Man About the House
Encyclopedia
Man About the House is a British
sitcom
starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox
and Sally Thomsett
that was broadcast for six seasons on ITV
from 1973 to 1976. It was created and written by Johnnie Mortimer
and Brian Cooke
. The series was considered daring at the time due to its subject matter of a man sharing a flat with two single girls. It was made by Thames Television
, and two spin-offs were later made: George and Mildred
and Robin's Nest
. In 2004, it came 69th in a poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom
. The series was remade in the United States
as Three's Company
in 1977. A film version of Man About the House was released in 1974.
Robin Tripp, asleep in their bath
the morning after the farewell party for their departed flatmate Eleanor. They are taken by Robin, and are especially impressed by his culinary skills at breakfast. Neither Chrissy or Jo can cook, and "Eleanor didn't leave the recipe for toast."
Chrissy and Jo are both from regional England and moved out on their own to live in London. They both work for the same firm. When he meets the girls Robin has been in London two days, having moved from his home town of Southampton
to attend college.
The girls are unimpressed with Gabby (Helen Fraser
), a pushy young woman who arrives hoping to move in to Eleanor's room. Learning that Robin has been staying at the YMCA
they easily convince him to move in.
Robin moves in on a platonic
basis, and Chrissy tells the landlord
George Roper that Robin is gay
to pre-empt objections to the mixed-sex living arrangement. In the second episode Robin's true sexuality becomes known to Mildred. Mildred openly flirts with Robin at every opportunity.
Robin frequently acts in a flirtatious manner toward Chrissy and Jo. The women have no romantic interest and spurn his mild advances, and quickly adapt to his presence in the flat.
Landlord George Roper, in truth a sub-letting landlord placed by the council, is a bumbling, accident-prone and gullible man under the thumb of his domineering and sexually-frustrated wife Mildred. Mildred takes out her frustrations with George's lack of class and sexual inadequacy by making suggestive remarks to Robin and frequently siding with the tenants
against George. Yet for all their battles the Ropers are a devoted couple.
Robin's friend Larry, a lovable rogue, appears in two first season episodes. In the second season he moves into the loft apartment and is a frequent source of trouble. Another occasional cast member is George's friend, dim schemer Jerry.
Robin's brother Norman Tripp (Norman Eshley
) appears through the final season, and starts a romance with Chrissy. Norman Eshley had a previous guest role in the series two years earlier playing a different character, and was also a member of the main cast of the spin-off series George and Mildred in which he played The Ropers' snobbish neighbour Jeffrey Fourmile.
and entitled "Up to Date", it was not specially commissioned for the show, rather provided via the Production music
company De Wolfe Music
and most recently made available in 1996 by independent record company Studio2Stereo on their CD "The Sound Gallery Volume Two". (Matrix number 7243 8 52990 2 5)
After the series ended in 1976, two successful spin-off series followed. These were Robin's Nest
where Robin gets married and opens a restaurant
, and George and Mildred
where the Ropers move to the suburbs. The format for Man About The House was sold internationally, and it was remade in the United States as Three's Company
in 1977, in the Netherlands as Sam sam in 1994, in Sweden as En fyra för tre
in 1996, in Norway as Tre på toppen in 1997, in Poland as Lokatorzy in 2000, in Russia as Troe Sverhy in 2006, and in Ecuador as El Hombre de la Casa and in Chile as Tres Son Multitud, both in 2007.
The American Three's Company also spawned the same spin-offs as Man About the House had: Three's a Crowd
and The Ropers
, based upon Robin's Nest and George & Mildred, respectively.
, Paula Wilcox
, Sally Thomsett
and Nicholas Bond-Owen. It explains the background and history of both programmes, together with an episode and film guide, full cast biographies, details of the stage play, full catalogue of support cast, and a 1970s Phrase Dictionary. ISBN 978-0-9565634-0-8 . The book is published by Deck Chair Publishing.
Series 1 and 2 have had a US release as part of a 2-disc set by FremantleMedia
.
