Robert Briers is George Starling and Prunella Scales is his wife Kate. The show follows them from the time they return from their honeymoon. There were five series in all as the couple went through various changes. It’s a mildly amusing show and Prunella Scales is especially nice to watch.
Opening episode: August 16,1963 – “The Threshold” – The Starlings return from their honeymoon in Paris all set to move into his flat. One problem. It looks like he left the key in Paris. He stores their luggage in a cupboard under the stairs. George tries breaking in with a pair of scissors. A constable wonders what they’re up to. Someone from a party across the hall let him know that someone was trying a break in.
He asks George for an ID. Everything is in the luggage. The go to a phone booth so George can call a friend to see if they can stay there for the night. He reads his address book and mistakenly calls the wrong number. Kate gets steamed when one of his old girlfriends answers.
Now she’s barely speaking to him and they go to a hotel across the street. The night porter gives them a look as if he doesn’t buy that they’re married and wants to put them in single rooms. Now Kate is really angry.
They go to an outdoor diner where an older married couple are having an argument and the husband is talking about how miserable marriage is. They go back to the phone booth to make more calls but no one is home. They go back to the flat.
George wants to go to the party and borrow more money for the phone. Instead they both get invited in. George didn’t know it but the last tenant in his flat couldn’t get in one night and someone managed to enter through a window. He just happened to be at the party and lets George and Kate in.
Kate is even more upset when she sees what a mess the place is from a party before George left for the wedding and honeymoon. She’s had it and goes into another room. Then she makes a discovery.
There aren’t a lot of episodes left but it’s still fun to look for those that still exist. The show was very popular and it’s easy to see why.
