George & Mildred

Surely the best ever British comedy series. I know that people talk about Only Fools and Horses being the best, but for me, this is it. In case anybody doesn't know what it is about, it is basically about a middle-aged married couple who, after having their London home compulsory purchased by the Council, move to Hampton Wick into a posh neighbourhood. The series is basically about Mildred, the sex-starved wife, trying to better herself and George, her work-shy husband, who seems to delight in upsetting their neighbours. Only 5 series were made, due to the death of Yootha Joyce, but I would recommend this to anybody who appreciates genuine British comedy.

I just wanted to give a credit to Norman Eshley. He played the straight man to George Roper, brilliantly.

British television sitcoms of the '70s have acquired a reputation for being shallow and purile, and 'George and Mildred' is often cited as a supreme example of this.

Nothing could be further from the truth, this sitcom really worked. There was real chemistry between the characters, and while the plots were shallow there was a great deal of comedy present.

Developed as a spin-off from 'Man About The House', it centres around a working class couple (George and Mildred) who move into a middle class neighbourhood. Mildred (Yootha Joyce) is determined to overcome her lowly roots, whilst George (Brian Murphy) is working class and proud of it!!

Their new neighbours are the Fourmiles, Geoffrey is a out-and-out snob, but his wife, Ann, is down to Earth. They have a young son, Tristram.

Most of the comedy revolves around the antics of George antagonising Geoffrey, whilst their respective wives try desperately to maintain tranquility.

The concept of neighbour / class conflict is the mainstay of many a sitcom, but seldom works as well as this. The chemistry between the characters is perfect, especially George and Mildred, I think that the sitcom would probably have failed with anyone else playing these parts.

The success of this sitcom lead to a film version in 1980, but the film never really captured the vital spark that made the television series such a hit.

This series was a huge success in Spain in the early 80s, following the equal success of Man About The House. Then it was screened again on Saturday nights in 1989, and at my family home we all loved it. I have been able now to see it again last month, and I laughed my head off. I managed to get also the first four episodes of Man About The House, but sadly I didn't find it half as funny as G&M. The lovable Yoota Joyce was a formidable comedian, the way she scolds George, flirts with Fourmile and sends Jerry off (a wonderful role by the great bumbling idiot Roy Kinnear). The kid steals every scene he is in with his direct and uncomfortable questions to his parents about where babies come from, the Tories, the working class... Boy, I laughed so much with him. He is too smart for his years. And Norman Eshley as the snobbish ass Fourmile -no wonder, with a name like that- always hating the sight of George: "Good lord! He is vulgar, dirty, scratches himself, picks his nose, belches and can't speak properly!" And the kid says with a smirk "He is working-class, and bloody proud of it". That line was pure gold. And my other favourite character and another great scene stealer is Mildred's posh sister Ethel. "We were just passing by in our brand new XJ6... our brand new MG... look at my brand new vicuna coat, dear... my brand new diamond ring..." and on and on and on, always showing off. It is a pity that Yoota Joyce died after the fifth season, because G&M could have enjoyed a few more years of brilliant success.

Feb 2022

Just watched all these episodes for the first time since i was a kid and i really enjoyed them, i rate them on par with Man about the house, which is the series which introduced us to the Ropers.

So lots of fun.

8.5 out of 10.