From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Man About the House
Man About the House
Format	Sitcom
Created by	Johnnie Mortimer Brian Cooke
Starring	Richard O'Sullivan Paula Wilcox Sally Thomsett Brian Murphy Yootha Joyce Doug Fisher Roy Kinnear
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	39 + 1 short
Production
Producer(s)	Peter Frazer-Jones
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Original run	15 August 1973 – 7 April 1976
Chronology
Followed by	George and Mildred Robin's Nest
Related shows	Three's Company Sam sam En Fyra för tre Tre på toppen Lokatorzy

Man About the House was a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett that was broadcast for six series on ITV from 1973 to 1976. It was created and written by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke. The series was considered daring at the time due to its subject matter of a man sharing a flat with two single girls. It was made by Thames Television, and two spin-offs were later made: George and Mildred and Robin's Nest. In 2004, it came 69th in Britain's Best Sitcom. The series was remade in the United States as Three's Company in 1977. A film version of Man About the House was released in 1974.

Cast

• Richard O'Sullivan - Robin Tripp
• Paula Wilcox - Chrissy Plummer
• Sally Thomsett - Jo
• Brian Murphy - George Roper
• Yootha Joyce - Mildred Roper
• Doug Fisher - Larry Simmonds
• Roy Kinnear - Jerry (series 3 to 5)
• Norman Eshley - Norman Tripp (series 6)

Plot

Young flatmates Chrissy and Jo find a stranger, student chef Robin Tripp, asleep in their bath the morning after the farewell party for their departed flatmate Eleanor. They are taken by Robin, and are especially impressed by his culinary skills at breakfast. Neither Chrissy nor Jo can cook, and "Eleanor forgot to leave the recipe for toast."

Chrissy and Jo are both from regional England and moved out on their own to live in London. They both work for the same firm. When he meets the girls Robin has been in London two days, having moved from his home town of Southhampton to attend college.

The girls are unimpressed with the pushy young woman who arrives hoping to move in to Eleanor's room. Learning that Robin has been staying at the YMCA they easily convince him to move in.

Robin moves in on a platonic basis, and Chrissy tells the landlord George Roper that Robin is gay to pre-empt objections to the mixed-sex living arrangement. In the second episode Robin's true sexuality becomes known to George and Mildred. Mildred openly flirts with Robin at every opportunity.

Robin frequently acts in a flirtatious manner toward Chrissie and Jo. The women have no romantic interest and spurn his mild advances, and quickly adapt to his presence in the flat.

Landlord George Roper, in truth a sub-letting landlord placed by the council, is a bumbling, accident-prone and gullible man under the thumb of his domineering and sexually-frustrated wife Mildred. Mildred takes out her frustrations with George's lack of class and sexual inadequacy by making suggestive remarks to Robin and frequently siding with the tenants against George. Yet for all their battles the Ropers are a devoted couple.

Robin's friend Larry, a lovable rogue, appears in two first season episodes. In the second season he moves into the loft apartment and is a frequent source of trouble. Another occasional cast member is George's friend, dodgy builder and schemer Jerry.

Robin's brother Norman Tripp (Norman Eshley) appears through the final season, and starts a romance with Chrissie. Norman Eshley had two previous guest roles in the series playing different characters.

Episodes

First airing on 15 August 1973, Man About the House ran until 7 April 1976, after 39 episodes in six series. In addition, on 25 December 1973 a short special aired as part of All-Star Comedy Carnival.^[1]

Series One (1973)

1. Three's a Crowd (15 August 1973)
2. And Mother Makes Four (22 August 1973)
3. Some Enchanted Evening (29 August 1973)
4. And Then There Were Two (5 September 1973)
5. It's Only Money (12 September 1973)
6. Match of the Day (19 September 1973)
7. No Children, No Dogs (26 September 1973)

Series Two (1974)

1. While the Cat's Away (9 January 1974)
2. Colour Me Yellow (16 January 1974)
3. In Praise of Older Men (23 January 1974)
4. Did You Ever Meet Rommel? (30 January 1974)
5. Two Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (6 February 1974)
6. Carry Me Back to Old Southampton (13 February 1974)

Series Three (1974)

1. Cuckoo in the Nest (9 October 1974)
2. Come Into My Parlour (16 October 1974)
3. I Won't Dance, Don't Ask Me ... (23 October 1974)
4. Of Mice and Women (30 October 1974)
5. Somebody Out There Likes Me (6 November 1974)
6. We Shall Not Be Moved (13 November 1974)
7. Three of a Kind (20 November 1974)

Series Four (1975)

1. Home and Away (6 March 1975)
2. One for the Road (13 March 1975)
3. All in the Game (20 March 1975)
4. Never Give Your Real Name (27 March 1975)
5. The Tender Trap (3 April 1975)
6. My Son, My Son (10 April 1975)

Series Five (1975)

1. The Last Picture Show (4 September 1975)
2. Right Said George (11 September 1975)
3. A Little Knowledge (18 September 1975)
4. Love and Let Love (25 September 1975)
5. How Does Your Garden Grow? (2 October 1975)
6. Come Fly with Me (9 October 1975)

Series Six (1976)

1. The Party's Over (25 February 1976)
2. One More for the Pot (3 March 1976)
3. The Generation Game (10 March 1976)
4. The Sunshine Boys (17 March 1976)
5. Mum Always Liked You Best (24 March 1976)
6. Fire Down Below (31 March 1976)
7. Another Bride, Another Groom (7 April 1976)

Theme music

Written by Johnny Hawksworth and entitled "Up to Date", it was not specially commissioned for the show, rather provided via the Production music company De Wolfe Music and most recently made available in 1996 by independent record company Studio2Stereo on their CD "The Sound Gallery Volume Two". (Matrix number 7243 8 52990 2 5)

Spin-offs and remakes

In 1974 a film version was made.

After the series ended two successful spin-off series followed. These were Robin's Nest where Robin gets married and opens a restaurant, and George & Mildred where the Ropers move to the suburbs. Man About The House was later remade in the United States as Three's Company in 1977, in the Netherlands as Sam sam in 1994, in Sweden as En Fyra för tre in 1996, in Norway as Tre på toppen in 1997 and in Poland as Lokatorzy in 2000.

The American Three's Company also spawned the same spin-offs as Man About the House had: Three's a Crowd and The Ropers, based upon Robin's Nest and George & Mildred, respectively.

DVD releases

All six series have been released on DVD in the UK by Network DVD. Series 1 and 2 have had a US release by FremantleMedia. Series 1 and 2 were released in 2004 in Australia, and suffered the same delay as George and Mildred and Bless This House with contract re-negotiations. Series 3 was released on 16 July 2008, and Series 4 on 5 November 2008; however, it is no longer available. Series 5 and Series 6 are yet to be released. Series 1 was re-released on April 2, 2009 with the same cover art as the UK. It is unknown whether FremantleMedia will release the remaining series.

A book dedicated to the Situation Comedy, entitled The Man About the House and George & Mildred Companion is due to be published in 2010.

See also

• List of films based on British sitcoms

References

External links

• Man About the House at the British Comedy Guide
• Man About the House at the Internet Movie Database
• Man About The House Book At Author's Website.