Plum House

Original version

BBC Radio 4 FM

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Comedy: Sitcoms

Comedy about the eccentric and inept staff at a historic house.

Comedy about the eccentric and inept staff at Plum House, former country home of minor 18th-century poet George Pudding. Written by Ben Cottam and Paul Mckenna.

BBC Radio 4 Extra

BBC Radio 4 LW

Simon Callow

Jane Horrocks

Miles Jupp

Tom Bell

Pearce Quigley

Louise Ford

Kate Anthony

Sandra Maitland

Paul Schlesinger

Ben Cottam

Paul Mckenna

Plum House: Series 1: Why Why WI?

Why Why WI?

Series 1

BBC Radio 4 - Plum House, Series 1, Why Why WI?

The museum's preparations for the annual WI visit include hiding away valuable artefacts.

Eccentric museum staff at the former country home of a terrible 18th century poet expect the WI. Stars Jane Horrocks. From 2016.

Sitcom about the inept staff at an historic house, picking up from the successful pilot.

Starring Simon Callow and Jane Horrocks.

Every year, thousands of tourists flock to the Lake District. But one place they never go to is Plum House - the former country home of terrible poet George Pudding (1779-1848). 

Now a crumbling museum, losing money hand over fist, it struggles to stay open under its eccentric curator Peter Knight (Simon Callow). 

Can anyone save Plum House from irreversible decline? 

Tom Collyer, sent from the Trust to do just that, seems to be the most likely candidate but the challenge is huge as he confronts the reality of winning round Peter Knight's handpicked team - the hopelessly out of touch deputy Julian, the corner-cutting gift shop manager Maureen intent on making profit from extremely cheap plum-themed merchandise, and maintenance man Alan  who has heard the words "health" and "safety" but never in the same sentence. 

In this series opener, the museum's preparations for the annual WI visit include hiding away valuable artefacts as, according to Peter, some members are prone to stealing them. 

And Julian gives a disastrous lecture on the life and work of George Pudding.

Written by Ben Cottam and Paul McKenna

Peter    ......    Simon Callow
Maureen    ......    Jane Horrocks
Julian    ......    Miles Jupp
Tom    ......    Tom Bell
Alan    ......    Pearce Quigley
Emma    ......    Louise Ford
Mary    ......    Kate Anthony
Jean    ......    Sandra Maitland

Director: Paul Schlesinger

A Hat Trick production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2016. 

Plum House: Series 1

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