Family Affair, A

1 9 7 9 (UK)
10 x 50 minute episodes

Filling what some people still thought of as The Brothers‘ slot on BBC1 on Sunday evenings, A Family Affair was the best quality soap, expensively made, beautifully packaged and scented with the sweet smell of success.

The hero, Richard Barnes (Barry Foster), was a Top Executive with a wife (Wendy Gifford), a daughter, two sons, a daughter-in-law, a difficult father and a mistress, so the field of human relationships to be explored was wide open.

The series started with a bride crying off on her wedding day, a skirmish in the class war, our hero ousted from his job by the treachery of a trusted friend, a daughter’s discovery of her father’s clandestine amours, not to mention a lot of exposition about a dead brother and a father’s hopes dashed – and that was only episode one.

Richard made heavy weather of his messed-up life while trying to keep the sordid details from his perfectly intelligent wife.

NJ Crisp’s script was rich in cliches (“Is everything all right between you and Richard?”, “Everything seems to be breaking up”, “You were never like other girls’ fathers”, “Where have all the years gone?”) but the cliche was proffered as a kind of shorthand that everyone could understand.

Barry Foster was broad enough of shoulder to bear the weight of the series, with a believable authority and the kind of charm that authority brings. Wendy Gifford, as his wife, had had little to do but did it most elegantly.

Frank Middlemass’s wonderfully eccentric manner and countenance shone though as Richard’s father while Jan Harvey contributed her grave beauty and Richard Duncan his lively humour.

As the daughter, Sylvestra Le Touzel delicately indicated that real emotion could lurk behind a Home Counties voice and face.

Myles Lang’s settings were masterpieces of observation – the stockbroker-belt furnishings, all Dralon sofas and leather chairs – right down to the requisite golden labrador. Philip Dudley’s stylish direction achieved some nice contrasts and variations of pace and managed to capture the essential qualities of each character most neatly.

The series provided easy, effortless, enjoyable viewing with the added attraction of allowing us to feel smugly that success brings its own problems and that money can’t buy happiness.

Richard Barnes
Barry Foster
Marjorie Barnes
Wendy Gifford
Susan West
Jan Harvey
Henry Barnes
Frank Middlemass
John Barnes
David Sibley
Liz Barnes
Sara Clee
Robert Barnes
Peter Duncan
Jane Barnes
Sylvestra Le Touzel
Bernard Russell
Barrie Cookson
Clifford
David Dixon
Ian Sachs
Richard Durden
Majid
Dev Sagoo
Donna
Kate Saunders
Tom Benson
William Morgan Sheppard
Joseph
Gyearbuor Asante
The Controller
Shaun Curry
Madeleine
Lucinda Gane
Aru
Indira Joshi
Helen Mount
Veronica Strong
James
Steve Williams
Harry Bailey
Iain Anders
Miss Richards
Georgine Anderson
Doreen Mandeville
Sheila Ballantine
Irwin Schultz
Mark Capri
Ruth
Danielle Carson
Lucy
Debby Cumming
Diana Russell
Lisa Daniely
Clive Brabazon
Rowland Davies
James Simpson
John Dawson
Mr Farmer
Donald Gee
Valerie Brown
Cherry Gillespie
James Daker
Paul Hardwick
Tony Bryant
Michael Hawkins
Sir Paul
Patrick Holt
Di
Diana Katis
David Morris
Bernard Kay
Jeremy Treorchy-Pitt
James Kerry
Mr Tsubo
Eiji Kusuhara
Matron
Jenny Laird
Christiana Van Meergeren
Leigh Madison
Mary Simpson
Julie May
Sallinger
Hilary Minster
Chantal
Michelle Newell
Dr Grant
Cliona Nunan
Reed
Leonard Preston
Peter Gale
Ian Redford
Harold Myers
David Savile
Elsie Bailey
Pamela Sholto
Renate
Bernice Stegers
Sir Charles Byford
Clive Swift

Episodes

The Wedding | That Settles It | Home Truths | Quick as You Can | A Bit of a Troublemaker | Daytime Wife | Adrift | One Last Meal | A Good Day | Finding the Words