richard briers stars in the rather dark but very funny tv comedy if you see god tell him

If You See God, Tell Him

If You See God, Tell Him – 1993

Whilst the subject matter may be a little delicate, this rather dark comedy has some genuine laugh out very loud moments. The title is a take on the “If you see Sid, tell him”, the slogan used for the sale of shares in British Gas plc. during the 1980’s.

It’s notable that apart from the first episode, which was repeated on BBC Four on December 3, 2007 as part of “David Renwick Night”, the series has never been repeated.  This is probably due to the fact that whilst the series was very funny, it had some very dark overtones.

Summary

Godfrey Spry is standing outside the post office, when a wheelbarrow full of building rubble falls on top of him, causing him serious physical injuries.   Recovering from his injuries, he finds they have left him with a very short attention span.  This results in him spending most of his time watching television commercials, and believes every claim made by them.  This results in some hilarious scenes, some of which people might feel were in bad taste.

In the last episode, after seeing government advertisements promoting free-enterprise, Godfrey sets up his own business in Gordon and Muriel’s house, hiring an elderly woman he met in hospital to knit tea-cosies in the shed. When she falls dead of a heart attack Godfrey attempts to perform a post mortem, which he believes himself to be an expert in after purchasing a part work of Complete Medical Knowledge.  As a result, he is arrested for murder.

At the trial his nephew Gordon makes an impassioned plea, claiming that it is not Godfrey who should be on trial but the advertisers who are murdering all of our minds.  Godfrey is convicted and sent to a hospital for the criminally insane, languishing in his cell, he is happy under the illusion that he is the centre of attention at a dinner party where fancy chocolates are being served.

Clips

 

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Cast

Richard Briers
Adrian Edmonson
Imelda Staunton

Details

Channel: BBC1
Writtten By: Andrew Marshall and David Renwick
Produced and Directed By: Marcus Mortimer
Original Transmission: 11th November 1993 – 9th December 1993