Disillusioned thirty-somethings Max (Sara Crowe) and Bernice (Ann Bryson) have been best friends for many years, attending the same teacher training college and now living in the same house – teacher Max downstairs alone in the basement flat, housewife Bernice on the first floor with her hapless husband, Kev (John Hodgkinson) and two boisterous children.
As the series began (Wednesday 23 October 1996), Max was turning 31 and had just been turned down for a promotion at the tough inner-city comprehensive school where she taught drama, and had recently split up with her boyfriend, Ian (Harry Burton) – again.
In reality, Crowe (the daffy blonde with the squeaky singsong voice) and Bryson (the dark-haired bossy one) met at drama college and created the “lovelee” characters seen in Philadelphia cheese commercials on British television as part of their comedy double act (based on a real-life conversation they overheard between two hairdressers).
As a result, they landed their own seven-part ITV sitcom – written by stand-up comedian Jenny Lecoat – following a successful pilot in the Comedy Firsts series the previous year.
Max Bailey
Sara Crowe Bernice
Ann Bryson Kev
John Hodgkinson Louise
Lucinda Fisher Ian
Harry Burton Jason
Sean Carnegie Harry
Paul Chapman Thomas
Steven Webb Sarah
Kristy Bruce
Episodes
Sometime, Never | Fools Rush In | Trust in Me | Respect | Getting Results | Bad Behaviour | The Green, Green Grass of Home | Goodbye