Series 1 and 2 were released in Australia in 2004, but then suffered a delay in releasing further series due to contract re-negotiations (the same problem affected releases of George and Mildred and Bless This House). Series 3 was finally released on 16 July 2008, and Series 4 on 5 November 2008; however, it is no longer available. Series 5 and Series 6 are yet to be released. Series 1 was re-released on 2 April 2009, now with the same cover art as the UK edition. Freemantle Media re-released Series 1 on 3 March 2011 with new cover art and It is unknown whether FremantleMedia will release the remaining series.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom
British sitcom
A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Chrissy in the British comedy Man About the House .-Early sitcom fame:...
and Sally Thomsett
Sally Thomsett
Sally Thomsett is a British actress.She is mainly remembered for starring in the 1970 film The Railway Children, and for playing Jo in the TV sitcom, Man About the House...
that was broadcast for six seasons on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
from 1973 to 1976. It was created and written by Johnnie Mortimer
Johnnie Mortimer
Johnnie Mortimer was a British scriptwriter for television.He started out as a cartoonist, which brought him into contact with his writing partner Brian Cooke...
and Brian Cooke
Brian Cooke
Brian Cooke is a British comedy writer who, along with co-writer Johnnie Mortimer wrote scripts for and devised many of the top TV sitcoms of the 1970s, including Man About the House, George and Mildred and Robin's Nest...
. The series was considered daring at the time due to its subject matter of a man sharing a flat with two single girls. It was made by Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
, and two spin-offs were later made: George and Mildred
George and Mildred
George and Mildred is a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1979. It was a spin-off from Man About the House and starred Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as an ill-matched married couple, George and Mildred Roper...
and Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest is a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp, one of the lead characters in the sitcom Man About the House, which had ended in 1976. Robin's Nest aired for six series from 1977 to 1981, and co-starred Tessa Wyatt as Robin's girlfriend and later wife and Tony Britton...
. In 2004, it came 69th in a poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
. The series was remade in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
in 1977. A film version of Man About the House was released in 1974.
Cast
- Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp
- Paula WilcoxPaula WilcoxPaula Wilcox is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Chrissy in the British comedy Man About the House .-Early sitcom fame:...
as Chrissy Plummer - Sally ThomsettSally ThomsettSally Thomsett is a British actress.She is mainly remembered for starring in the 1970 film The Railway Children, and for playing Jo in the TV sitcom, Man About the House...
as Jo - Brian MurphyBrian Murphy (actor)Brian Murphy is a British actor.Murphy was born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. Although a prolific actor in many films and theatre productions for almost half a century, Murphy's most famous role was as the henpecked husband George Roper in the sitcom Man About the House and spin-off George and...
as George Roper - Yootha JoyceYootha JoyceYootha Joyce was an English actress, best known for playing Mildred Roper in Man About the House and George and Mildred.-Early life:...
as Mildred Roper - Doug FisherDoug Fisher (actor)Douglas Fisher was an English actor.He was schooled at The Royal Liberty - a grammar school in Romford, Essex, where he became a prefect in the sixth form. He later went on to Oxford University....
as Larry Simmonds - Roy KinnearRoy KinnearRoy Mitchell Kinnear was an English character actor. He is best remembered for playing Veruca Salt's father, Mr. Salt, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
as Jerry (series 3 to 5) - Norman EshleyNorman EshleyNorman Eshley is an English actor best known for his roles on television.He is possibly best known for his role in the sitcom George and Mildred as the snobbish, right-wing real estate agent Jeffrey Fourmile, the foil to George...
as Norman Tripp (series 6)
Plot
Young flatmates Chrissy and Jo find a stranger, student chefChef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
Robin Tripp, asleep in their bath
Bathtub
A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...
the morning after the farewell party for their departed flatmate Eleanor. They are taken by Robin, and are especially impressed by his culinary skills at breakfast. Neither Chrissy or Jo can cook, and "Eleanor didn't leave the recipe for toast."
Chrissy and Jo are both from regional England and moved out on their own to live in London. They both work for the same firm. When he meets the girls Robin has been in London two days, having moved from his home town of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
to attend college.
The girls are unimpressed with Gabby (Helen Fraser
Helen Fraser
Helen Fraser is an English actress, a familiar face in many television comedies and dramas from the early 1960s to the present. She is now living in Halesworth, Suffolk.-Career:...
