A Sharp Intake of Breath is a British sitcom starring David Jason, Jacqueline Clarke with Richard Wilson and Alun Armstrong for series 1-3, which ran from 1977 to 1981, when Jason took up the role of Del Trotter in Only Fools & Horses. It was made for the ITV network by ATV and recorded at ATV Elstree Studios. The opening titles featured cartoons by Mel Calman. Series 1-3 were written by Ronnie Taylor, series 4 by Vince Powell following the death of Taylor in 1979.
Plot
Jason played an everyman character called Peter Barnes and Jacqueline Clarke played his wife Sheila. Wilson and Armstrong played a range of petty officials and bureaucrats whose actions frustrated Barnes' attempts to deal with the necessities of everyday life. The title A Sharp Intake of Breath refers to the reactions of various characters to seemingly simple requests by Peter, generally followed by a denial. The show made use of the fourth wall plot device.
Cast
- David Jason as Peter Barnes
- Jacqueline Clarke as Sheila Barnes
- Richard Wilson as various characters
- Alun Armstrong as various characters
- Maggie Jones as Jean
- Malcolm Storry as Cyril Potts
- Bella Emberg as Doris
- Margaret Courtenay as Sheila's Mother
- Bunny May as Terry
- Gerald Flood, as the Doctor, in 'Rear Window' .
Episodes
Pilot (1977)
Series 1 (1978)
Series 2 (1979)
Series 3 (1980)
Series 4 (1981)
Home media
The complete series was released on DVD by Network Distributing Limited on the 4 May 2015.
External links
- A Sharp Intake of Breath at BBC Online
- A Sharp Intake of Breath at IMDb
- A Sharp Intake of Breath at British Comedy Guide
