Little Blighty on the Down

Little Blighty on the Down

Genre	Comedy drama
Running time	30 minutes
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language	English
Home station	BBC Radio 4
Starring	Jo Kendall John Baddeley Jonathan Kydd
Written by	John O'Farrell Mark Burton Mike Coleman
Produced by	David Tyler Lissa Evans
Original release	2 September 1988 – 31 December 1992
No. of series	5
No. of episodes	28 (including 3 Christmas editions)
Audio format	Stereophonic sound

Little Blighty on the Down was a satirical radio comedy series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1988 and 1992, billed as "A satirical soap opera telling the everyday story of a country folk." It was a parody of contemporary life in Britain as seen in the small village of Little Blighty on the Down. Blighty is an old affectionate nickname for Britain; a down is a chalk hill, such as in England's South Downs. The village's name is thus suggestive of a Britain which is "little" rather than "great" in terms of importance or governance, and which shouldn't be described as being "on the up".

Content

Comedian Jo Kendall stars as Mrs Hilda Roberts, domineering leader of the Parish Council, who engages in rather one-sided battles with her tongue-tied rival, Working men's club president Mr Blandish. Mrs Roberts is a clear parody of then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in her name (Thatcher's maiden name was Roberts and middle name was Hilda), in her political style, and in Kendall's performance (an exaggerated version of Thatcher's manner of speaking).

Each of the weekly half-hour episodes lampoons a particular political theme, e.g. party politics, the environment, health care, privatisations, the Cold War, the European Union, the criminal justice system, glasnost and perestroika, South Africa under apartheid. Current events would be used for some plot elements, e.g. the release of Nelson Mandela, the election of Solidarity in Poland, or the England football team versus West Germany.

Roberts's ruling party on the council are the Rotarians, in other words they are from the powerful and privileged sections of society but see themselves as being benevolent politicians, and are a satire on the Conservative Party. The series regularly lampooned Thatcher's perceived domineering attitude towards her Cabinet, through Mrs Roberts's heavy-handed management of her fellow councillors, accompanied by withering one-liners at their expense (delivered in Jo Kendall's foghorn-like vocal imitation of "Mrs T").

Their main opponents, at the Working Men's Club (a microcosm of the British Labour Party) are working-class folk whose ambitions to take power from the Rotarians are constantly frustrated by their own indecisiveness and internal fighting. Labour mud-slinging and party figures such as Tony Benn and Neil Kinnock are sent up.

The wider world and the UK's relations with it made appearances in the shape of Little Blighty's neighbours. To the west across a river lies the business-dominated city of Nukem, and to the east the city of Megaton, run by a dictatorial bureaucracy.

Nearer to Blighty is the richer, bratwurst-eating, BMW-driving town of Greater Krauton, hopefully soon to be united with their Megaton-like neighbours the Lesser Krauts. The Rotarians note Greater Krauton has virtues that they desire, like efficient transport, nice hospitals, and . . . more money!

The resource-laden, out-of-town supermarket Oppresto's (its name a parody of actual contemporary supermarket chain Presto), with its slavedriving managers like Mr F.W., downtrodden workforce, and rebellious trade union shop steward Mr Freeman, presents a moral dilemma for the Blightish. Is it morally right to benefit by trading with such an exploitative operation?

At home the Blighty Bugle with its fearless reporter and nervous editor, and the local aristocratic Lady, with her mansion and relatives, would stand in for the real-world Press and British royal family.

Theme tune

The theme tune, played at the beginning and end of all episodes, is an instrumental version of the Second World War patriotic song, "There'll Always Be an England".

