Eric Chappell Movies

The British sitcom Singles was an outgrowth of the one-off TV play Single's Night, which aired on June 19, 1984. The original story concerned two couples who got together at a singles bar: Slick stock trader Malcolm was paired off with divorced mom Pam, while hospital porter Clive, whose wife had recently deserted both him and his kids, found happiness with another divorcée named Jackie. The cast of Single's Night included Roger Nedwell as Malcolm, Angela Richards as Pam, John Kavanagh as Clive, and Jane Carr as Jackie, with Patricia Brake as Pam's daughter Di. By the time Singles became a Yorkshire Television series on January 27, 1988, the property had been completely recast, with Roger Rees. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Playwright Neil Simon made one of his periodic forays into serious themes with the drama The Gingerbread Lady, and while this screen adaptation adds a bit more wit to the proceedings, it remains a change of pace from his usual breezy comedies. Georgia (Marsha Mason) is a successful actress who has just spent 90 days in a rehab clinic in an effort to beat her addiction to alcohol. A number of crises are waiting for Georgia upon her return; her teenage daughter Polly (Kristy McNichol), whom she neglected as a child, wants to move back in, though they still have a ways to go in repairing their relationship. And her ex-husband David (David Dukes), a writer, has just penned a new drama that he wants her to star in -- a fictionalized version of their often-combative marriage. Georgia also has to tend to her best friends, bitter socialite Toby (Joan Hackett) and Jimmy (James Coco), a gay actor who drowns his sorrows in food. Only When I Laugh garnered Oscar nominations for Mason, Coco, and Hackett, while the latter won a Golden Globe for her performance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Created by Eric Chappell, the British sitcom The Squirrels took place in the Accounts Department of International TV Rentals (under British law, viewers were required to pay a yearly license on their TVs, thus few "tellies" were owned outright). Bernard Hepton starred as Mr. Fletcher, the bloke in charge of Accounts, while a vast array of dependable character comedians did Fletcher's "dirty work" as they attempted to track down delinquent renters. The series debuted over ITV with a one-off pilot episode on July 8, 1974, then ran on a regular basis from July 18, 1975 to February 10, 1977, toting up 28 episodes in all. Later on, Eric Chappell reworked the premise of The Squirrels to come up with Yorkshire Television's Fiddlers Three. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide