The Ghosts of Motley Hall facts for kids

The Ghosts of Motley Hall is a fun British TV show for kids, created by Richard Carpenter. It was shown on ITV from 1976 to 1978. The series is all about five friendly ghosts who live in an old, spooky house called Motley Hall.

Each ghost is from a different time period. Most of them can't leave the house. Only one ghost, Matt, can go outside, but he can't leave the Hall's property.

The only main character who is alive is Mr. Gudgin. He is a real estate agent and looks after Motley Hall. His job is to sell the Hall. However, the ghosts want the house to be sold to someone who will care for it and make it beautiful again. So, they often try to stop sales to people they don't like. Mr. Gudgin is not their enemy; he also respects the Hall and its long history.

Usually, the living can't see the ghosts. But the White Lady ghost can sometimes make herself visible to Mr. Gudgin. It's hard for them to talk, though, because her sudden appearances always scare him!

Richard Carpenter also wrote a book about the series for Puffin Books in 1977. You can also find the complete TV series on a 3-DVD set released in 2005.

Meet the Characters!

• Bodkin (Arthur English) - Bodkin used to work as a jester, or "fool," at Motley Hall. He caught a bad cold from being thrown into the duck pond often for fun, and that's how he died.
• Sir George Uproar (Freddie Jones) - In his life, he was a General in the British army. Now, he sees himself as the leader of the ghosts in Motley Hall. He died by falling down the stairs after a long career in the army.
• Sir Francis 'Fanny' Uproar (Nicholas Le Prevost) - Sir Francis died during his twelfth duel. He is a bit silly but a very friendly ghost.
• Matt (Sean Flanagan) - Matt was a stable boy when he was alive. He is the youngest ghost and the newest one to arrive at Motley Hall.
• The White Lady (Sheila Steafel) - She is a ghost of a woman who died in Motley Hall. She can't remember who she was or how she became a ghost there. She has been haunting the Hall longer than any of the other ghosts.
• Mr. Gudgin (Peter Sallis) - He is the caretaker of Motley Hall. In the past, his family members also worked as servants for the Uproar family who owned the Hall.

Episode Guide

Here is a list of all the episodes from The Ghosts of Motley Hall:

Series One (1976)

• "The Last Uproar" (25 April 1976)
• "Old Gory" (2 May 1976)
• "Box of Tricks" (9 May 1976)
• "Bad Lord William and the British Banana Company" (16 May 1976)
• "Perfida Blackart Rides Again" (23 May 1976)
• "Double Trouble" (30 May 1976)
• "The Pogmore Experiment" (6 June 1976)

Series Two (1976–1977)

• "The Christmas Spirit" (26 December 1976)
• "Sir Peveril's Hoard" (2 January 1977)
• "Where Are You, White Feather?" (9 January 1977)
• "Godfrey of Basingstoke" (16 January 1977)
• "Ghost of a Chance" (23 January 1977)
• "Horoscope" (30 January 1977)

Christmas Special (1977)

• "Phantomime" (26 December 1977)

Series Three (1978)

• "Family Tree" (29 January 1978)
• "Ghost Writer" (5 February 1978)
• "Skeleton in the Cupboard - Part 1" (12 February 1978)
• "Skeleton in the Cupboard - Part 2" (19 February 1978)
• "Party Piece" (26 February 1978)
• "Narcissus Bullock's Bell" (5 March 1978)