Plot
All Gas and Gaiters, predominantly farcical in nature, was set in the close of the fictional St Ogg's cathedral and concerned various intrigues and rivalries among the clergy. "Gaiters" in the title refers to part of the traditional dress of bishops and archdeacons. The bishop was easygoing; his friend the archdeacon was elderly, tippling, and still appreciative of attractive women; and the bishop's chaplain was naïve and accident-prone. Their wish to live a quiet bachelor life was continually threatened by the overbearing dean, who tried to bring by-the-book rule to the cathedral.
The series initially aroused some controversy because of its portrayal of senior clergy as bungling incompetents, although some clergy quite enjoyed it. In the opening credits, St. Alban's Cathedral was shown as the fictional St Ogg's, but with the twisted spire of Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield added to the central tower.
It proved to be the first of a series of comedies starring Derek Nimmo as similar bumbling clerical characters (Oh, Brother!, Oh, Father! and Hell's Bells). It is considered by some people to be the best, partly because of a strong supporting cast (particularly Robertson Hare as the archdeacon) and partly because it included some elements of gentle satire.
All 11 surviving episodes were released on DVD by DD Home Entertainment in 2004, originally accompanied by a detailed behind-the-scenes booklet, written by Andy Priestner in consultation with show's writers, Edwin Apps and Pauline Devaney, but later released without. Cinema Club have since bought the DVD rights.
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