"I hope 'The Squirrels' never return. It drove me nuts!" went a letter in 'The People' newspaper in 1976. I suppose it was inevitable that someone would make a crack like that, about a show with such a daft title. Writer/creator Eric Chappell described it as being about 'the paranoia and lust for promotion of white-collar workers in confined spaces.". He based the show on his experiences as a travelling auditor with the East Midlands Electricity Board.
It was his first sitcom hit, the pilot being screened just ahead of the first series of 'Rising Damp'. Set in the accounts department of International Rentals, a television hire company, it focused on the lives of a motley group of characters; 'Mr.Fletcher' was the boss, splendidly played by Bernard Hepton ( his first T.V. role since 'Colditz' ) as a bow-tied, bespectacled lecher, his underling was the nervous 'Rex' ( the wonderful Ken Jones from 'Porridge' ), 'Harry' ( Phil Silvers-lookalike Alan David ) was always on the make, and then there was 'Burke' ( Ellis Jones from the children's sitcom 'Pardon My Genie' ) who read Dracula comics when he was meant to be working. Being a '70's sitcom with an office setting, there just had to be a sexy secretary, and was - 'Carol' ( Karin McCarthy ), whom Fletcher was always lusting after. Rex was married to downtrodden but sympathetic Susan ( Patsy Rowlands - who was also in 'Bless This House' when this was made ). In one episode, Rex had to attend a company conference, which meant him spending time away from home. Susan dutifully packed his belongs, and then secretly followed him to ensure he got up to no naughty business. In another, Rex got so fed up that he resigned, before applying for a similar job. He later found that it was his old job he was applying for. In yet another, Rex meets an old friend and rival ( Philip Madoc ) whom has fallen on hard times and is forced to play 'The Sugar Balls Man' for a breakfast cereal company. Wanting to get time off to watch cricket on television in another episode, Rex feigns illness, only to do the job too well - everyone back at the office thinks he has died.
It was a standard sitcom, boasting a good cast and some occasionally funny lines ( which is more than can be said for some shows I can name ). When Harry complains about Rex's habit of having his hair cut on the firm's time, Rex responds: "Why not? It grows on the firm's time!". The only annoying aspect was the obvious canned laughter - a problem that dogged all A.T.V. sitcoms.
After two seasons, Chappell relinquished the writing duties to others, such as future 'Grange Hill' creator Phil Redmond, actor Kenneth Cope, and Alan Hackney. In 1991, Yorkshire Television remade it as 'Fiddlers Three' starring Peter Davison and Paula Wilcox. The surviving episodes of 'The Squirrels' came out of hibernation for a long-overdue D.V.D. release in 2013.
It was his first sitcom hit, the pilot being screened just ahead of the first series of 'Rising Damp'. Set in the accounts department of International Rentals, a television hire company, it focused on the lives of a motley group of characters; 'Mr.Fletcher' was the boss, splendidly played by Bernard Hepton ( his first T.V. role since 'Colditz' ) as a bow-tied, bespectacled lecher, his underling was the nervous 'Rex' ( the wonderful Ken Jones from 'Porridge' ), 'Harry' ( Phil Silvers-lookalike Alan David ) was always on the make, and then there was 'Burke' ( Ellis Jones from the children's sitcom 'Pardon My Genie' ) who read Dracula comics when he was meant to be working. Being a '70's sitcom with an office setting, there just had to be a sexy secretary, and was - 'Carol' ( Karin McCarthy ), whom Fletcher was always lusting after. Rex was married to downtrodden but sympathetic Susan ( Patsy Rowlands - who was also in 'Bless This House' when this was made ). In one episode, Rex had to attend a company conference, which meant him spending time away from home. Susan dutifully packed his belongs, and then secretly followed him to ensure he got up to no naughty business. In another, Rex got so fed up that he resigned, before applying for a similar job. He later found that it was his old job he was applying for. In yet another, Rex meets an old friend and rival ( Philip Madoc ) whom has fallen on hard times and is forced to play 'The Sugar Balls Man' for a breakfast cereal company. Wanting to get time off to watch cricket on television in another episode, Rex feigns illness, only to do the job too well - everyone back at the office thinks he has died.
It was a standard sitcom, boasting a good cast and some occasionally funny lines ( which is more than can be said for some shows I can name ). When Harry complains about Rex's habit of having his hair cut on the firm's time, Rex responds: "Why not? It grows on the firm's time!". The only annoying aspect was the obvious canned laughter - a problem that dogged all A.T.V. sitcoms.
After two seasons, Chappell relinquished the writing duties to others, such as future 'Grange Hill' creator Phil Redmond, actor Kenneth Cope, and Alan Hackney. In 1991, Yorkshire Television remade it as 'Fiddlers Three' starring Peter Davison and Paula Wilcox. The surviving episodes of 'The Squirrels' came out of hibernation for a long-overdue D.V.D. release in 2013.