Two's Company

Have the dvd series. Absolutely love this series! As a teenager, mother would watch this show when it originally aired. Now, years later, I also have the pleasure to see what made my mother laugh all those years ago. Stritch and Sinden worked very well together and you can tell they both got quite a charge out of performing in this series.

Two's Company describes the interplay between a female American author and a traditional British butler.

Is this TV show a laugh a minute riot-fest filled with double entendre, broad humour, and farcical shenanigans? Nope. What this series is about is understated, witty humour between two people who both think they can best the other.

So, there is sharp dialogue, witty comments, razor sharp wordplay, with both characters easily being able to dominate the screen on their own. The fact that they are both trying to do so is where the humour shines through.

If you are looking to be hit over the head with humour and not have to think, then this show is not for you. But if you're willing to be patient, and have the ability to analyze smart writing, delivered by two great actors of the stage--you'll love "Two's Company".

This show aired in the early eighties on A&E, and I never missed it. Elaine Stritch was an American authoress living in England, and Donald Sinden was her very British butler, called "Robert". My favorite episode had something to do with his preferences for gaudy kitchen tiles and Bach fugues played at full volume. I wish somebody still aired this.

I remember this from its original airing in the good old days. Donald Sinden, a highly respected Shakespearian actor and Elaine Stritch, a similarly regarded American performer team up for some of the best, wittiest humour that has been labelled 'situation comedy' ever. When I found it on Ebay, I had to buy it and I'm delighted that I did. The next generation also enjoyed watching it. The humour comes mainly from the clashes between employer/employee (the power tilts like a see-saw) but also from the silly situations they find themselves in. The invitation to a luncheon at the Palace was absurd, as was the trip to the Casualty ward at the local NHS hospital. Very funny, a snapshot in time and well worth capturing if you like quick repartee.

...and perhaps it's not supposed to.

The typical Britcom is assumed to leave you weeping with laughter. But the difference between "Two's Company" and a show like "Fawlty Towers" or "Keeping Up Appearances" is the silly humor factor. "Two's Company" is humerous on a level that is much more toned down; the show definitely has the chuckle moments, but I don't see where one would be rolling on the floor laughing all the way through.

That's not to say that the show isn't good, though. Dorothy McNab (Elaine Stritch) is an American author living in London in the 1970s. She's known all over the world, she's wealthy, so naturally she would need a butler to handle the day to day living. She winds up hiring Robert (Donald Sinden), and before long the two are bickering like old friends. The show is about their warm yet feisty working relationship together. The best part of the show is the unique chemistry they share.

It took me awhile to warm up to this show, but now I watch it on a regular basis. No, it's no "Vicar of Dibley" or "Are You Being Served?", but it's a good show for a few laughs here and there. I recommend it if you're looking for something lighthearted.