“Up the Uproars!”

Since the 16th Century, stately Motley Hall has had a proud and noble heritage as the ancestral home of the Uproar family. However, its latest owner, Sir Humphrey Uproar, has neglected the house, and allowed it to fall into disrepair. After Sir Humphrey suffers an ignoble death from a kneeling elephant, the sale and management of the vacant Motley Hall and its grounds falls to the overly-nervous estate agent Arnold Gudgin. But Motley is far from empty, and is in fact inhabited by several ghosts: pompous General Sir George Uproar, the spooks’ self-appointed leader, who inadvertently led his men, and himself, to their deaths in a disastrous military campaign; Sir Francis 'Fanny' Uproar, a dim-witted 18th Century fop with a penchant for drinking and duelling; Bodkin, the cheeky jester to the original Uproar, Sir Richard; the enigmatic White Lady, who has no recollection of who she is, or indeed, who she was; and Matt the stable-boy, the only member of the motley collection of ghosts able to leave the confines of the house.

Although most people are unable to see or hear the deceased inhabitants of Motley, Gudgin can see the White Lady – although her attempts at communication only serve to terrify him. The long-suffering estate agent does his best to offer Motley Hall to prospective buyers, but something always seems to stop him achieving a sale, and when Gudgin finally does manage to sell the Hall, its buyer quickly has a change of mind and gives it to him as a gift. Potential buyers are not the only visitors that Sir George and the other ghosts encounter at Motley: there are visitations from other spirits, such as the miserable Old Gory, the villainous Bad Lord William, and Sir George’s overbearing sister, Alexandra; several ghost hunters; a couple of television-stealing thieves; a family on holiday; and even a film crew making a documentary on the Uproars.

‘The Ghosts of Motley Hall’ was created by Richard Carpenter, the man responsible for such classic shows as ‘Catweazle’, ‘Robin of Sherwood’ and ‘The Adventures of Black Beauty’. By finding the perfect location for for the ramshackle Motley Hall (in reality Borwick Hall in Carnforth, Lancashire), the use of only a few studio sets, a small group of well-cast regulars, and some simple special effects, the production crew created a gentle, funny and highly-entertaining gem, which still remains as enjoyable today as it did when it was first shown all those years ago. Gloriana!


The Ghosts of Motley Hall - Season 1
The Ghosts of Motley Hall - Season 2
The Ghosts of Motley Hall - Christmas Special
The Ghosts of Motley Hall - Season 3

Back to Databanks Main Page

Legal Bit: 'The Ghosts of Motley Hall' is a registered trademark of Carlton International Media Ltd.; the 'The Ghosts of Motley Hall' logo and all images from the television series are copyright Carlton International Media Ltd. unless otherwise stated; music is copyright the original composers and producers; no copyright infringement is intended. All specially created images and text are copyright © Clive Banks; please do not use these without my permission. All rights reserved. No profit is made from this website, and any revenue made from using the banner-links featured goes straight back into the costs of maintaining it, which comes out of my own pocket in the first place. No profit advertising is accepted. This website was created purely to entertain and amuse, and any references to persons living, dead, comatose, in suspended animation, not born yet, a ghost, or a figment of someone's imagination is purely coincidental. All opinions expressed are my own, so there...

You can buy DVDs, books and much more on 'The Ghosts of Motley Hall' and other classic shows at:

[Homepage] [About Me] [C.V.] [Gallery] [What's New] [Nothing] [FAQ] [Contact Me]