The Secret Life of Rosewood Avenue

James Grout stars as a hapless vicar who discovers that life behind suburbia's net curtains is more exciting than he'd expected After being mugged by a pair of pensioners outside the Darby & Joan Club, the Reverend Timothy Carswell has had enough of his rough, tough inner-city parish. Convinced that someone so meek would be better suited somewhere quieter, the Bishop packs him off to a nice, sedate, residential neighbourhood where nothing ever seems to happen. However, unbeknownst to the vicar, his apparently respectable new parish is a hotbed of passion, paranormal experimentation and geriatric prostitution. Under the thumb of his dour Scottish housekeeper, Mrs Muir, who keeps him busy writing long, tedious sermons, he fails to notice the many crimes being committed under his very nose - including burglary, arson and even murder. But when his congregation is stolen by the charismatic American preacher, Elijah Hornblower, he finally realises that something is afoot - and he'll have to fight fire with fire if he wants to keep his flock... Written by acclaimed dramatist Stephen Sheridan, this dry, darkly funny sitcom stars James Grout as Rev Carswell, with Sarah Thomas and Elizabeth Mansfield as Mrs Muir. Production credits Written by Stephen Sheridan Produced by Lissa Evans Cast Rev Timothy Carswell - James Grout Miss Tilling - Margaret Courtenay Miss Tapp/Emily Ford - Jean Heywood Dr Warlock/Bishop - Christopher Good Mrs Muir - Sarah Thomas/Elizabeth Mansfield Mrs Knatchbull - Maxine Audley Cudlipp/Mugger/Critchley - Fraser Kerr Mugger's accomplice/Miss Shaw - Auriol Smith Edwin - Robert Lang Jeremy - Christian Robinson David - Tobias Best Mr Rainbird - David Bannerman Constable/Eric - Ian Lindsay Mrs Garland - Rosemary Martin Arnold - Cyril Shaps Captain Van Thal - Donald Pickering Hilary - Jacqueline Tong Miss Willow - Patricia Hayes Keith - Brian Bowles Maria - Sarah Souster Guy/Jehovah's Witness - Angus Wright Simon Garland - Daniel Strauss Mr Vaughan - Michael Turner Mr Shaw - Ronald Herdman Rev Hornblower - Garrick Hagon Mr Widlake - Brian Miller Mrs Widlake - Bernadine Corrigan First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26 February-2 April 1991 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd