Roger Sloman - 'Dr.Lionel Snell'.
Layton wrote over half the series, ex-'Goodie' Bill Oddie penned the rest, including a very funny one in which Duncan opts to have a vasectomy. The show's failure was particularly sad in light of the fact that the original had been one of I.T.V.'s biggest comedy successes in the '70's. Lightning didn't strike twice, alas.