Episode list

Series	Episode	Title	First broadcast	Additional episode information (from programmes)
1	1		2 September 1988	Mrs Hilda Roberts has been the domineering leader of the Little Blighty Parish Council for nine years. The Cock and Bull pub is the centre of village life. Mr Brownnose organises the Community Re-employment Action Plan (CRAP). The otters are dying in the polluted River Blight. Cast: John Bluthal, Andrew Sachs, Jo Kendall, Nick Hancock, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss
	2		9 September 1988	Mr Blandish heads the Workingmens' Club as an alternative to the Rotarians. Sparks takes over all the jobs in the village, but his livelihood is then threatened by the CRAP. Cast: John Bluthal, Andrew Sachs, Jo Kendall, Nick Hancock, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss
	3		16 September 1988	Little Blighty's policing comes under scrutiny, especially its violent and gun crime. As the regional Sports Day at Market Crassley looms, friendly rivalry becomes sinister espionage. And there's a new doctor at the surgery. Cast: John Bluthal, Jo Kendall, John Baddeley, Nick Hancock, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss
2	1		21 July 1989	To counter the unpopularity of her village toll tax, Mrs Roberts wants to sell off more Council property, including the local rail assets, where she and the transport officer, Mr Prang, are foiled by an obstinate worker. Cast: Jo Kendall, Michael Troughton, John Baddeley, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss, Jonathan Kydd
	2		28 July 1989	Mrs Roberts wants a major change to the Rotarians to improve their unpopularity: the councillors thinks she's resigning, but she's sacking them. Is there anything in Little Blighty that she won't put out to private tender? The parish council are worried. Cast: Jo Kendall, Michael Troughton, John Baddeley, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss, Jonathan Kydd
	3		4 August 1989	The Oppresto supermarket deals with a boycott by stealing the cricket team mid-match. John Barnum is appointed the tourism officer. The wine club is facing shrinking membership. Cast: Jo Kendall, Michael Troughton, John Baddeley, Jon Glover, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss
	4		11 August 1989	The silly season finds the Blighty Bugle short of stories, so their cub reporter investigates pollution in the river and the overloaded doctor's surgery, but Mrs Roberts uses her soft power to get the editor to spike the stories in case they reflect badly on the Rotarians. Cast: Jo Kendall, Michael Troughton, John Baddeley, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss, Jonathan Kydd
	5		18 August 1989	Mrs Roberts finds it hard to break off from running the village to go on holiday. The village's corrupt police officer PC Mason is uncovered by ... himself. Nature warden Mr Nice finds that the principle of the 'polluter pays' is popular with the electorate, but not with Mrs Roberts when she returns. Cast: Jo Kendall, Michael Troughton, John Baddeley, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss, Brian Bove
	Special	The Blighty Chronicles	29 December 1989	The village's rich history is staged - but the audience is revolting.
3	1		6 July 1990	Parish Council leader Mrs Roberts wonders how to become more popular.
	2		13 July 1990	The editor of the Bugle gets a call from Deep Throat, an informant at the Parish council.
	3		20 July 1990	Mrs Roberts faces fallout from an outspoken member of the parish council. Starring Michael Troughton
	4		27 July 1990	Council leader Mrs Roberts insists an electrical substation is raffled off.
	5		3 August 1990	Leader Mrs Roberts experiences the poor state of local trains first hand.
4	1		5 July 1991	Mrs Roberts has fallen from power and John Barnum is the new Council leader.
	2		12 July 1991	The Parish council needs its money, but will the bank be able to pay out?
	3		19 July 1991	Council leader Mr Barnum tries to impress a delegation with a village cover-up.
	4		26 July 1991	As the council launch a new charter, the opposition need a new initiative.
	5		2 August 1991	When an opera star visits, council leader John shows his true colours.
	Special	It's A Wonderful Blight	26 December 1991	Mr Barnham's guardian angel shows the parish council leader what life in Little Blighty would be like if he had never been born
5	1		10 July 1992	Can Parish Council leader John Barnum satisfy the new doctor's demands?
	2		17 July 1992	With the village bankrupt - council leader Mr Barnum cracks down on expenses.
	3		24 July 1992	Scandal rocks the Parish Council, but can they keep it off the front pages?
	4		31 July 1992	The Parish Council's school crack down on hippies - enter Ebenezer Birch.
	5		7 August 1992	A cash crisis hits the Parish Council - and the local family of toffs.
	Special	Dead of Blight	31 December 1992	Lord and Lady Spenney invite the local dignitaries to dinner, where the guests recount tales of horror.

External links

• Little Blighty on the Down at BBC Online
• Little Blighty on the Down at the Radiolistings website