Richard Gordon

A well written account of the advances in medicine from Ancient Greek times to the present day by the author of the humorous "Doctor" series.

The complete classic 1960s comedy starring Richard Briers, the sequel to Doctor in the House. Richard Briers stars in this sparkling sixties comedy about a young, newly qualified doctor and his two best friends, Taffy Evans and Tony Benskin. When Simon Sparrow (Richard Briers) lands his first job as a ship's doctor, he soon realises life on the seas is far from plain sailing. First of all, he falls in love with the chairman's daughter, Wendy, but is distracted from his affections by the discovery that he suffers from seasickness, and is expected to perform surgery with only cutlery and a hefty dose of brandy...

Once safely on land, Simon joins a rather high-class medical practice, but finds life no simpler there. Will his accidental engagement to Wendy stand? Does his X-ray mishap spell disaster? And can he complete his surgeon's exam on the biggest day of his life? A spin-off from the 1955 novel Doctor at Large and the subsequent television series, this sitcom features guest appearances from such varied comedy actors as Miriam Margolyes, Stanley Baxter, Joan Sims and David Jason. A light-hearted comedy perfect for fans of Brothers in Law, The Good Life, and Marriage Lines.

Richard Briers stars as student doctor Simon Sparrow who has just started at St Swithin's hospital... how hard can it be? Based on his own experiences as a medic Richard Gordon's hospital comedy Doctor in the House was a huge hit when first published in 1952. It spawned a series of sequels a BAFTA-winning 1954 film starring Dirk Bogarde and a spin-off TV series from 1969-1970 as well as this 1968 BBC radio series adapted by Ray Cooney. In these 13 episodes we follow the misadventures of hapless medical student Simon Oliver Sparrow. Having moved to London from Bradford he decides to follow his father's footsteps and become a doctor - but embarking on his studies at St Swithin's Hospital he's thrown in at the deep end and finds himself floundering.

From flirting with nurses and falling foul of hospital rules to dealing with the formidable Sister Virtue and the irascible Sir Lancelot Spratt his six years of training are always eventful. Together with pals Tony Benskin and Taffy Evans he manages to cause medical mayhem in the operating theatre on the antenatal ward and at the Nurses' Ball - and it's nerves and pints all round as the trio face their final exams...