Hot on the heels of writing Man About The House, Mortimer and Cooke moved on to two spin-off series: Robin's Nest and George and Mildred, with the proving to be the more acclaimed, despite being the shorter. The series started with George and Mildred Roper, previously the landlords in Man About The House, moving up market to 46 Peacock Crescent, Hampton Wick, suburbia, and the comedy revolved around their marriage, their sex-life, or rather the lack of it, and the class struggle - highlighted by the Fourmiles, a much posher family, living next door. Whatever the situation, it was the on-screen chemistry of Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy that shoen above anything else.
The TV series wasn't the only outing of the pair, as in 1980 there was a spin-off feature film - released a couple of years ago by Warner - and a stage production in 1977 which ran for the whole summer season at the Peir Theatre, Bournemouth. There UK series was cut short by the death of Yootha Joyce in 1980, but it was sold to the States and The Ropers ran for 26 episodes (one series) in 1979/80.
Network DVD are well on the way to releasing the entire series and script PDFs are provided on the first series, but the rest appear to be bare-bones release.
To celebrate the release of the complete fifth series by Network DVD I have a copy to give away. To be in with a chance of winning all I want is the answer to this simple question:
Cook and Mortimer also wrote for radio and one show was recently revived in the West End - what was the name of the radio show?
Answers should be sent here with GEORGE in the header, and don't forget to include the correct answer, your name, your address, and a contact telephone number.
And now for the small print: The competition closes at midnight on the 5th March and the winners will be advised as soon as they are pulled from the virtual hat. The competition is only open to UK residents, no correspondence will be entered into and the judges decision is final (so there). The British Comedy and Drama Website is not responsible for the prizes and are running the competition on behalf of third parties.
:: Series 1
Originally broadcast on ITV of a Monday evening at 8.00pm.
| Title | Tx. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moving On | <6.9.76/td> | |
| The Bad Penny | 13.9.76 | |
| And Women Must Weep | 20.9.76 | |
| Baby Talk | 27.9.76 | |
| Your Money Or Your Life | 4.10.76 | |
| Where My Caravan Has Rested | 11.10.76 | |
| The Little Dog Laughed | 18.10.76 | |
| Best Foot Forward | 25.10.76 | |
| My Husband Next Door | 1.11.76 | |
| Family Planning | 8.11.76 |
:: Series 2
Originally broadcast on ITV of a Monday evening at 8.00pm.
| Title | Tx. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jumble Pie | 14.11.77 | |
| All Around the Clock | 21.11.77 | |
| The Travelling Man | 28.11.77 | |
| The Unkindest Cut Of All | 5.12.77 | |
| The Right Way To Travel | 12.12.77 | |
| The Dorothy Letters | 19.12.77 | |
| No Business Like Show Business | 26.12.77 |
:: Series 3
Originally broadcast on ITV of a Thursday evening around 8.00pm.
| Title | Tx. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunity Knocks | 7.9.78 | George's friend Jerry comes up with one of his schemes and George tries to raise some money in a hurry. There's only one thing he could sell, but since Mildred would never agree he decides not to tell her. |
| And So To Bed | 14.9.78 | After twenty-five years of marriage there's something of a let-down in the Ropers bedroom. Well, the legs aren't what they used to be. From bedding shop to betting shop, their hopes of a good night's sleep rest on the back of a horse. |
| I Believe In Yesterday | 21.9.78 | Mildred was a terror with the Yanks before she got stuck with George. When an old boy-friend turns up, George decides what' s sauce for the goose is another man's meat. He blows the dust off his little black book... |
| The Four Letter Word | 28.9.78 | When George can't find a position that suits him, it's brother-in-law Humphrey who mentions the dreaded four letter word - work. Mildred has high hopes of her bread-winner, but, as usual, he couldn't win a current bun. |
| The Delivery Man | 5.10.78 | When Ann's new baby arrives, it's up to George & Mildred to rally round. Not that they have any experience of delivering babies, but at least he knows how to take a motor cycle to bits. |
| Life With Father | 12.10.78 | It's a sad day when George takes his father to the Old Folks' Home, but the next day is even worse. Mildred is not happy about having one unwelcome guest but when she finds out there's two... |
:: Series 4
Originally broadcast on ITV generally of a Thursday at 8.00pm.
| Title | Tx. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Just The Job | 16.11.78 | |
| Days Of Beer And Rosie | 23.11.78 | |
| You Must Have Showers | 30.11.78 | |
| All Work And No Pay | 7.12.78 | |
| Nappy Days | 14.12.78 | |
| The Mating Game | 21.12.78 | |
| On The Second Day Of Christmas | 27.12.78 |
:: Series 5
Originally broadcast on ITV generally of a Tuseday at 8.30pm.
| Title | Tx. Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Finders Keepers? | 24.10.79 | |
| In Sickness And In Health | 30.10.79 | |
| The Last Straw | 6.11.79 | |
| A Driving Ambition | 13.11.79 | |
| A Military Pickle | 27.11.79 | |
| Fishy Business | 4.12.79 | |
| I Gotta Horse | 18.12.79 | |
| The Twenty Six Year Itch | 25.12.79 |