'Tom, Dick, and Harriet' is a forgotten sitcom from the creators of 'Man About The House' and 'George & Mildred' - Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke.
Newly widowed 'Thomas Maddison' ( the late Lionel Jeffries ) leaves Winkle Bay and moves in with his son 'Richard' ( Ian Ogilvy ) and his wife 'Harriet' ( Brigit Forsyth ). Never having been in London before, the old boy is keen to see the den of iniquity he has read so much about. He heads for Soho. On a nightly basis. He comes home drunk each time. Harriet is keen for Tom to move out. Can Dick summon up the courage to order his father to leave?
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Yes, its middle of the road fluff, and there were more a few shows like that on air around this time, including 'Terry & June' and 'Fresh Fields'. The script's got some decent lines, and the cast makes the most of them. This was Jeffries' second attempt at a sitcom. The first - a Vince Powell show called 'Father Charlie' - cast him as a chain-smoking, whisky-sodden priest and proved about as popular as piles. This new show fared better, running to a total of two seasons. Forsyth's 'Harriet' is basically a retread of her 'Thelma' from 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads". Four years earlier, Ogilvy played 'Simon Templar' in a short-lived revival of 'The Saint' series.
Funniest moment - Tom appearing to be crying at his wife's funeral. In fact he is laughing his head off. She was a bit of a tyrant, and now he is free of her.
Second funniest moment - Tom's date shows up at the Maddison house, turning out to be three gorgeous girls ( two of whom are played by Anita Graham and Louise English ). Tom is scared of them and locks himself in his room, leaving Dick to have his trousers pulled down, and just as Harriet is walking in through the front door.
Newly widowed 'Thomas Maddison' ( the late Lionel Jeffries ) leaves Winkle Bay and moves in with his son 'Richard' ( Ian Ogilvy ) and his wife 'Harriet' ( Brigit Forsyth ). Never having been in London before, the old boy is keen to see the den of iniquity he has read so much about. He heads for Soho. On a nightly basis. He comes home drunk each time. Harriet is keen for Tom to move out. Can Dick summon up the courage to order his father to leave?
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Yes, its middle of the road fluff, and there were more a few shows like that on air around this time, including 'Terry & June' and 'Fresh Fields'. The script's got some decent lines, and the cast makes the most of them. This was Jeffries' second attempt at a sitcom. The first - a Vince Powell show called 'Father Charlie' - cast him as a chain-smoking, whisky-sodden priest and proved about as popular as piles. This new show fared better, running to a total of two seasons. Forsyth's 'Harriet' is basically a retread of her 'Thelma' from 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads". Four years earlier, Ogilvy played 'Simon Templar' in a short-lived revival of 'The Saint' series.
Funniest moment - Tom appearing to be crying at his wife's funeral. In fact he is laughing his head off. She was a bit of a tyrant, and now he is free of her.
Second funniest moment - Tom's date shows up at the Maddison house, turning out to be three gorgeous girls ( two of whom are played by Anita Graham and Louise English ). Tom is scared of them and locks himself in his room, leaving Dick to have his trousers pulled down, and just as Harriet is walking in through the front door.