Oh, Brother!


Oh, Brother! is a British situation comedy show on BBC television starring Derek Nimmo, which was broadcast between 1968 and 1970.

Synopsis

The series was set in a monastery, with Nimmo cast as the well-meaning but inept novice Brother Dominic. It was basically a successor to All Gas and Gaiters, where Nimmo had played a very similar role, the main difference being that Brother Dominic was working-class, whereas Nimmo's previous character, Rev. Mervyn Noote, had been upper-class.

Reception

Oh, Brother! was not quite as successful or as affectionately remembered as the earlier programme, although it did last three series containing 19 episodes, only eight of which exist in the BBC archives. The comic potential in a monastery may have been rather limited, although it did benefit from a cast which included some experienced actors, particularly Nimmo himself and Felix Aylmer as Father Prior.

Episodes

Series 1 (1968)

Series No'Ep No'TitleBroadcastNotes
Series 1Episode 1The Voice Of The Turtle13/9/68
Series 3Episode 1A Still Small Voice16/1/70
Series 3Episode 2By The Fleshpots23/1/70
Series 3Episode 3The Laughter Of A Fool30/1/70
Series 3Episode 4A Fool Returneth6/2/70
Series 3Episode 5The Hands Of Esau13/2/70
Series 3Episode 6A Stone For Stumbling20/2/70
Series 3Episode 7The Fullness Of His Days27/2/70

DVD release

A Region 2 DVD was released in 2004.

Sequel series

Oh, Brother! was followed by a sequel Oh, Father! in 1973, also starring Nimmo and with the same writers. In this series, Dominic left the monastery and became a Roman Catholic priest. It had a supporting cast of Laurence Naismith, Pearl Hackney and David Kelly. This was not a success and only lasted a single series of seven episodes.