Hallelujah! (TV series)

Hallelujah!
Created by Dick Sharples
Starring Thora Hird
Patsy Rowlands
Rosamund Greenwood
David Daker
Garfield Morgan
Geoffrey Bayldon
Michael Aldridge
Country of origin UK
No. of series 2
No. of episodes 15
Production
Producer(s) Yorkshire Television
Running time 25 minutes per episode
Release
Original network ITV
Original release 29 April 1983 – 21 December 1984

Hallelujah! was a British sitcom made by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network and was broadcast from 29th April 1983 to 21st December 1984.

The series was set in a Salvation Army citadel in the fictional Yorkshire town of Brigthorpe during series 1 (and later in the fictional place of Blackwick in series 2). Captain Emily Ridley (Thora Hird) has been posted there, having been an active member of the Salvation Army for 42 years. Despite the town and residents being seemingly pleasant, Emily is determined to flush out sin from behind the net curtains. Assisting Emily are her niece Alice Meredith (Patsy Rowlands).

The programme was a repeat collaboration between Hird and the creator Dick Sharples, having worked together on the comedy series In Loving Memory between 1979 and 1986.

The series also featured guest appearances from the likes of Hird's Last of the Summer Wine co-star Michael Aldridge and television presenter Richard Whiteley.

Plot

The show was set in the Salvation Army based of the fictional Yorkshire town of Brigthorpe during Series 1, and in the equally fictional Yorkshire place of Blackwick during Series 2. Dame Thora Hird starred as Captain Emily Ridley, with Patsy Rowlands as her niece Alice Meredith and Rosamund Green as Sister Dorothy Smith (whom left after the first series and was later replaced by David Daker as Brother Benjamin in the second series thereafter).

A notable characteristic of the show was that every episode ended with the audience clapping once during the closing sequence throughout its year-long run.

Cast

Episodes

Series 1 (1983)

Series 2 (1984)

Contrary to popular belief, only 15 episodes over two series were ever made. It is unknown why many sources claim that there were three series made. This is in fact not true; there were only two series and one Christmas special shown between 1983 and 1984.[1] The sites that list three series may be using working titles in their listings.

Location filming

The series was filmed mostly in and around both Yorkshire Television Studios and the Leeds area. Most notable filming location was Leeds General Hospital, especially appearances by old run-down buildings old and new around the Leeds-area at the time. The opening sequence was filmed outside the Garden Gate pub in Hunslet.

DVD release

DD Home Entertainment (now known as 'Simply Home Entertainment') released series 1 and 2 in 2008. They claimed that series two was complete at first, However, as the Christmas special was not included, they later dropped this claim (the artwork on the cover stayed the same however) [2]

The complete first series of Hallelujah! is now available from Network DVD.[3] The complete second series is now also available.[4] The complete series 1 & 2(Including the Christmas Special 'A Goose For Mrs. Scratchitt') has now also been released.[5]

DVD Year(s) Release date
The Complete Series 1 1983 19 April 2010
The Complete Series 2 1984 5 July 2010
The Complete Series 1 & 2 and Christmas Special 1983–1984 8 Nov 2010

Hallelujah! has been released in Australia by Acorn Media Australia.[6] It is a boxset with both series plus the Christmas special. It has been released as an all region DVD (PAL).

Notes

  1. ↑ The British Comedy Guide: Hallelujah! The British Comedy Website
  2. ↑ DDHE Releases (Now known as Simply Home Entertainment)
  3. ↑ Hallelujah! Complete Series 1
  4. ↑ Hallelujah! Complete Series 2
  5. ↑ Hallelujah! The Complete Series
  6. ↑ Hallelujah! Complete

1. Lewisohn, Mark. Radio Times Guide to British Comedy p. 292. ISBN 0-563-36977-9

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