The Maltby Collection: Difference between revisions

| starring = [[Julian Rhind-Tutt]]<br/>[[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]]<br/>[[Rachel Atkins]]<br/>[[Ben Willbond]]<br />[[Chris Pavlo]]

| last_aired = 2009

| opentheme = [[I'm on My Way (The Proclaimers song)|I'm on My Way]]

'''''The Maltby Collection''''' is a [[BBC Radio 4]] [[sitcom]] set in a small, threatened art gallery. The first series was broadcast in six parts, at 11.30am on Fridays from 15 June 2007. Its theme tune is "[[I'm on My Way (The Proclaimers song)|I'm on My Way]]". The show was written by [[David Nobbs]]. A second series began broadcasting on 2 June 2008, including a re-recording of the theme song. On August26 26thAugust 2009 a third series began airing, with the museum facing huge budget cuts due to the [[Late-2000s recession|economic downturn]]. Sadly, Walter Brindle is unable to bring himself to cut any staff, no matter how hard he tries.

Rod Millet, the son of a well-known maker of biscuits, returns to the museum where he spent his adolescence retreating from the world. He has had a varied career, including a stint as a cowherd in Arizona and a zinc miner in Bolivia. He is the last candidate to be interviewed for the position of Deputy Curator of Painting and Sculpture. None of the others were acceptable. Rod is not particularly suitable, but he does play midfield in soccer, much to the delight of Director Brindle, and he has certain qualities that catch the eye of the Curator, PrunelaPrunella EdgcumbeEdgcombe. The objections of the upper-crust Julian Crumb-Loosley are overridden. Julian's main objection seems to be to Rod's working -class background.

On Rod's first day, the news arrives that the gallery is to be closed and the collection broken up. Brindle is elated as he will be able to retire early. PrunelaPrunella is not so happy, but she and Julian quickly land other jobs. Rod, realizing that the staff of the museum will not be so fortunate, decides to campaign to save the collection (however, the closure plot is wrapped up rather abruptly four episodes into the initial run, though Rod's efforts to attract more visitors continue into season two).

In the second series it is revealed that the museum's endowment originally came from the company "Joshua Maltby & Sons", a manufacturer of porcelain [[toilet]]s in [[Blackburn]]. The last of the Maltby'sMaltbys, Susie Maltby ([[Margaret Cabourn-Smith]]), appears as a new character. She begins an affair with Brindle only to break it off when he falls for her and his wife leaves him.

By the start of the third series Susie is involved with Rod, and PrunelaPrunella and Julian are married. PrunelaPrunella begins to dislike Julian's foibles while Rod defends Brindle against Susie's attempts to torment him. Brindle resigns himself to a peaceful life alone, only to have his wife return unexpectedly.

* Rod Millet, son of the maker of "Millet's Milky Marvels" biscuits, is a rough diamond with a checkered career. Not only has he been a cowherd in Arizona and a zinc miner in Bolivia, but he has also been a "[[Her Majesty's Prison Service|guest of Her Majesty]]". The museum is his second favourite place in the world, after [[White Hart Lane]]. His favourite artwork is [[Whistler's Mother|Whistler's Sister]].

* PrunelaPrunella EdgcumbeEdgcombe, "single, unattached and available,", is the head Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the museum, and something of a predator. After a brief dalliance Rod decides he does not wish to be manipulated, and tells her so.

* Julian Crumb-Loosley, scion of a somewhat inbred aristocratic clan, is the "Curator of everything except Painting and Sculpture". He constantly uses his family name as a touchstone, as in "All the Crumb-Loosleys are partial to [[digestive biscuit|digestives]]". Julian is actually in love with PrunelaPrunella, though she seems to know it before he does. As she puts it "All the Crumb-Loosleys are shy. That's why they're so inbred. They only like to be with people they already know, so they wind up marrying each other".

*PrunelaPrunella EdgcumbeEdgcombe, curator: [[Rachel Atkins]]

*Wilf Arbuthnot, gallery attendant: [[Geoffrey McGivern|Geoff McGivern]]

*{{BBC Online|radio4/themaltbycollection|''The Maltby Collection''}} (Archived Radio 4 page)

[[Category:BBC radioRadio comedy programmes]]