Me, You and Him
Encyclopedia
Me, You and Him is a British television
sitcom
, that aired on ITV
in 1992. It was made for the ITV
network by Thames
It was written by and starred Nick Hancock, Steve Punt
and Hugh Dennis
, all previously known - though particularly Punt and Dennis - for their work on the alternative comedy
and satirical circuit, especially through the BBC Radio 1
sketch
show The Mary Whitehouse Experience
, which had transferred to television and made Punt and Dennis into household names.
The plot centred around Hancock's character, John Hanley, a teacher
of physical education
who lived happily and lazily alone in a flat in the fictional area of Southbridge, London, until his old school friend, ambitious and obnoxious businessman Harry Dunstan (played by Dennis), returns from working in France and moves in with him. Punt's character, the unemployed but intelligent Mark Prior, lives nearby but was forever visiting the others after arguing with his parents.
The six-part series was continuous in its plot, with Harry trying to win back the affections of girlfriend Clare (played by Adie Allen
) with whom he had declined to keep in touch while in France. The other regular characters were Hanley's upstairs neighbours Helen and Todd (played by Harriet Thorpe
and Ron Donachie), a reformed but still scary ex-convict and his wife, who was his probation officer
. A running theme is Harry's discomfort with Todd living above due to his prejudice against criminals, even reformed ones.
Ultimately the series ended with Harry and Clare reuniting cautionarily and Mark deciding to break from his parents' apron strings. The show was deemed a success for ITV and was largely enjoyed by critics, but did not appear for a second series.
It gave pre-watershed audiences their first glimpses of Hancock, Punt and Dennis (beyond their numerous appearances on television advertisements) and also featured a guest appearance by Danny Baker
, an old friend of Hancock's, parodying his own Daz
detergent
commercials.
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, that aired 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...
in 1992. It was made for the 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...
network by Thames
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....
It was written by and starred Nick Hancock, Steve Punt
Steve Punt
Stephen Punt is a British writer, comedian and actor, best known for his long-time comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis. Punt lives in Wimbledon with his girlfriend and two children.-Life and career:...
and Hugh Dennis
Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
, all previously known - though particularly Punt and Dennis - for their work on the alternative comedy
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
and satirical circuit, especially through the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
sketch
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
show The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a British topical sketch comedy show produced by the BBC in association with Spitting Image Productions. It starred two comedy double acts - David Baddiel and Rob Newman, and also Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, all of whom had graduated from Cambridge University...
, which had transferred to television and made Punt and Dennis into household names.
The plot centred around Hancock's character, John Hanley, a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
of physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
who lived happily and lazily alone in a flat in the fictional area of Southbridge, London, until his old school friend, ambitious and obnoxious businessman Harry Dunstan (played by Dennis), returns from working in France and moves in with him. Punt's character, the unemployed but intelligent Mark Prior, lives nearby but was forever visiting the others after arguing with his parents.
The six-part series was continuous in its plot, with Harry trying to win back the affections of girlfriend Clare (played by Adie Allen
Adie Allen
Adie Allen is a British actress who routinely features on television series. Notable television features include The Bill and Casualty . Born in Bristol, educated at Monks Park Comprehensive School...
) with whom he had declined to keep in touch while in France. The other regular characters were Hanley's upstairs neighbours Helen and Todd (played by Harriet Thorpe
Harriet Thorpe
-TV:She was in the mid-to-late 1990s British television sitcom The Brittas Empire, playing Carole Parkinson, the receptionist who was prone to depression and fits of emotion who permanently kept her children with her, in drawers under her desk and would sometimes be seen feeding them or washing...
and Ron Donachie), a reformed but still scary ex-convict and his wife, who was his probation officer
Probation officer
Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
. A running theme is Harry's discomfort with Todd living above due to his prejudice against criminals, even reformed ones.
Ultimately the series ended with Harry and Clare reuniting cautionarily and Mark deciding to break from his parents' apron strings. The show was deemed a success for ITV and was largely enjoyed by critics, but did not appear for a second series.
It gave pre-watershed audiences their first glimpses of Hancock, Punt and Dennis (beyond their numerous appearances on television advertisements) and also featured a guest appearance by Danny Baker
Danny Baker
Danny Baker is an English comedy writer, journalist, radio DJ and screenwriter. Since the late 1970s, he has worked for a wide range of publications and broadcasters including NME, LWT, the BBC, and Talk Radio....
, an old friend of Hancock's, parodying his own Daz
Daz (detergent)
Daz is the name of a popular laundry detergent on the market in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble and is lower priced than P&G's main brand, Ariel...
detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
commercials.