Jump to content

Chelmsford 123

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chelmsford 123
title screen
GenreComedy
Created byRory McGrath
Jimmy Mulville
Written byRory McGrath
Jimmy Mulville
StarringJimmy Mulville
Rory McGrath
Philip Pope
Neil Pearson
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languagesEnglish, Latin
No. of series2
No. of episodes13
Production
Running time24 minutes
Production companyHat Trick Productions
Original release
NetworkChannel 4
Release9 March 1988 (1988-03-09) –
20 February 1990 (1990-02-20)

Chelmsford 123 is a British television situation comedy produced for Channel 4 by Hat Trick Productions. It originally ran for two series, of six and seven episodes respectively, in 1988 and 1990.

The series is set in the British town of Chelmsford in the year AD 123 and concerned the power struggle between Roman governor Aulus Paulinus (Jimmy Mulville) and the British chieftain, Badvoc (Rory McGrath). Britain is a miserable place, cold and wet – just the place to exile Aulus for accidentally insulting the Emperor's horse, but it also give him something useful to do. Aulus (probably a play on Aulus Platorius Nepos, the real governor of Roman Britain between 122 and 125) is a rather delicate Roman and is usually outwitted by the scheming Badvoc, who has not had a haircut for twenty-five years. There are also appearances by many of the other regular "Hat Trick" actors, previously seen in shows such as Who Dares Wins.

Both series are available on All 4,[1] and have been shown in the UK on Rewind TV.

Series 1 and 2 were released on DVD by Acorn Media UK on 15 September 2011.[2]

Principal cast

[edit]

Also appearing in a number of episodes were:

Episode list

[edit]

Series 1: 1988

[edit]
  • Arrivederci Roma—9 March 1988 (sections in Italy played entirely in Latin, until Aulus arrives in Britain)
  • What's Your Poison?—16 March 1988
  • The Girl of My Dreams—23 March 1988
  • One For The Road—30 March 1988
  • Vidi Vici Veni—6 April 1988
  • Peeled Grapes and Pedicures—13 April 1988

Series 2: 1990

[edit]
  • Heads You Lose—9 January 1990
  • Get Well Soon—16 January 1990
  • Bird Trouble—23 January 1990
  • Odi, et Amo—30 January 1990
  • The Secret War—6 February 1990
  • Mine's a Double—13 February 1990
  • Something Beginning With 'E' —20 February 1990 (as with first episode, sections in Italy played entirely in Latin, until the Emperor arrives in Britain)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chelmsford 123". Channel4.com. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. ^ "SeeSaw - Watch Chelmsford 123 online". 22 February 2010. Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
[edit]