Made by Granada, John Stevenson and Julian Roach's 'Dead Ernest' was a vehicle for Andrew Sachs, then a hot property thanks to 'Fawlty Towers'. He played 'Ernest Springer', a mild-mannered teacher who dies accidentally whilst celebrating a big win on the football pools.
This fantasy comedy is a good example of someone having a clever idea for a comedy and then failing to follow it up . Andrew Sachs ( Who will always be remembered as televisions most famous Spanish waiter ) plays Ernest Springer an everyman who in the first episode wins the football pools , celebrates by opening a bottle of champagne in a hotel bedroom with a blonde model and is then killed by the cork hitting him between the eyes , he finds himself waking up in heaven and luckily the commitee realize there's been a mistake and decide to send him back .
