< The Testing of Eric Olthwaite (1977)

EPISODE 1.2 (Ripping Yarns) | 29m | Open in IMDB | WL | ? / 8.1 (407)

Adventure, Comedy | Eric Olthwaite is so boring that his family all leave home to escape him. Then one day he is accidentally caught up in a bank robbery and discovers that the robber shares his interests in shovels, black pudding and rainfall so they team up to make daring raids to steal rainfall records. As a result Eric becomes famous and is considered interesting again, so much so that he is made the mayor of Denley Moor.

• Director: Jim Franklin
• Writer: Michael Palin
• Writer: Terry Jones
• Michael Palin (34) - Eric Olthwaite // Bank Manager
• Barbara New (54) - Mrs. Olthwaite
• John Barrett (67) - Mr. Olthwaite
• Anita Carey (29) - Irene Olthwaite
• Liz Smith (56) - Mrs. Bag
• Reg Lye (65) - Mr. Bag
• Petra Markham (30) - Enid Bag
• Kenneth Colley (40) - Robber
• Roger Avon (63) - Chauffeur
• Clifford Kershaw (68) - Mayor
• Norman Mitchell (59) - 1st Pressman
• Anthony Smee (28) - 2nd Pressman
• Marcelle Samett (50) - Boy's Mother
• Peter Graham - Boy
• John Brown - Village Workman
• Alan Clarke - Journalist
• Buzz Ford - Village Workman
• Walter Gee - Village Workman
• Dave Lolly - Policeman
• John McKerns - Policeman