His and Hers

Role reversal comedy that was perhaps a little ahead of its time starring Ronald Lewis as Rupert Sherwin a freelance writer who is so inept at making ends meet that he is content to stay at home as the 'house-husband' whilst his wife, Kay (played by Sue Lloyd), goes off to work each day with the essential accessories of a city worker: a brief-case and a bowler hat. 

Kay Sherwin is an executive accountant who is more than capable of bringing home a respectable, and more importantly, liveable wage. This doesn't stop the Sherwin's from being scoffed at by their more traditional next-door neighbours, the Burgesses played by Tim Brooke-Taylor and Madeline Smith. Undeterred, Rupert is happy to do the daily chores at home such as cooking, cleaning, doing the shopping and picking his wife up from the station at the end of each working day. 

Unfortunately, this 1970 produced Yorkshire Television sitcom didn't have great staying power and when it returned for a second series in 1972 the role-reversal premise was largely overlooked. Also, Sue Lloyd did not wish to reprise her role and so Barbara Murray was cast as Kay. The Burgesses were also gone, although, in a peculiar piece of casting Tim Brooke-Taylor turned up in one later episode as a completely different character! Viewers were unimpressed and before it reached the end of series two it was replaced (in the London area) by repeats of On The Buses. 

Notable guest appearances from Norman Rossington, Roy Kinnear, Peter Jones, Patricia Routledge and Freddie Jones did little to improve the shows fortunes. However, it is worthy of a place in sitcom history because of its original (for its time) storyline.

Published on December 21st, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.