The Pickerskill Reports
- Radio comedy drama
- BBC Radio 4
- 2009 - 2013
- 9 episodes (2 series)
Black comedy series starring Ian McDiarmid as Dr Pickerskill, a retired English master looking back at the lives of his most entertaining pupils. Stars Ian McDiarmid, Richard Johnson, Philip Madoc and Michael Sarne.
Key details
- Genre
- Comedy Drama
- Broadcast
- 2009 - 2013
- Channel
- BBC Radio 4
- Episodes
- 9 (2 series)
- Stars
- Ian McDiarmid, Richard Johnson, Philip Madoc and Michael Sarne
- Writer
- Andrew McGibbon
- Director
- Andrew McGibbon
- Producers
- Nick Romero, Andrew McGibbon and Jonathan Ruffle
- Company
Ian McDiarmid is Dr Henry Pickerskill, the retired English master of Haunchurst School for boys. Richard Johnson (Bleak Expectations) and Philip Madoc (Dad's Army) also have regular parts in the show.
Told in the form of flashbacks and letters from the ex-pupils to Pickerskill, each episode tells the darkly comic account of the life of one of the pupils. Shaped by Haunchurst School, these boys' flaws and gifts are analysed by Pickerskill and we find out what became of them in adulthood.
In the first episode, a wicked pupil encourages a school teacher's alcoholism with altar wine, exposing the teacher to bribes for answers to end of term exams. Pickerskill believes the boy to be a ruthless sociopath and predicts he will go on to do very well indeed.
Additional details
- Production
- Studio
Website links
Broadcast details
- First broadcast
- Friday 28th August 2009 at 11:30am on BBC Radio 4
- Most recent repeats
-
- Friday 20th March 2015 at 5:30am on Radio 4 Extra - Series 2, Episode 4
- Thursday 19th March 2015 at 5:30pm on Radio 4 Extra - Series 2, Episode 4
- Thursday 19th March 2015 at 7:00am on Radio 4 Extra - Series 2, Episode 4