Doctor Finlay's Casebook

[Lachlan09]

Who remembers Doctor Findlay’s Casebook, the 1960’s BBC series about a fictional country medical practice in the Highlands of the late 1920’s, set in the village of Tannochbrae ?

The senior partner Dr Cameron (Andrew Cruickshank) - a stern, but fair veteran doctor ready with the odd sardonic comment; Dr Finlay (Bill Simpson)– new, eager and ready to change the world and sometimes cross swords with Dr Cameron; Janet MacPherson (Barbara Mullen) – the quiet Highland housekeeper (with a distinct singy-songy accent, like a Highland Mrs Doubtfire) who is a fount of wisdom and common sense. Then their main rivals – the snidy Doctor Snoddie (Eric Woodburn) and the gabby district nurse – Mistress Niven (Effie Morrison).

In Scotland, various jokes about the TV series characters sprang up. Also, Barbara Mullen used her Janet MacPherson accent to promote Campbell’s Soup on TV, where she declared “The difference is in the thickness”


So to the jokes I remember:-

Janet “Would you like another kipper Doctor Cameron ?”

Dr Cameron “Not while I’m having a sh*te Janet !”


Janet “Doctor Cameron, I have this terrible heartburn”

Dr Cameron “It’s not heartburn Janet, you’ve got your t*t in my porridge !”


One day, Dr Findlay returns from a medical house-visit. He gets out the car and goes into "Arden House" via the kitchen. Across the kitchen, he sees Janet bent over, deep inside the oven of the Raeburn cooking range. He suddenly feels a bit fruity, so he dumps his medical bag on the kitchen table and goes over to the Raeburn. In a flash, he pulls up Janet’s tweed skirt, wrenches her bloomers to her ankles and quickly gets going.

From way inside the oven, he hears Janet’s voice “Ohhhh – Doctor Finlay !!!”

Finlay says “Aye Janet – but how do you know it’s me ?”

Janet replies “Well Doctor, the difference is in the thickness !”

[Jock Scot]

Well, I suppose it is hardly surprising that I remember that program well.

[Bruce Scott]

I remember it well. It was showing on the ABC (the only channel then available in country Western Australia) when we acquired our first TV, about 1963-64.

The Theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1hDprYszeY

[cessna152towser]

Yes I remember the programme well.

It was always screened here on a Friday evening.

I remember asking my mother one Friday why Dr. Finlay's Casebook wasn't on TV and she said it was because there had been bad news from America, that was the day President Kennedy was assassinated. The BBC did screen the programme that evening, but it started about twenty minutes late to allow for a special news bulletin.

Doctor Finlay wore a kilt to go hill walking in at least one episode, IIRC it was either a tweed kilt or a khaki kilt.

[Lachlan09]

It’s true what they say – you do remember what you were doing when Pres Kennedy got shot. I was 10 yrs old and in my next-door friend Raymond Clark’s house in Stoneybank View, Musselburgh. That evening, we were in his room, wearing cloth-covered boxing-gloves and we were bashing away at each other. He had planted me a good one in the face (which later came up as a real purple shiner !), when all of a sudden his mum came through, looking really shocked and said President Kennedy had just been shot. We were really sad after that. I liked President Kennedy.

[Jaggy thistle]

Old Jean who lived by herself fell ill the Doctor arrived and said you will need to g0, h to Hospital , he is getting her settled into a bed and asks her have you ever been bed ridden before Jean? och aye Doctor money a time and twice in the back o a cairt !(cart)

[greenman11]

It is hard to believe that that kind of patter was on the telly then. An in your face human kind of 'All Creatures'. I already have it in the queue on net flics

[Lachlan09]

Old Jean who lived by herself fell ill the Doctor arrived and said you will need to g0, h to Hospital , he is getting her settled into a bed and asks her have you ever been bed ridden before Jean? och aye Doctor money a time and twice in the back o a cairt !(cart)

[morrison]

I never saw the program. However, in hearing of it here I can confidently say, I believe I would enjoyed it immensely. Particularly if it would have been the sort of show that our American censors would have sliced up, since American television is Rubbish and censoring destroys a program's opportunity to explore truly energetic humor and the occasional off color banter