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Don't Tell Father

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Don't Tell Father
GenreSitcom
Written byRoy Clarke
Directed byHarold Snoad
Starring
Theme music composerNick Ingman
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducerHarold Snoad
EditorAndy Quested
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companyBBC
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release26 April (1992-04-26) –
31 May 1992 (1992-05-31)

Don't Tell Father is a British television sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was first broadcast on BBC1 from 26 April to 31 May 1992.[1][2] The series starred Tony Britton, Susan Hampshire, Caroline Quentin, Richard Ashton and Philip Fox.

Premise

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The series follows a self-regarding veteran actor, Vivian Bancroft (Tony Britton), who dominates the lives of his fifth wife, Natasha (Susan Hampshire), and four grown-up children. He is particularly outraged by his eldest daughter's engagement to a driving instructor.[1][2]

Cast

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Main

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Recurring

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  • Hilda Braid as Mrs Dawson (3 episodes)
  • Liz Daniels as Alemka (3 episodes)
  • Anna Dawson as Stella Whipple (3 episodes)
  • Jack Smethurst as Ron Whipple (3 episodes)
  • Jo-Anne Sale as Spirit (2 episodes)

Episodes

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Series 1 (1992)

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No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleProduced & Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [3]
11"Vivian & Marvin"Harold SnoadRoy Clarke26 April 1992 (1992-04-26)
22"The Film Studio"Harold SnoadRoy Clarke3 May 1992 (1992-05-03)
33"Marvin's Parents"Harold SnoadRoy Clarke10 May 1992 (1992-05-10)
44"Vivian's Shower"Harold SnoadRoy Clarke17 May 1992 (1992-05-17)
55"Sacked"Harold SnoadRoy Clarke24 May 1992 (1992-05-24)
66"Car Trouble"Harold SnoadRoy Clarke31 May 1992 (1992-05-31)

Reception

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Of the series, in his Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy, Mark Lewisohn wrote: "Tony Britton hammed it up for all he was worth as the awful Vivian, and Caroline Quentin proved particularly adept at delivering Roy Clarke's witty dialogue, but the piece as a whole lacked the magic ingredient which made so many of the writer's ideas long-running series."[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Leafe p.302
  2. ^ a b c Lewisohn, Mark (2003). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy (2nd ed.). London: BBC Worldwide. pp. 234–235. ISBN 0563487550.
  3. ^ "Don't Tell Father (Episodes)". Phill.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2023.

Bibliography

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