Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1980s Television
    1980s Television Comedy Shows K 2 Mins Read

    Keep It In The Family

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 0 – 1 9 8 3 (UK)
    31 x 25 minute episodes

    This ITV (Thames TV) production had Robert Gillespie starring as professional cartoonist Dudley Rush.

    Eccentric and childlike, Dudley insisted, among other things, on wearing his large-sized lion ventriloquist glove puppet on his hand whenever he was drawing his comic strip – “Barney – Adventures of a Bionic Bulldog”.

    keepitinthefamily_002

    Dudley was not at all happy having to spend what he considered valuable time working, and so was always procrastinating, often leading to his being late in meeting his deadline for the comic strip – to the continuing frustration of his long-suffering agent, Duncan Thomas (Glyn Houston).

    Duncan frequently visited the Rush family home (in Highgate Avenue, Highgate) to collect Dudley’s latest drawings, and, as it was quite obvious that he was strongly attracted to Dudley’s attractive wife Muriel (Pauline Yates), this often solicited bouts of excessive jealousy on Dudley’s part.

    This was fuelled even further by the fact that Duncan also delightedly consumed an excessive number of Muriel’s delicious cakes whenever he visited the Rush family home.

    Dudley also had two daughters – 17-year-old Susan (former Black Beauty star Stacy Dorning) and 21-year-old Jacqui (Jenny Quayle at first, and then Sabina Franklyn) – who were the apples of their father’s eye.

    keepitinfamily8

    When the girls decided to move out, Dudley was understanding, but finding a flat in London is not easy and soon the girls came up with a better alternative – the vacant flat in the basement of their father’s house.

    The girls had the best of both worlds with freedom in the security of home, but Dudley, on the other hand, seemed to inherit the worst of both worlds, with the girls constantly tapping him for cash, bringing home unsuitable boyfriends and indulging in reckless pursuits.

    Life in the Rush family home was certainly never dull.

    The show was later remade in the USA as the ABC television series, Too Close For Comfort – the last regular television appearance by Ted Knight (of Mary Tyler Moore Show fame) who lost his battle with cancer and passed away in 1986.

    Dudley Rush 
    Robert Gillespie
    Muriel Rush 

    Pauline Yates
    Jacqui Rush 

    Jenny Quayle (1)
    Sabina Franklyn (2)
    Susan Rush 

    Stacy Dorning
    Duncan Thomas 

    Glyn Houston
    Wilma 

    Anita Graham

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Caroline In The City
      Caroline In The City
      1 9 9 5 - 1 9 9 9 (USA) 97 x 25 minute episodes This NBC sitcom featured New York…
    • Billy The Fish
      Billy The Fish
      1 9 9 0 (UK) 4 x 30 minute episodes As a counterweight to the histrionics of the World Cup,…
    • Sooty Show, The
      Sooty Show, The
      1 9 5 5 - 1 9 9 2 (UK) The little orange bear with the sooty ears and nose has…
    • Dudley
      Dudley
      1 9 9 3 (USA) 6 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived CBS comedy series revolved around Dudley Bristol (Dudley Moore),…
    • Too Close For Comfort
      Too Close For Comfort
      1 9 8 0 - 1 9 8 5 (USA) 151 x 30 minute episodes Based on the British series Keep It…
    • Three Live Wires
      Three Live Wires
      1 9 6 1 (UK) 26 x 30 minute episodes A comedy about a London TV sales and repair shop starring…
    • Andy Capp
      Andy Capp
      1 9 8 8 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes Andy Capp (James Bolam) is an out-of-work layabout who only wants…
    • Ours Is a Nice House
      Ours Is a Nice House
      1 9 6 9 - 1 9 7 0 (UK) 13 x 30 minute episodes Thora Parker (Thora Hird) was the…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleHot Metal
    Next Article Nobody’s Perfect (Hart of The Yard)

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Daddy's Girls
      Daddy's Girls
      1 9 9 4 (USA) 3 x 30 minute episodes After Dudley failed miserably in the ratings, CBS gave Dudley Moore another chance…
    • It's Murder But Is It Art
      It's Murder But Is It Art
      1 9 7 2 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This six-part comedy-thriller series from the BBC starred Arthur Lowe as…
    • Dudley
      Dudley
      1 9 9 3 (USA) 6 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived CBS comedy series revolved around Dudley Bristol (Dudley Moore),…
    • If It Moves, File It
      If It Moves, File It
      1 9 7 0 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This London Weekend Television (LWT) production for ITV written by Troy…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.