A.J. Wentworth, B.A.
A.J. Wentworth, B.A. is a British sitcom that aired on ITV in 1982. Set in the 1940s, the programme was shown posthumously following the death of its lead actor Arthur Lowe, who died on 15 April 1982. Based on the writings of H. F. Ellis, A.J. Wentworth, B.A. was written by Basil Boothroyd. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television.
| A.J. Wentworth, B.A. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | H. F. Ellis |
| Written by | Basil Boothroyd |
| Directed by | Michael Mills |
| Starring | Arthur Lowe Marion Mathie Harry Andrews Ronnie Stevens Michael Bevis Deddie Davies |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Thames Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 12 July – 16 August 1982 |
Cast
- Arthur Lowe - Mr Arthur James Wentworth, BA (Cantab)
- Harry Andrews - The Rev. R Gregory Saunders, MA (Oxon)
- Marion Mathie - Matron
- Deddie Davies - Miss Coombes
- Ronnie Stevens - Rawlinson
- Michael Bevis - Gilbert
- Marcus Evans - Mason
- Alistair Callender - Anderson
- Stephen Rooney - Atkins
- Andrew McDonnell - Etheridge
- Michael Underwood - Hillman
- Paul Hawkins - Hopgood II
- Simon Curry - Otterway
- Halil Halil - Sapoulos
- Benjamin Taylor - Trench
Background
A.J. Wentworth, B.A. was adapted from the writings of H. F. Ellis, which first appeared in Punch. They were later published in two books, The Papers of A.J. Wentworth, B.A. and The Papers of A.J. Wentworth, B.A. (Ret'd), that were first published in 1949 and 1962 respectively. Arthur Lowe had also read out selections from the books in the daily literacy slot of Woman's Hour. A piece from A.J. Wentworth, B.A. was read out by Harry Andrews, who played the headmaster, at Arthur Lowe's memorial service.
Plot
A.J. Wentworth, B.A. is set in the 1940s at Burgrove, a boys' preparatory school in Wilminister, in rural England. A.J. Wentworth is the mathematics master. He is very fond of the school but inefficient at disciplining his pupils who take advantage of his kind nature. The headmaster, the Rev Saunders, who is nicknamed 'Squid' by the boys, is a snob and the Matron is Wentworth's constant enemy. The exterior location filming of the school took place at Box Hill School near Dorking in Surrey. In the opening credits, the junior pupils took part.
Episodes
- "A Day in the Life of..." (12 July 1982)
- "Mud Larks" (19 July 1982)
- "Problems, Problems" (26 July 1982)
- "IIIA Goes to War" (2 August 1982)
- "Founder's Day" (9 August 1982)
- "The Outsider" (16 August 1982)
DVD release
The Complete Series of A.J. Wentworth, B.A. was released on 9 July 2012.
References
- Mark Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2003
- A.J. Wentworth, B.A. at British TV Comedy