), a pushy young woman who arrives hoping to move in to Eleanor's room. Learning that Robin has been staying at the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
they easily convince him to move in.
Robin moves in on a platonic
Platonic love
Platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.-Amor Platonicus:The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has...
basis, and Chrissy tells the landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
George Roper that Robin is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
to pre-empt objections to the mixed-sex living arrangement. In the second episode Robin's true sexuality becomes known to Mildred. Mildred openly flirts with Robin at every opportunity.
Robin frequently acts in a flirtatious manner toward Chrissy and Jo. The women have no romantic interest and spurn his mild advances, and quickly adapt to his presence in the flat.
Landlord George Roper, in truth a sub-letting landlord placed by the council, is a bumbling, accident-prone and gullible man under the thumb of his domineering and sexually-frustrated wife Mildred. Mildred takes out her frustrations with George's lack of class and sexual inadequacy by making suggestive remarks to Robin and frequently siding with the tenants
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
against George. Yet for all their battles the Ropers are a devoted couple.
Robin's friend Larry, a lovable rogue, appears in two first season episodes. In the second season he moves into the loft apartment and is a frequent source of trouble. Another occasional cast member is George's friend, dim schemer Jerry.
Robin's brother Norman Tripp (Norman Eshley
Norman Eshley
Norman Eshley is an English actor best known for his roles on television.He is possibly best known for his role in the sitcom George and Mildred as the snobbish, right-wing real estate agent Jeffrey Fourmile, the foil to George...
) appears through the final season, and starts a romance with Chrissy. Norman Eshley had a previous guest role in the series two years earlier playing a different character, and was also a member of the main cast of the spin-off series George and Mildred in which he played The Ropers' snobbish neighbour Jeffrey Fourmile.
Episodes
First airing on 15 August 1973, Man About the House ran until 7 April 1976, after 39 episodes in six series. In addition, on 25 December 1973 a short special aired as part of All-Star Comedy Carnival.Series One (1973)
- Three's a Crowd (15 August 1973)
- And Mother Makes Four (22 August 1973)
- Some Enchanted Evening (29 August 1973)
- And Then There Were Two (5 September 1973)
- It's Only Money (12 September 1973)
- Match of the Day (19 September 1973)
- No Children, No Dogs (26 September 1973)
Series Two (1974)
- While the Cat's Away (9 January 1974)
- Colour Me Yellow (16 January 1974)
- In Praise of Older Men (23 January 1974)
- Did You Ever Meet Rommel? (30 January 1974)
- Two Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (6 February 1974)
- Carry Me Back to Old Southampton (13 February 1974)
Series Three (1974)
- Cuckoo in the Nest (9 October 1974)
- Come Into My Parlour (16 October 1974)
- I Won't Dance, Don't Ask Me ... (23 October 1974)
- Of Mice and Women (30 October 1974)
- Somebody Out There Likes Me (6 November 1974)
- We Shall Not Be Moved (13 November 1974)
- Three of a Kind (20 November 1974)
Series Four (1975)
- Home and Away (6 March 1975)
- One for the Road (13 March 1975)
- All in the Game (20 March 1975)
- Never Give Your Real Name (27 March 1975)
- The Tender Trap (3 April 1975)
- My Son, My Son (10 April 1975)
Series Five (1975)
- The Last Picture Show (4 September 1975)
- Right Said George (11 September 1975)
- A Little Knowledge (18 September 1975)
- Love and Let Love (25 September 1975)
- How Does Your Garden Grow? (2 October 1975)
- Come Fly with Me (9 October 1975)
Series Six (1976)
- The Party's Over (25 February 1976)
- One More for the Pot (3 March 1976)
- The Generation Game (10 March 1976)
- The Sunshine Boys (17 March 1976)
- Mum Always Liked You Best (24 March 1976)
- Fire Down Below (31 March 1976)
- Another Bride, Another Groom (7 April 1976)
Theme music
Written by Johnny HawksworthJohnny Hawksworth
Johnny Hawksworth is a British musician and composer who has lived and worked in Australia since 1984.Hawksworth initially trained as a pianist, but also played double bass for Britain's leading big band the Ted Heath Orchestra during the early 1950s and through the 1960s...
