Leave It To Charlie, 1978
Proving he was more than just Clegg, Peter Sallis starred in Leave It To Charlie an ITV sitcom that ran for twenty six episodes over four series between 1978 and 1980.
‘Leave It To Charlie’ started life as a short-lived 1975 Granada sitcom entitled ‘The Life Of Riley’, starring Bill Maynard as Frank Riley, a happy-go-lucky agent for The Lancastrian Assurance Company. This short live series (7 episodes) also had a Last Of The Summer Wine connection in that John Comer, Sid from the cafe, was among the cast.
Despite only lasting one series, Granada re-titled it to “Leave It To Charlie” and brought it back it came in 1978, starring ‘The Cuckoo Waltz’s’ David Roper as Charlie Fisher, a happy-go-lucky agent for The Lancastrian Insurance Company (see the connection?)
Summary
Charlie Fisher is an insurance salesman; young, cheerful, optimistic, and starting a new job in a Northern town. For some reason – perhaps because of his air of invincible optimism – Charlie is the sort of person other people depend on, from the little old lady he gives a lift home who becomes his landlady, to his gloomy pessimist of a boss, Arthur Simister, who is possessed of a wife so vague she can’t remember his name and a deliciously dizzy secretary.
Charlie finds himself called up n to do everything, from looking over an elderly bachelor to assess his future ‘prospects’ as a husband, to starring in the local amateur theatrical production.
Clips
No public domain clips exist. Neither could we find a DVD release.
Cast
David Roper – Charlie Fisher
Peter Sallis – Arthur Simister
Sally Kinghorn – Jennifer Padgett
Gwen Cherrell – Alice Simister
Details
Channel: ITV
Written By: H.V. Kershaw
Original Transmission Dates: 13th July 1978 – 25th March 1980