Casanova '73

2022-11-13T00:01:11Z

77.137.74.100:

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Casanova '73.jpg
| caption =
| genre = [[Sitcom]]
| runtime = 30 minutes
| creator =
| starring = [[Leslie Phillips]]<br />[[Jan Holden]]
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 7
| producer = [[Harold Snoad]]
| network = [[BBC One|BBC1]]
| first_aired = {{start date|1973|9|13|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1973|10|29|df=y}}
| creative_director =
| director = [[Harold Snoad]]
}}
'''''Casanova '73''''' is a British [[sitcom]] broadcast on [[BBC One|BBC1]] in September and October 1973. Written by [[Galton and Simpson|Ray Galton and Alan Simpson]], the series starred [[Leslie Phillips]] as wealthy womaniser Henry Newhouse (the English translation of "casa nova").<ref name="RT">{{cite book|last=Lewishohn|first=Mark |author-link=Mark Lewisohn|title=Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy|year=2003|publisher=[[BBC Worldwide]]|location=[[London]]|isbn=0-563-48755-0}}</ref>

==Background and plot==
''Casanova '73'' followed an episode of ''Galton and Simpson Comedy'' ("The Suit", 1969) for [[London Weekend Television]] in which Phillips played Howard Butler, a philandering businessman whose clothes are stolen whilst he is in bed at his secretary's home. As with this series, it also featured [[Jan Holden]] as his wife. ''Casanova '73'' was specially written for Phillips.<ref name="Hello">{{cite book|last=Phillips|first=Leslie|author-link=Leslie Phillips|title=Hello: The Autobiography|year=2006|publisher=[[Orion Publishing Group]]|isbn=0752868896|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/helloautobiograp0000phil}}</ref>

Henry Newhouse has a successful career in [[public relations]]. Although happily married to Carol, he is a compulsive [[philanderer]] and leads a [[double life]]. His relationships invariably backfire and lead to farcical situations.<ref name="RT"/>

==Cast==
*[[Leslie Phillips]] – Henry Newhouse
*[[Jan Holden]] – Carol Newhouse
*[[Yolande Turner]] – Connie Langham
*[[Elvi Hale]] – Muriel
*[[Cyd Hayman]] – Miss Dropmore
*[[Madeline Smith]] – Tessa Finlay
*[[Josephine Tewson]] – Mrs Kershaw
*[[Ronald Adam (actor)|Ronald Adam]] – Dr Spartforth
*[[Astrid Frank]] – Miss West Germany
*[[Maureen Lipman]] – Gloria
*[[Michael Knowles (actor)|Michael Knowles]] – Judge
*[[Janet Davies (actress)|Janet Davies]] – Wife
*Directed and Produced by [[Harold Snoad]]

==Reception==
''Casanova '73'' was poorly received by the critics.<ref>{{cite web|last=Oliver|first=John|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/467108/index.html|title=Galton, Ray (1930-) and Simpson, Alan (1929-)|work=BFI Screenonline|date= 2003–14|access-date=1 April 2020}}</ref> [[Stanley Reynolds]] in ''[[The Times]]'' wrote that Phillips character "gets caught in the wrong beds in all the right comic places but it still does not seem to work. The script is either too laborious and slow or the jokes are too old and feeble."<ref>{{cite news|last=Reynolds|first=Stanley|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/archive/article/1973-10-30/14/4.html|title=Casanova '73 BBC1|work=The Times|date=30 October 1973|page=14}} {{subscription required}}</ref> [[Mary Whitehouse]], of the [[Mediawatch-UK|National Viewers' and Listeners' Association]] and others objected to its risque contents.<ref name="Hello"/> The complaints led to the programme being moved to a later time slot. The first three episodes aired at 8.00pm on Thursdays and the final four on Mondays at 9.25pm.<ref name="RT"/> The quiz show ''[[Mastermind (TV series)|Mastermind]]'' replaced it in the slot, helping it to become a hit.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brooke|first=Michael|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1330672/index.html|title=Mastermind (1972-97, 2003-)|work=BFI Screenonline|date=2003–14|access-date=26 March 2020}}</ref>

==Episodes==

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"
|-
! width="20"| # !! Title!! width="120"|Original airdate
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|Title=Episode One
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|9|13|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=When Henry receives letters at home from a girlfriend he feigns sickness so he can intercept the postman each morning. However, when the letters suddenly stop arriving he rejoices but wonders why.
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|Title=Episode Two
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|9|20|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=After believing he has been spotted by a neighbour having a romantic meal with another woman, Henry does what he mistakenly believes he needs to do to ensure her silence.
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|Title=Episode Three
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|9|27|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=Henry's son is about to be expelled from his boarding school (formerly Henry's too) for taking inappropriate photos of his maths mistress.
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|Title=Episode Four
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|01|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=Henry's business partner Arthur believes his wife is having an affair and he hides a tape recorder in their apartment to catch her in the act.
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|Title=Episode Five
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|15|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=Henry organises a beauty contest, ''Miss European Dairy Produce'' and gets involved with Miss West Germany.
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|Title=Episode Six
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|22|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=Henry gets a proposition such that he fails to rise to the challenge but suspects that Carol has had no such scruples about what she has been offered.
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=7
|Title=Episode Seven
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|29|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=A worn out Henry turns to one of his regular girlfriends for assistance. However, when her wrestling husband returns home early Henry has to hide in the wardrobe.
}}
|}

==DVD releases==
All seven episodes of ''Casanova '73'' were released on DVD by [[Acorn Media UK]] on 8 October 2012.

==References==
;General
*{{cite web|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/casanova_73/episodes/|title=Casanova '73 – Episode Guide|access-date=8 December 2013|year=2013|publisher=British Comedy Guide}}

;Specific
{{reflist}}

{{Casanova}}
{{Galton and Simpson}}

[[Category:1973 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1973 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s British sitcoms]]
[[Category:Adultery in television]]
[[Category:BBC television sitcoms]]
[[Category:Beauty pageants in fiction]]
[[Category:English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series created by Ray Galton]]
[[Category:Television series created by Alan Simpson]]

The Goon Show Depository - User contributions [en]

Casanova '73