Season 3 • Episode 7
LatestMichael finds himself with a whole new family on a birthday outing, but Arthur's money-saving schemes cause chaos.
Count Arthur Strong is a faded star from the golden days of variety, prone to delusions of grandeur, selective memory loss and the blurting out of malapropisms. He was never as famous as he thinks he was... or still thinks he is. Believing that another great entertainment triumph is only a phone call away, Arthur spends his day making the most of any opportunity that comes along - gaining a free lunch or selling a dodgy foot-spa he doesn't want - creating chaos and confusion wherever he goes, blissfully unaware that he has done so.
Acting
Steve Delaney's physical comedy is genuinely masterful.
Writing
Linehan's dialogue builds exquisite cringe momentum.
Creators
Steve Delaney, Graham Linehan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The character originated in a 1997 Edinburgh Fringe show, with Delaney developing him for over 15 years before the TV adaptation.
Linehan's involvement drew Father Ted comparisons, but Arthur's pathos-heavy tone owes more to Steptoe and Son's tragicomic tradition.
GB
