Rentaghost

"Rentaghost" was a British children's television comedy show produced and broadcast by the BBC between January 6 1976 and June 11 1984. The show's plot centred on the antics of a number of ghosts who worked for a firm called Rentaghost, which rented out the ghosts for various tasks.

Background

The company, located in South Ealing, is run by Fred Mumford, a recently deceased loser who feels he can find work for ghosts whose lives were as failed as his. His first (and only) recruits are Timothy Claypole, a mischievous jester with a comical lack of knowledge about modern technology, and Hubert Davenport, a delicate Victorian era gentleman who is morally shocked by the modern world. The ghosts work from an office which they rent from Harold Meaker, who discovers the truth about them in the 3rd episode.

Over the course of several series, other characters were added: Hazel the McWitch, a Scottish witch; Nadia Popov, a Dutch ghost who suffers from hayfever and teleports away when she sneezes; and the pantomime horse Dobbin, who first appears in a one-off Christmas special called "Rentasanta" and is brought to life by Claypole, who is unable to cancel the spell afterwards – thus allowing Dobbin to remain in the show for the rest of the run.

Another key figure is a ghost from the Wild West called Catastrophe Kate (cf. Calamity Jane), played by Jane Shelden, who is collected from outside a magic carpet shop in the Spirit World by Fred Mumford. The two ghosts are transported back to Earth on a flying broomstick, Catastrophe Kate having turned down the alternative of a flying vacuum cleaner. It is Catastrophe Kate who later introduces Hazel the McWitch to the regulars.

Adam Painting, a local entrepreneur played by Christopher Biggins, frequently appears in episodes and tries, with limited success, to involve the ghosts in his latest business enterprise.

When actor Michael Darbyshire (the performer of Davenport) died, Anthony Jackson (Mumford) declined to appear in the next series, leaving Michael Staniforth's Claypole the sole original ghost; Davenport and Mumford's absences were explained at the start of the series by them having acquired permanent haunting jobs at a stately home. After Mumford's departure, the business was taken over by Harold Meaker and his wife Ethel, who suffered from the various problems the ghosts brought to their lives.

The long suffering neighbours of Rentaghost are the Perkins, who think the Meakers are mad.

A musical version of the show written by comedian and "Rentaghost" fan Joe Pasquale toured the UK during the spring and summer of 2006, continuing to a late summer season at Butlins.

In September 2008, it was reported that the show could be returning to television after the rights to the programme were obtained by the UK production company, RDF. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7604192.stm]

tyle

"Rentaghost" was meant to be a comedy and some episodes could be considered very camp, with elements of pantomime. The acting in later episodes was frequently over the top, and the scripts contained highly-contrived jokes, as illustrated in the example below.

:"The Meakers have left their house to catch a bus into town. Mr. Meaker, carrying aloft an umbrella, intends to buy a work of art for the office wall. Mrs. Meaker is walking a small dog belonging to a neighbour. Mr. Claypole appears unnoticed behind the Meakers as they wait at the bus-stop, and magically changes the umbrella into a television aerial and the dog into a brass kettle. The Perkinses approach and notice the bizarre appearance of the Meakers, muttering about their madness."

:Mrs. Perkins: ("to Mrs Meaker") What an unusual dog.:Mrs. Meaker: ("very pleased") Yes, I'm walking him for a friend.:Mrs. Perkins: ("increasingly disturbed, indicating the kettle") What's his name?:Mrs. Meaker: Rusty!:Mr. Perkins: ("to Mr Meaker, incredulously") Are you going into town like that?:Mr. Meaker: Yes, I'm hoping to get a good picture!

Running jokes

In an early series, the Perkins are given a magical amulet that grants all their wishes. They do not realise this, however, and persist in expressing odd wishes which the amulet then proceeds to grant.

:Mr. Perkins: ("referring to Mr. Meaker") I wish he was here now. For two pins, I'd tell him what I think of him!

:"The amulet is seen glowing. Mr. Meaker immediately walks into Mr Perkins's living-room.

:Mr. Meaker: ("in a strange monotone") I am here.

:"Mr. Meaker produces two enormous 'prop' pins and hands them to Mr. Perkins, who accepts them in the same somnambulist way."

:Mr. Perkins: You are a nutter.:Mr. Meaker: Thank you.

:"The pair bid each other farewell and Mr. Meaker leaves. Mr. Perkins returns to normal and is confused and somewhat distressed by what has just happened."

One of the more frequent running jokes in the last series was the cellar of the Meakers' house. The house's power was provided by a pantomime dragon called Bernie St. John – brought to life by Claypole – who served as a furnace. If anyone entered the cellar, typically all characters present would shout "Don't go into the cellar!" all at once, and a few moments later the unfortunate(s) who went in would return charred and covered in soot.

List Of Episodes

* Series 1 (1976)

* Series 2 (1977)

* Series 3 (1978)

* Series 4 (1979)

* Series 5 (1980)

* Series 6 (1981)

* Series 7 (1982)

* Series 8 (1983)

* Series 9 (1984)

DVD Releases

Only the first series of "Rentaghost" has been released on VHS and DVD. It is unlikely that any other series will be released, due to complicated rights. A number of actors are blocking the release because their contracts at the time did not include video royalties. Some of the actors have been offered small one-off payments that have been rejected, and several cast members (or their families) are unable to be contacted to grant consent. Two minor actors, who have since left the profession, have blocked a number of episodes, and they are unlikely to be shown. In addition, the programme included extracts from many copyrighted songs, often played in the background. Clearance of these is becoming increasingly costly for DVD releases.

Some master copies of "Rentaghost" episodes were junked by the BBC archives in 1993 on the assumption that they were 'no use' and that examples of some other episodes were sufficient. However, BBC Enterprises had requested copies of the first three series a couple of years earlier and indeed they were showing at the time on UK Gold – these were later recovered by the BBC Archive.

Regular cast

*Michael Staniforth - Timothy Claypole
*Edward Brayshaw - Harold Meaker
*Ann Emery - Ethel Meaker
*Anthony Jackson - Fred Mumford (1976-1978)
*Michael Darbyshire - Hubert Davenport (1976-1978)
*Molly Weir - Hazel the McWitch (1977-1984)
*Sue Nicholls - Nadia Popov (1981-1984)
*Christopher Biggins - Adam Painting (1978-1983; intermittently)
*Hal Dyer - Rose Perkins (1978-1984)
*Jeffrey Segal - Arthur Perkins (1978-1984)
*Lynda La Plante - Tamara Novek (1980) (as Lynda Marchal)
*William Perrie, John Asquith - Dobbin the Pantomime Horse

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0074045|title=Rentaghost
* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/969914/index.html British Film Institute Screen Online]
* [http://www.rentaghostthemusical.com/mainindex.htm Rentaghost the Musical]