First Episode of a Children's Cult Classic

Rentaghost 1 of 3



One of the most fondly remembered Children's programming from the 1970's, was "Rentaghost". Here is the first ever episode of the shoow from 1976. Running from 1976 -1984, the show was about a recently deceased man by the name of Fred Mumford (Anthony Jackson) who runs a ghost agency and finds never-do-wells, like Timothy Claypole (Michael Staniforth), a medieval looking jester who claims he is a poltergeist (ghost that can move/throw objects), and fears modern technology. The only other ghost to appear in this episode is Victorian gentleman Hubert Davenport (Michael Darbyshire), who is outraged by modern society in general. Harold Meaker (Edward Brayshaw), is the living human renting them the office space to perform their ghostly deeds.

A comedy that was sometimes over-the-top in it's acting, it has a special place in people's hearts, for thise who grew up in the 70's. In this episode, there is much play on Mumford humourously trying to play it straight in a train carriage, being theonly one looking normally dressed, talking and telling off 2 invisible ghosts, in front of bewildered passengers. Living people though, can actually see the ghosts, whenever they are visible on-screen. In later series, the cast of ghost expands, however, only Claypole stars in ever series, as Mumford (Jackson) opts out after the third series, and actor Michael Darbyshire dies in 1979.

The series had a short revival, after it was repeated in the mid-90's at the weekends.