In 1989, four comedy pilots from the 'Comic Asides' strand managed to develop into a full series - 'I, Lovett', 'Mornin' Sarge', 'KYTV' and this. Christopher Douglas and Richard Cottam's 'Tygo Road' was a short running sitcom set in a run-down inner city community centre.
Kevin McNally was the man for the job as Adam Hartley, an upper class yuppie type who is appointed the new administrator for Tygo Road community centre, whose heart is clearly not in his job. His first day is an absolute farce, for instance he gets in trouble with the town's mayor by locking her brat of a son in a cupboard for his horrid behaviour.
As is typical of sitcoms in which the main character is an authority figure, Adam has trouble keeping the staff of the centre in check, who are either lazy, unruly or incompetent. Amongst the motley bunch are events organisers Leo ( Steven O'Donnell ) and Gary ( Vas Blackwood ), bad-tempered clown Spinnij ( Bill Bailey ) who due to his time in the army is prone to terrible temper bursts, canteen workers Selina and Val and eccentric activist Lionel, who died at the end of the series. Gordon Gostelow, who played Lionel. was previously in supermarket sitcom 'Tripper's Day' and he was every bit as annoying here as he was in that earlier show. Isobel Black was brought in the series as a romantic interest for Adam.
Like the later 'I, Lovett', 'Tygo Road' was an unusual piece, not particularly great but certainly not without funny moments. It is however easy to see why it did not get further than a single series. After all, there is only so many laughs you can get out of a community centre setting. Best of all in the cast was Steven O'Donnell, who in the early '90's became recognisable to viewers Richie and Eddie's friends 'Spudgun' in 'Bottom'.
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