Doctor At Sea - The Complete Series [1974] [DVD]

DOCTOR AT SEA is good, personally I have always liked it as there are barrels of laughs to continually roll about in !
Whats different about this series is that its set at sea offering a change of scenery as opposed to the general hospital setting throughout the entire series run.
By now many of the original cast had gone off to other things most notable being Richard O'Sullivan at home in the hilarous sitcom 'Man About The House' and George Layton went on to the equally amusing 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' and more televisual scripts.
Where to next for Waring and Stuart-Clark with many of the major leads having scarpered.
This induced a change of location for our 3 remaining originals moving away from St Swithins Hospital and setting sail out to sea.

The series opens with Professor Loftus sacking Stuart-Clark for pure negligence in his duties and Waring indignantly resigns in support of his old friend.
Tempers cooled Loftus then tries to persuade them to come back to St Swithins but is too late as they have both signed up as the Ship's surgeons on board the MS Begonia.
The opening story 'Sir John & Baby Doc' which sets up the series and is side splitting from start to finish as upon signing up Waring and Stuart-Clark mistakenly board the wrong vessel with hilarious results.
Finally thinking themselves free from the wrath of Loftus and expecting a relaxing easy going cruise only discover to their horror that the captain of the ship is commanded by none other than Captain Loftus(Ernest Clark),Professor Loftus's twin brother.
I know it sounds abit contrived but this is a time when this sort of thing worked because the actors where good making the characters believable.
Equally amusing is episode 3 'A Healthy Ship is a Happy Ship' as Stuart-Clark attempts to manipulate Waring to try and lead a mutiny in defence of the crew's right to take sick leave.

The TV comedy still works as there is great chemistry between the 3 leads Nedwell,Davies and Clark.
John Grieve who plays the camp Purser on board is an excellent new foil for Waring and Stuart Clark (having replaced the Bingham like character) and has taken an instant dislike to the Mischievous pair and does his best to manipulate situations to get them thrown off board.

Though some of the stories don't match some of the previous excellence in preceding series the majority do and the comedy has survived the test of time.
So sign up with Waring and Stuart-Clark and watch them walk the plank on many a occasion for 13 special episodes .

Written by George Layton (now writer formerly Collier),Richard Laing,Gail Renard,Bernard Mckenna,Jonathan Lynn(former character Hooley) and Phil Redmond.
13 Gems of corny comedy originally Broadcast on ITV in 1974.
Starring
Robin Nedwell as Dr Duncan Waring
Geoffrey Davies as Dick Stuart-Clark
Ernest Clark as Professor Loftus/Captain Norman Loftus.
John Grieve as the Ship's Purser.
Bob Todd as the Entertainments Officer.
Elizabeth Counsell as Nurse Joyce Wynton.

The EPISODES are as follows :

1 - Sir John And Baby Doc
2 - Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seasick
3 - A Healthy Ship Is A Happy Ship
4 - The Senior Officer's Perks
5 - Go Away, Stowaway
6 - Floating Profits
7 - Goodbye, Mr. Ships
8 - The V.I.P
9 - In A Little Spanish Town
10 - Physician Heal Thyself
11 - A Wolf In Ship's Clothing
12 - Murder! He Said
13 - But It's So Much Nicer To Come Home

I really enjoyed this series and I wish they had made more. It is hard to accept that the series is nearing it's end, but they keep the laughs coming. Highly recommended.

I loved this series. Taking the young doctors off to sea was a brilliant idea, and three cheers for the company (I think it was Fred Olsen Lines) that made a ship available - though I suppose many of the scenes were shot in studio. At the end of the series, all is set up for another cruise - but unfortunately it never happened.