The Misfit (TV series)

The Misfit is an ATV sitcom series starring Ronald Fraser, Patrick Newell and Simon Ward. It was written by Roy Clarke and was broadcast from 1970 to 1971 on ITV.

Premise
Basil Allenby-Johnson ("Badger" for short) returns from a colonial life in Malaya to an England he no longer recognises.

Cast

 * Basil "Badger" Allenby-Johnson – Ronald Fraser
 * Stanley (his brother) – Patrick Newell
 * Ted (his son) – Simon Ward
 * Alicia (his daughter-in-law) – Susan Carpenter

Background
Ronald Fraser said of his character, Badger, that: "He epitomises all that was great about the Edwardian gentleman. Honest as the day is long. Loyal, faithful, loving people whatever their colour or creed, and loved by them. And unable to understand the Permissive Society. I'm absolutely in sympathy with him, except that I'm not quite so square."

The character of Badger originated a couple of years earlier in an episode of the BBC drama The Troubleshooters, also written by Clarke.

Each episode of The Misfit explored Badger's response to a different aspect of modern life in a Britain which had just emerged from the Swinging Sixties. Due to the standard practise of wiping at the time which resulted in the loss of many TV programs, the master tapes of ten episodes from this series were wiped and only survive as 16mm monochrome telerecordings. Only the episodes "On Being British", "On Superior Persons" and "Of Europe and Foreigners and Things" survive on colour videotape.

Reception
The 1970 Writers Guild Award for the best writer of a British TV series went to Roy Clarke for this series.