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.
| Don't Tell Father | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by | Roy Clarke |
| Directed by | Harold Snoad |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Nick Ingman |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Harold Snoad |
| Editor | Andy Quested |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 26 April – 31 May 1992 |
Premise
editThe 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
editMain
edit- Tony Britton as Vivian Bancroft
- Susan Hampshire as Natasha Bancroft
- Caroline Quentin as Kate Bancroft
- Richard Ashton as Garth Bancroft
- Philip Fox as Marvin Whipple
Recurring
edit- 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
editSeries 1 (1992)
edit| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Produced & Directed by | Written by | Original air date [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Vivian & Marvin" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 26 April 1992 |
| 2 | 2 | "The Film Studio" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 3 May 1992 |
| 3 | 3 | "Marvin's Parents" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 10 May 1992 |
| 4 | 4 | "Vivian's Shower" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 17 May 1992 |
| 5 | 5 | "Sacked" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 24 May 1992 |
| 6 | 6 | "Car Trouble" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 31 May 1992 |
Reception
editOf 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
edit- ^ a b Leafe p.302
- ^ a b c Lewisohn, Mark (2003). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy (2nd ed.). London: BBC Worldwide. pp. 234–235. ISBN 0563487550.
- ^ "Don't Tell Father (Episodes)". Phill.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
Bibliography
edit- David Leafe. British Film Institute Film and Television Handbook 1993. Bloomsbury Academic, 1992.