The Ghosts of Motley Hall

A cavalcade of British actors make "The Ghosts of Motley Hall" a fantastic watch.

Motley Hall is haunted by a group of ghosts from and attached to the quirky Uproar family.

The Victorian patriarch Sir George Uproar (Freddie Jones). Elizabethan Jester Bodkin (Arthur English). Dapper Georgian Sir Francis Uproar (Nicholas Le Provast). Young stable boy Matt (Sean Flanagan) and The mysterious "White Lady" (Sheila Steafel) make up the spectoral cast who haunt the abandoned Motley Hall which was built in 1577. They are aided in their capers by Estate Agent and laterally owner of the hall Mr Gudgin (Peter Sallis).

From the writer that brought us the magnificent "Catweazle" Richard carpenter (1929-2012) we are treated to some fantastic TV nostalgia from the mid 1970's.

20 episodes in all including a couple of Christmas specials that were aired on Sundays at teatime from 1976 to 1978 on ITV.

Many of the episodes revolve around preserving the old hall and preventing it from being knocked down or refurbished beyond recognition or dealing with various ghost hunters of psychics that visit the residence.

Great performances all round with many guest stars of the likes of Brian Wilde, Iain Cuthbertson, Tony Haygarth, Neil McCarthy and Michael Elphick turning up.

Well worth a watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon and one of the hidden gems of the ITV library.

Anything with Richard Carpenter behind it is bound to be worth watching. Carpenter is perhaps better known for creating "Catweazle" and the dramatised adventures of "Dick Turpin." The Ghosts of Motley Hall is fun from beginning to end, and what a shame it only lasted for three series. Four of the five central characters are, for the most part, confined to the inside of Motley Hall, the ancestral home of the Uproar family. However, Matt, the ghost of the stable boy is able to transcend the confines and wander about the grounds of the mansion. Every member of the cast is excellent in their roles. Sheila Steifel as the White Lady is wonderful and despite the tragedy of her existence (not knowing who she was in life) plays the part with comedic aplomb. As someone who works with the paranormal on a daily basis, I can assure you that this series is brilliantly observed and although played for laughs, contains much that is accurate. Special credit has to be given to Sean Flannigan who, as the stableboy Matt is incredibly likeable and often proves to be the only totally sane one amongst them!

i brought the 3 DVD box-set of this, and all the lovely memories came back! what a wonderful series! Every episode is great, To see the Quaint old ghosts rattling about in the empty halls, wondering if they are still there hiding today..... the Hall (Borwick Hall) is in Cheshire i believe, and used today as i understand it as a conference centre... dear old Arthur English has passed on, the General is in Emmerdale, Anyone know where Sheila Matt and Nicolas are at present? Has anyone who worked on the series got any stories to tell, or even better pictures or scripts to post links too... i Heartly recommend this series to everyone, for the older viewers who can have the memories and to the new edition who can enjoy it and pass it onto future generations..

People of a certain age will relish in the warm nostalgic glow of this children's TV series. Written by Richard "Catweazle" Carpenter, these stories are full imagination and spirit (sorry about that!) What really holds the attention is the great ensemble playing by all the main characters. The main set is also very lavish, allowing the characters to live and breathe in all the rooms of Motley Hall. Special mention for Peter Sallis as the much put-upon Caretaker Gudgin. Yes the special effects are basic compared to today's standards, but it's the stories and characters that will continue to charm long after Motley Hall has crumbled to dust! And look here - it seems that Sir George is even on Twitter! (@GeorgeUproar). A ghost who tweets? Bizarre indeed! Get the DVD - and get one for your friend too!

This comedy from the creator of the immortal Catweazle is set among the ghostly inhabitants of dilapidated Motley Hall who are determined to keep their home from being sold or otherwise intruded upon by the rude living.

Matt the eighteenth century stable-lad, Bodkin the Elizabethan Fool, Fanny the eighteenth century fop, Sir George the Victorian fogey and the enigmatic White Lady are the ghosts; their foil is the ghost-shy real estate agent Mr. Gudgin.

The special effects of ghosts appearing and disappearing etc. are indeed special, in the same way as Doctor Who's "I can see the string" monsters, but as with Doctor Who and other great shows of that era, this only adds to the charm. The characters each bring points of view to bear on their predicaments based on their respective historical origins and conflicts occasionally arise from these culture clashes. The regular cast and guest actors are good to excellent as one would expect from the likes of Freddie Jones, Nicholas le Prevost etc.

This is the sort of story, like Catweazle, which stimulates the imagination irresistibly to create new scenarios for the characters, and the desire to join in with their adventures is considerable. As a child "The Ghosts of Motley Hall" seemed to offer me a very attractive idea of a possible after-life; it would be nice to think we could all spend our after-lives so amusingly.