Gormenghast

Exactly 21 years ago (well, give or take a day) the BBC broadcast the first episode of Gormenghast, a four-part TV adaptation of Mervyn Peake’s Gothic fantasy novels.

The series featured Spike Milligan as Headmaster De’Ath and Eric Sykes as Mollocks (I beg your pardon?), as part of a hugely talented cast. Celia Imrie, Christopher Lee, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Zoë Wanamaker, Stephen Fry, and Martin Clunes, to name just a few.

All four episodes are available on YouTube, although Spike only appears in episode three.

Spike Milligan as De'Ath and Gregor Fisher as The Fly (I think) peer sceptically at Stephen Fry's Professor Bellgrove.

Eric Sykes as Mollocks addresses a bemused Dr Prunesquallor (John Sessions). The sheep was uncredited.