After Henry
1988 - United KingdomThe BAFTA-nominated After Henry was a quietly witty and sharply observed sitcom that explored the middle-class domestic dynamics of three generations of women—except, for one of them at least, life was far from comfortable. At the centre of it all was Sarah, sensitively portrayed by Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers), a widow of two years trying to navigate a life newly defined by absence, but still tightly constrained by family.
Sarah may have been well provided for by her late husband, Dr Henry France, with a spacious Edwardian home in a leafy suburb, but she was also left with a pair of formidable housemates: her overbearing, manipulative mother Eleanor (a glorious turn by Joan Sanderson, Please Sir!), and her teenage daughter Clare (Janine Wood), who vacillated between defiant independence and chaotic dependence. With Eleanor installed in the upstairs flat and Clare occupying the basement, Sarah was quite literally caught in the middle — trapped in every sense.
Much of the show’s charm stemmed from the relentless tug-of-war between generations. Eleanor and her gossiping circle—affectionately dubbed the “Geriatric Mafia” by Sarah, represented a kind of entrenched matriarchal power, while Clare’s spiky adolescence brought a different kind of disruption. Sarah’s only escape came via her job at a second-hand bookshop, and through the comforting presence of Russell, the sympathetic and quietly sardonic shop owner played by Jonathan Newth.
Simon Brett, a multiple BAFTA-winner also known for Rosemary & Thyme, crafted the series with a deft touch, weaving gentle humour with subtle pathos. It was directed with a light but assured hand by sitcom stalwart Peter Frazer-Jones (Man About the House, George and Mildred), and what resulted was a comedy that didn’t shout for attention but won it nonetheless, thanks to its authentic characters and understated wit.
Originally written for BBC Radio in 1986, After Henry quickly built a loyal following. However, when the BBC passed on the chance to bring it to television, Thames TV wisely stepped in, resulting in one of the Beeb’s more regrettable misjudgements. The move to screen retained all of the show’s warmth, bolstered by a first-rate cast who brought these complicated women vividly to life.
After Henry was a sitcom about the spaces in between — between youth and old age, freedom and obligation, love and frustration. Poised delicately between comedy and quiet tragedy, it remains one of the understated gems of 1980s British television.
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Published on November 27th, 2018. Written by Marc Saul for Television Heaven.
