Our House

Our House

1960 - United Kingdom

The first, but definitely not the last conversion to television of the 'Carry On...' series of films, Our House was created and principally written by Norman Huddis, who had penned the first five Carry On movies, which began with Carry On Sergeant in 1958. 

In the opening episode ('Moving Into Our House') two couples and five individuals meet at an estate agent and realise that if they pool their resources they can buy a house big enough to accommodate them all. Hattie Jacques as librarian Georgina Ruddy, who was forced to keep quiet at work and so made up for it by being extremely noisy at home, was arguably the star of the series. Charles Hawtrey was council official Simon Willow and Joan Sims starred as the unemployable Daisy Burke. The artistic newly-wed Hatton's were played by Trader Faulkner and Leigh Madison, retired Yorkshire sea dog Captain Iliffe and his French violinist wife were played by Frank Pettingell and Ina de la Haye, respectively. Herbert Keene was shy and persecuted bank clerk, Frederick Peisley, and the final resident was Norman Rossington as law student, Gordon Brent. 

Our House

The series initially ran for 13 episodes of 55-minute duration and was seen at 3.25pm on a Sunday afternoon from September to December 1960. It was then off the screen for exactly one year before returning with a host of new stars replacing those missing from the first series (Faulkner, Sims, Rossington, Pettingell and de la Haye). Adding to the Carry On connection was Bernard Bresslaw (even though he would not join the movie series until Carry On Cowboy in 1965), and Hylda Baker as Henrietta. Euginie Cavanagh starred as Marina. Johnny Vyvyan and Harry Korris also appeared. As in the first series not all the characters appeared every week. 

Although series two of Our House was comprised of 26 episodes of 45-minute duration, after just seven fortnightly airings ITV decided to stop showing them in the London area, and the remaining 19 were seen on a weekly basis elsewhere in the country. Of the 39 episodes in total (produced by Ernest Maxin) only four survive today, and although not aired since series two finished in 1962, they have been released on DVD.

Published on January 16th, 2019. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Biggles

Crack pilot James "Biggles" Bigglesworth leads a team of investigators who solve crime around the world.

Also released in 1960

And Mother Makes Three

Almost a direct follow on from the BBC's hugely popular Not In Front Of The Children starring Wendy Craig who was in an almost constant state of domestic discord...

Also tagged Britcom

Doctor In The House

Hospital comedy based on Richard Gordon's series of books, which had previously been adapted for the cinema starting with a 1954 production starring Dirk Bogarde. New medical students arrive at St Swithin's Hospital...mayhem ensues

Also tagged Britcom

Bless This House

Devised by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, Bless This House was a starring vehicle for Sid James that showed him in a new and unfamiliar light-as a family man.

Also tagged Britcom

Ladykillers TV Series

A series of seven hour-long plays produced by Granada television based on real-life murder trials where the accused was female - proving that when it comes to foul play the gentler sex can be just as deadly as the male.

Also starring Joan Sims

The Army Game

Hugely successful series from Granada TV that started in 1957 as a fortnightly live sitcom, which was moved to a weekly spot when it became so popular. The series followed the misfortunes of a mixed bag of army conscripts.

Also starring Charles Hawtrey

George and the Dragon

Classic sitcom starring Sid James as an over-amorous handyman who wants his boss to employ a 'dolly-bird' housekeeper, but ends up with a 'dragon' (Peggy Mount).

Also tagged 1960S Sitcom

Danger Man

Patrick McGoohan starred as NATO agent John Drake a character based on Ian Fleming's James Bond

Also released in 1960

Sorry I'm Single

Derek Nimmo as a bachelor living in a Hampstead bed-sit during London's swinging sixties era

Also tagged 1960S Sitcom