Not In Front of the Children

There’s something instantly comforting about Not in Front of the Children, even if its vision of family life now feels a little too tidy to be entirely believable. Debuting as part of the BBC’s celebrated Comedy Playhouse strand (titled House in a Tree), the full series sitcom, which arrived 3 months later, quickly became a hit thanks largely to Wendy Craig’s wonderfully flustered performance as Jennifer Corner, a well-meaning but hopelessly disorganised middle-class mother trying to keep her household from descending into chaos.

Jennifer’s husband Henry, an easy-going school art teacher, was played initially by Paul Daneman before Ronald Hines took over the role from the second series onwards. Together they raise three lively children — an adolescent son and two younger daughters — while navigating the endless small disasters of suburban family life. Later episodes expanded the family further with the arrival of a new baby and a move from Battersea to the countryside, giving the series fresh situations while keeping its familiar domestic charm intact.

What made the show so popular at the time was its gentle, relatable humour. The crises are rarely earth-shattering: parenting dilemmas, household confusion, sibling squabbles and the constant struggle to maintain order. By modern standards, the family dynamic can seem surprisingly free of genuine tension or emotional strain, presenting a softened version of middle-class life that feels more cosy than realistic. Still, that warmth is very much part of the appeal.

The series was created by Richard Waring, who had already enjoyed success with Marriage Lines and would become particularly associated with domestic sitcoms. Working for both the BBC and ITV, he later wrote further hits; My Wife Next Door, The Many Wives of Patrick, Miss Jones and Son and Rings on Their Fingers. Not In Front of the Children also marked the beginning of a screen persona that Wendy Craig would refine over the following decades. She became closely associated with harassed but lovable homemakers in shows like And Mother Makes Three and its sequel And Mother Makes Five (both written by Waring), before exploring a more bittersweet and emotionally layered variation of the role in Carla Lane’s acclaimed Butterflies. Yet there’s an argument that Jennifer Corner remains the purest version of that character type: endlessly frazzled, affectionate, and somehow still standing after every domestic catastrophe.

There are also some interesting pieces of television history attached to the programme. Roberta Tovey, remembered by many for playing Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter, in the 1960s Doctor Who films, appeared as Trudi Corner during the first three series. Although the fourth series was produced in colour, the BBC had not fully launched BBC1 colour broadcasting when it was initially shown although later repeats showcased them properly in all their colourful glory.

Sadly, like so many BBC productions of the era, much of the programme has been lost. Of the 40 episodes produced across four series, only eight are known to survive today. That’s a real shame because even in fragmentary form, Not in Front of the Children, whilst hardly regarded as a classic, remains an important stepping stone in the evolution of the British family sitcom and a showcase for one of television’s most enduring comic actresses.