About this season
Shillingbury Tales is a 1980–81 British sitcom produced by Associated Television for ITV. Comprising a single feature length pilot and six one-hour episodes, the series deals with life in an idealised fictional English village and stars Robin Nedwell, Diane Keen, Nigel Lambert, Jack Douglas, John Le Mesurier, Bernard Cribbins and Trevor Howard. The series was written by Francis Essex and directed by Val Guest. Unusual for the time, it was shot entirely on location in the village of Aldbury in Hertfordshire on 16mm and consequently there was no laugh track. The show ended when ATV lost their licence to broadcast and their replacement Central declined to continue production.
Episodes (6)
1. The Shillingbury Tinker
Aired 17 May 1981 • 50 min
Cuffy the tinker is a simple man. He lives in a trailer and does odd jobs for food and money. Then he wins the lottery. Everyone in town tries to change him.
2. The Shillingbury Melon
Aired 24 May 1981 • 50 min
Peter wants to grow a melon for a contest, but he needs a greenhouse. His father in law lets him use his and they both work together to landscape his backyard. There is a car rally in town, and something goes horribly wrong.
3. The Shillingbury Cloudburst
Aired 31 May 1981 • 50 min
While Peter is away, Sally calls Dick, a workman, to fix cracks in the wall. One night, there is a huge storm and Dick brings a tarp over to cover the roof. Jake drives by that night and sees Dick's truck at Sally's. People start gossiping about them.
4. The Shillingbury Legend
Aired 7 June 1981 • 50 min
The Mayor of St. Jacques, Luc France, comes to Shillingbury to try to twin the two towns. It seems he is known from the war. Why does everyone's problems seem to disappear after talking to him?
5. The Shillingbury Miracle
Aired 14 June 1981 • 50 min
The vicar gives a sermon about the low attendance in church due to the Devil. Jake encounters ghosts in his house and thinks he needs protection so he invites Cuffy to move his caravan onto his land in case he needs him. Cuffy wants no part of it and declines.
6. The Shillingbury Daydream
Aired 21 June 1981 • 50 min
Jake has the flu, and is taking pills. He drifts off and has frivolous dreams of fox hunts, council widening the street, and winning the OBE for being the most helpful man in the village. He even dreams of going to Buckingham Palace and having his band competing with the Royal Parade.