Not in Front of the Children (TV series)

From The Goon Show Depository

Not in Front of the Children
Not in Front of the Children (TV series).jpeg
GenreSitcom
Created byRichard Waring
StarringWendy Craig
Paul Daneman (series 1)
Ronald Hines (series 2-4)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series4
No. of episodes39 (31 missing)
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release26 May 1967 (1967-05-26) –
9 January 1970 (1970-01-09)

Not in Front of the Children is a BBC Television sitcom, which ran for four series from 1967 to 1970.[1]

It starred Wendy Craig as Jennifer Corner, a rather scatterbrained middle-class housewife.[2] Her husband Henry was a school art teacher, played by Paul Daneman in the Comedy Playhouse pilot "House in a Tree" and the first series, and Ronald Hines subsequently.[3] They had three children, a boy in his early teens (played by Hugo Keith-Johnston) and two girls who were slightly younger (played by Roberta Tovey and Jill Riddick).[4] Charlotte Mitchell played her friend Mary.[5]

In later series, she had a baby, and they moved from the London suburb of Battersea to the country.

It is significant mainly as Wendy Craig's first role as a scatty housewife; she played similar roles in several other series over the next 15 years.

Surviving episodes

  • Series 1
    • Episode 3: "The Word" (8 September 1967)
  • Series 2
    • Episode 2: "Religious Revival" (1 March 1968)
    • Episode 5: "The Iron Hand" (22 March 1968)
    • Episode 6: "The George Washington Complex" (29 March 1968)
    • Episode 7: "Home Chat" (5 April 1968)
    • Episode 8: "Change of Policy" (12 April 1968)
  • Series 4
    • Episode 4: "A Babe Around The House" (3 October 1969)
    • Episode 13: "Pastures New" (5 December 1969)

Radio adaptation

A radio adaptation of the programme was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1969 and 1970, with Wendy Craig and Francis Matthews in the leading roles. Charlotte Mitchell was Mary, Roberta Tovey was Trudi and Hugo Keith-Johnston played Robin. The scripts were adapted from the TV scripts by Richard Waring. Since 2015 both series have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra.[1]

DVD release

The eight surviving episodes were released on DVD for the first time on Monday, 8 September 2014.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Not in Front of the Children, Series 1, House in a Tree". BBC.
  2. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Craig, Wendy (1934-) Biography". screenonline.org.uk.
  3. ^ "Not in Front of the Children". 15 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Religious Revival (1968)". BFI.
  5. ^ Hayward, Anthony (7 June 2012). "Charlotte Mitchell obituary". The Guardian.
  6. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Not in Front of the Children DVD". British Comedy Guide.

External links