Lester Small is a hapless but well-meaning driving instructor. Unfortunately, he - or rather one of his clients, Mrs. Davies - has a knack for writing off Lester's cars. Fortunately, her husband is Lester's bank manager.
A hidden gem, but not just hidden - this one's buried in the archives, and that's a huge shame. This wonderful early 80s comedy deserves some conversation and some love. No DVD release, it never comes up in sitcom chat; seek it out, it's worth the hunt.
It's a fairly dry comedy, relying on sarcasm and wit, but there is plenty of slapstick and some wonderful special effects, especially in the sequences involving Hilda Braid.
Brian Murphy was no stranger to comedy, normally associated with Yootha Joyce. Here, Amanda Barrie plays his screen wife. Murphy is terrific - so dry, so witty, so cheekily charming.
I adore the way the series explores Lester's key role in the local community - the fact he keeps businesses and services going. I loved the bank manager and Inspector; both bring different humour styles, one witty, one exasperated.
It's such a shame that it's only six episodes long. It definitely deserved a longer run - we needed to see Mrs. Davies taking her test, but alas, it wasn't to be.
Years later we had 'Warren', where Martin Clunes played a driving instructor. Good, but not a patch on Lester.
8/10.
