"You Must Be the Husband" (1987) TV series 1987-1988

User Rating:

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Directors:

Richard Boden
John Kilby

Writer:

Colin Bostock-Smith (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

8 September 1987 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Tom Hammond is surprised when his wife announces that she has written a romance book. He is even more...

Cast

Diane Keen	...	Alice Hammond (4 episodes, 1987-1988)
Debbi Blythe	...	Doctor (2 episodes, 1987-1988)

Runtime:

30 min (13 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Not exactly bad, just distinctly unmemorable

Now that the 'traditional' sitcom has been pretty well killed off in favour of spoof docusoaps, sketch shows and character comedies, it's easy to knock this kind of programme, but having watched it at the time I can honestly say that YOU MUST BE THE HUSBAND really wasn't as bad as some people have said it was. The cast worked well together, there was a nice thread of surrealism running through the scripts and nobody does farcical panic quite like Tim Brooke-Taylor. I later saw him in a stage production in a similar role and he stole the show, in fact, there is a certain 'stagey' quality to this series which might not have helped its cause as far as the critics were concerned. Although the chances of this being repeated are slim, if you enjoyed Tim's patriotic coward persona in THE GOODIES, you'll have a fun time. Sheila Steafel, Garfield Morgan and Terry Hall lent memorable support in the later episodes.