The Ghosts of Motley Hall

infobox television

show_name = The Ghosts of Motley Hall


format = Comedy
runtime = 30 minutes per episode
creator = Richard Carpenter
Writer = Richard Carpenter
starring = Arthur English
Sean Flanagan
Freddie Jones
Nicholas Le Prevost
Peter Sallis
Sheila Steafel
theme_music_composer = Wilfred Josephs and Derek Hilton
producer = Quentin Lawrence
num_seasons = 3
country = UK
network = ITV
audio_format = Monaural sound
first_aired = 28 April 1976
last_aired = 5 March 1978
num_episodes = 20
imdb_id = 0073997|

"The Ghosts of Motley Hall" was a British children's television series written by Richard Carpenter, produced and directed by Quentin Lawrence, and shown in 1976 by Granada Television.The series relates the adventures of 5 ghosts who haunt Motley Hall. Each ghost is from a different era and all with the exception of Matt are unable to leave the confines of the building and Matt himself is unable to travel outside the grounds of the Hall. The only regular character who is not a ghost is Mr Gudgin the caretaker of Motley Hall.

Carpenter wrote a companion novel for the series for Puffin Books in 1977.

A 3 DVD set containing the complete series was released by Network in 2005.

Main characters

*Bodkin (Arthur English) In life he worked as a fool at Motley Hall and died as a result of a cold he contracted from constantly being thrown in the duck pond for the amusement of his employer.
*Sir George Uproar (Freddie Jones) In life a General in the British army and now leader of the ghosts in Motley Hall. He died falling down the stairs after a long career in the army.
*Sir Francis 'Fanny' Uproar (Nicholas Le Prevost) Died during his twelfth duel due to being drunk. He is a stupid but likeable character.
*Matt (Sean Flanagan) In life he was a stable lad.
*The White Lady (Sheila Steafel) She has no memory of who she was in life and how she came to be haunting Motley Hall.
*Mr Gudgin (Peter Sallis) Caretaker of Motley Hall. In the past members of the Gudgin family had worked as servants to the Uproar family.

Episode list

Series One (1976)
#"The Last Uproar" (25th April 1976)
#"Old Gory" (2nd May 1976)
#"Box of Tricks" (9th May 1976)
#"Bad Lord William and the British Banana Company" (16th May 1976)
#"Perfida Blackart Rides Again" (23rd May 1976)
#"Double Trouble" (30th May 1976)
#"The Pogmore Experiment" (6th June 1976) Series Two (1976-1977)
#"The Christmas Spirit" (24th December 1976)
#"Sir Peveril's Hoard" (2nd January 1977)
#"Where Are You, White Feather?" (9th January 1977)
#"Godfrey of Basingstoke" (16th January 1977)
#"Ghost of a Chance" (23rd January 1977)
#"Horoscope" (30th January 1977) Christmas Special (1977)
#"Phantomime" (26th December 1977)Series Three (1978)
#"Family Tree" (29th January 1978)
#"Ghost Writer" (5th February 1978)
#"Skeleton in the Cupboard - Part 1" (12th February 1978)
#"Skeleton in the Cupboard - Part 2" (19th February 1978)
#"Party Piece" (26th February 1978)
#"Narcissus Bullock's Bell" (5th March 1978)