One Day Miller

1 9 7 9 (Australia)
7 x 30 minute episodes

Tony Llewellyn-Jones and Penne Hackforth-Jones worked well as an argumentative married couple in this seven-part ABC situation comedy series which was introduced in 1978 as an episode of Tickled Pink. 

Miller Williams (Llewellyn-Jones) and his wife Marilyn (Hackforth-Jones) lived in a house in constant need of repair. Unfortunately, Miller was a stumbling, bumbling fool and a lazy soul who would gladly do anything to avoid work.

Marilyn was a bit of a pain in the neck, a whinger who would drive any man to drink. And that is precisely what her husband preferred to do – have a few ales with the boys, ogle every passing woman, and brag outrageously about his prowess in most fields, entertaining his Walter Mitty fantasies.  He was also forever starting new jobs, but they never lasted.

In the debut episode, he tried his hand as a stand-up comic in a Sydney club. He rehearsed his jokes (?) in front of the bathroom mirror while shaving and imagined himself becoming the hit of the century.  To test his routine he tried his material out on his wife who admitted “I just don’t get them” but gave the honest impression that they were just too bad to raise a laugh.

Lucky Grils was the club manager who suggested that Miller should wear a red nose for his act. Miller performed his act and flopped miserably but told his wife a hastily concocted story that was far from the truth, blaming his audience for its inability to recognise real talent.

Marilyn however, came up with an act that Miller would never top. She was pregnant.

Subsequent episodes found Miller promoted to General Manager and trying to engineer a business trip with his secretary Loretta (Geraldine Turner).

Miller Williams
Tony Llewellyn-Jones
Marilyn Miller
Penne Hackforth-Jones
Loretta
Geraldine Turner