'George & Mildred' was the first - and best - of the spin-offs from Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke's 'Man About The House'. Using the proceedings from the sale of their home in Myddleton Terrace, the Ropers' move into a posh residential area ( 'all B.B.C.-2 and musical toilet rolls', according to George ), and find themselves living next door to snobbish estate agent Jeffrey Fourmile, his wife Ann and their son Tristram. George is like the proverbial fish out of water. Somewhat unbelievably, he gets a job as a traffic warden.
The relationship between him and Mildred was much the same; she craves physical affection, and poor George isn't able to provide it. Much of the humour came from George constantly embarrassing his wife in public, such as the time he took a bath in the lounge just as Mildred brought home friends for tea. Like 'Terry & June', it was cosy, predictable stuff, but highly amusing. Mortimer and Cooke wrote every episode, meaning that there was no dip in quality ( as was the case with 'Robin's Nest' ) when new writers came aboard. The first season had a cracking theme by John Hawksworth but when it returned, Roger Webb supplied a bland tune which didn't suit the show at all. In much the same way that Yootha Joyce stole the show in 'House', little Nicholas Bond-Owen upstaged the adult performers as 'Tristram'. Enormously popular, the show racked up huge ratings even on its repeats. Sadly, Yootha Joyce died before a final series could be recorded.
