In an attempt to get away from familiar and stereotyped situation comedies, the ATV controller of programmes, Bill Ward, approved a series of five half-hour one-off self-contained programmes under the general title Comedy Premiere.
His aim was to try out writers and actors – many of them not normally connected with television comedy – who might team up for future comedy series based on the five “pilots”. It was hoped that the reaction from viewers would indicate which shows should be developed into a full-length series.
Written by Brian Clemens and Dennis Spooner, What a Turn Up had a wealthy grandad causing great upheaval in the Warner household when he arrives unexpectedly from Australia on the wedding day of his granddaughter Lesley (Nina Thomas) to successful solicitor Simon Fennell (David Neville).
Surprised that his own middle-aged son, George (Anton Rodgers), doesn’t recognise him when he turns up on the doorstep, Wally Warner (Bernard Lee) soon has George, his snooty wife Margaret (Vivian Pickles) and the whole family wondering whether he really had made his fortune down-under.
Middle-class executives Fiona (Susan Dury) and Richard Bunting (George Layton) are struggling to keep the roof over their heads during a financial crisis in For Richer For Poorer. When Richard gets into a conversation with his friend Nigel Benson (Ian Ogilvie) on the train to the office, Nigel boasts about his extravagant life, the new house he is about to move into, and the fact that his wife Penelope (Jane How) is rather partial to a few acres and a swimming pool. But having sold his current house, Nigel is having to think about staying in a hotel until something comes along.
Richard suggests that Nigel and Penelope stay with them until they find something. For a small fee of £30 per week, they can share the house and all that goes with mucking in together. A crisis of serious proportions develops.
Barbara Kellerman starred as a girl named Susan in Honey. She is just about to receive a marriage proposal from Peter Forrester (Bernard Holley) when blonde American student Honey Jones (Sandra Dickinson) unexpectedly bursts on the scene. She had been casually invited by Peter’s family to “come and stay with us when you’re round our way” – a common enough expression that most people don’t expect to be taken literally – and has done just that.
The Truth About Verity featured Sylvia Syms as Verity Martin, the top woman newspaper columnist in Britain with a readership of millions hanging on her every word about how to solve a multitude of problems. When her features editor, Mr Frisby (John Savident), comes to find her, he discovers that Verity lives with two men (Ed Devereaux and John Carlin) in a flat, which is the last word in untidiness and hasn’t a clue how to sort out her personal difficulties.
Bob Grant changed his bus conductor’s uniform from On The Busesto that of a milkman named Jim Wilkins for Milk-O. Bob wrote the script himself with his partner Tony Marriott.
Episodes
What a Turn Up | For Richer for Poorer | Honey | The Truth About Verity | Milk-O
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