Bernard Spear played Reuben Greenberg in this brief comedy series from Thames Television written by veteran comedy writer Vince Powell. Reuben was pretty successful with his dry-cleaning business but less so with his love life.
Lila Kaye played his ever-loving, well-meaning, but overpowering widowed Momma (although Kaye was actually ten years younger than Spear in real life).
Momma was adamant that her ageing bachelor son should settle down with a nice Jewish girl (of her choice), promising him that if he ever considered marrying a gentile – such as Betty Smith (Jo Rowbottom), to whom Reuben was attracted – “I’ll give you a wedding present you won’t forget – an invitation to your mother’s funeral!”
Neighbour Vera Caplan (Stella Tanner), on the other hand, had a spinster daughter, Ruth (Caroline Bernstein) who had all the qualifications for an ideal match (according to Momma).
The series aired on Monday evenings in September and October 1975.
Reuben Greenberg
Bernard Spear Fay Greenberg (Momma)
Lila Kaye Betty Smith
Jo Rowbottom Vera Caplan
Stella Tanner Ruth Caplan
Caroline Bernstein Rabbi Jackson
Christopher Benjamin
Episodes
My Son, Reuben | A Matter of Dispute | Just a Spot to Call My Own | The Promised Land | Food, Glorious Food | Better to Have Loved and Lost
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