Sitcom writer Eric Chappell will always be remembered with justification for creating the wonderful 'Rising Damp', which starred the much missed Leonard Rossiter. It is easy then to forget that his first sitcom success actually came with 'The Squirrels', an ATV sitcom set in a failing accounts office for a TV rental firm. Having tried to watch it recently, I can understand why it has been forgotten.
Ken Jones at this time was becoming well known to viewers for his role as 'Orrible Ives' in 'Porridge' and around about the same time landed the leading role in this series as Rex, the yes-man to head of International Rentals Mr Fletcher ( Bernard Hepton ). Working with him were troublemaking womanizer Harry ( Alan David ) and the ideally named, comic reading mummy's boy Burke ( Ellis Jones ). Rex's life at home was equally unstable. His wife Susan ( played by Patsy Rowlands ) often bore the brunt of his tantrums.
Every now and then a writer throws up a runt, and this was the case with Eric Chappell here, though considering this was his first show, we can cut him some slack. It was not until the arrival of 'Rising Damp' that things looked to be on the up for him.
It was popular at the time, but looked at now one is put off by the substandard dialogue and below-par acting. In 1991, Chappell revamped the idea for what turned out to be his final sitcom, the short lived, and equally mediocre, 'Fiddlers Three'.
Ken Jones at this time was becoming well known to viewers for his role as 'Orrible Ives' in 'Porridge' and around about the same time landed the leading role in this series as Rex, the yes-man to head of International Rentals Mr Fletcher ( Bernard Hepton ). Working with him were troublemaking womanizer Harry ( Alan David ) and the ideally named, comic reading mummy's boy Burke ( Ellis Jones ). Rex's life at home was equally unstable. His wife Susan ( played by Patsy Rowlands ) often bore the brunt of his tantrums.
Every now and then a writer throws up a runt, and this was the case with Eric Chappell here, though considering this was his first show, we can cut him some slack. It was not until the arrival of 'Rising Damp' that things looked to be on the up for him.
It was popular at the time, but looked at now one is put off by the substandard dialogue and below-par acting. In 1991, Chappell revamped the idea for what turned out to be his final sitcom, the short lived, and equally mediocre, 'Fiddlers Three'.