Fairly Secret Army

"Fairly Secret Army" was a British sitcom which ran to thirteen episodes over two series between 1984 and 1986. Though not a direct spin-off from "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin", the lead character, Major Harry Truscott, was very similar to Geoffrey Palmer's character of Jimmy in that series, and the scripts were written by Reginald Perrin's creator and writer David Nobbs.

Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott (ex "Queen's Own West Mercian Lowlanders") is an inept and slightly barmy ex-army man intent on training a group of highly unlikely people into a secret paramilitary organisation. The character's name was changed due to "Fairly Secret Army" being broadcast on Channel 4, and the television rights to "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" and its characters being held by the BBC. The title is a spoof of the BBC drama series "Secret Army".

The first series was script edited by John Cleese. Ironically, Nobbs only started work on the show when he turned down an offer to write a spin-off sitcom for Manuel of Fawlty Towers.

Cast

*Geoffrey Palmer as Major Harry Truscott
*Michael Robbins as Sgt. Major Throttle
*Liz Fraser as Doris Entwisle
*Jeremy Child as Beamish
*Diane Fletcher as Nancy
*Richard Ridings as Ron Boat
*Ray Winstone as Stubby (Series 1)
*John Nettleton as Smith (Series 2)

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/f/fairlysecretarmy_1299001104.shtml Comedy Guide - "Fairly Secret Army"] at bbc.co.uk
*imdb title|id=0086709|title=Fairly Secret Army
* [http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/fsarmy/index.html "Fairly Secret Army"] at British TV Comedy
* [http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/fairlysecretarmy.htm Off The Telly on Fairly Secret Army]