and entitled "Up to Date", it was not specially commissioned for the show, rather provided via the Production music
Production music
Production music is the name given to recorded music produced and owned by production music libraries and licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media.-Introduction:...
company De Wolfe Music
De Wolfe Music
De Wolfe Music is the originator of what has become known as production music as it was established in 1909 and began its recorded library in 1927 with the advent of 'Talkies'. The library consists of over 80,000 tracks, all pre-cleared for licensing and synchronisation...
and most recently made available in 1996 by independent record company Studio2Stereo on their CD "The Sound Gallery Volume Two". (Matrix number 7243 8 52990 2 5)
Spin-offs and remakes
In 1974 a film version was made, starring all of the main cast of the series.After the series ended in 1976, two successful spin-off series followed. These were Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest is a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp, one of the lead characters in the sitcom Man About the House, which had ended in 1976. Robin's Nest aired for six series from 1977 to 1981, and co-starred Tessa Wyatt as Robin's girlfriend and later wife and Tony Britton...
where Robin gets married and opens a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, and George and Mildred
George and Mildred
George and Mildred is a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1979. It was a spin-off from Man About the House and starred Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as an ill-matched married couple, George and Mildred Roper...
where the Ropers move to the suburbs. The format for Man About The House was sold internationally, and it was remade in the United States as Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
in 1977, in the Netherlands as Sam sam in 1994, in Sweden as En fyra för tre
En fyra för tre
En fyra för tre is a Swedish television series from 1996. It is based on the American sitcom Three's Company...
in 1996, in Norway as Tre på toppen in 1997, in Poland as Lokatorzy in 2000, in Russia as Troe Sverhy in 2006, and in Ecuador as El Hombre de la Casa and in Chile as Tres Son Multitud, both in 2007.
The American Three's Company also spawned the same spin-offs as Man About the House had: Three's a Crowd
Three's a Crowd
Three's a Crowd is an American television sitcom spinoff of Three's Company...
and The Ropers
The Ropers
The Ropers is an American sitcom that ran from March 13, 1979 to May 22, 1980 on ABC. The series is a spinoff of Three's Company and based on the British sitcom George and Mildred...
, based upon Robin's Nest and George & Mildred, respectively.
Book
Man About the House - George and Mildred : The Definitive Companion by Tex Fisher was released on July 15, 2010. The book includes contributions from many of the original cast, including Brian MurphyBrian Murphy (actor)
Brian Murphy is a British actor.Murphy was born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. Although a prolific actor in many films and theatre productions for almost half a century, Murphy's most famous role was as the henpecked husband George Roper in the sitcom Man About the House and spin-off George and...
, Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Chrissy in the British comedy Man About the House .-Early sitcom fame:...
, Sally Thomsett
Sally Thomsett
Sally Thomsett is a British actress.She is mainly remembered for starring in the 1970 film The Railway Children, and for playing Jo in the TV sitcom, Man About the House...
and Nicholas Bond-Owen. It explains the background and history of both programmes, together with an episode and film guide, full cast biographies, details of the stage play, full catalogue of support cast, and a 1970s Phrase Dictionary. ISBN 978-0-9565634-0-8 . The book is published by Deck Chair Publishing.
DVD releases
All six series have been released on DVD in the UK by Network DVD, as have George and Mildred and Robin's Nest.Series 1 and 2 have had a US release as part of a 2-disc set by FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
.
Series 1 and 2 were released in Australia in 2004, but then suffered a delay in releasing further series due to contract re-negotiations (the same problem affected releases of George and Mildred and Bless This House). Series 3 was finally released on 16 July 2008, and Series 4 on 5 November 2008; however, it is no longer available. Series 5 and Series 6 are yet to be released. Series 1 was re-released on 2 April 2009, now with the same cover art as the UK edition. Freemantle Media re-released Series 1 on 3 March 2011 with new cover art and It is unknown whether FremantleMedia will release the remaining series.
External links
- Man About The House - George and Mildred Book At Publisher's Website.