'Terry & June' was one of many cosy, care-free domestic sitcoms that came under fire from the 'alternative comedy brigade' in the early '80's. It first began in 1974 as 'Happy Ever After' in which Terry and June Fletcher, played by Terry Scott and June Whitfield, look forward to the prospect of a quiet life after their children leave home, only then to have their hopes dashed when their dotty Aunt Lucy and her annoying mynah bird Gungadin decides to move in with them.
After five successful seasons, 'Happy Ever After' came to an end when writer Eric Merriman decided to call it a day, however in 1979, the BBC revamped it as 'Terry & June', with Aunt Lucy being written out and the lead characters names being changed from Fletcher to Medford ( possibly to avoid any legal issues ). The first episode begins with Terry and June buying a house in Purley after Terry lands a well-paying job there. Both hope that their new home will be a whole new beginning for them but, as one would expect, it is the start of a never-ending nightmare.
Although it was heavily criticised for being 'bland' and 'middle class', 'Terry & June' nevertheless drew large viewing figures and, if anything, was even more popular than its predecessor.
The plots garnered about every sitcom cliché going, such as Terry trying his hand at D.I.Y, only for things to go horribly wrong, Terry's boss coming round for dinner or unwanted relatives dropping in on Terry and June at inopportune moments but with strong performances from both Whitfield and Scott, as well as very funny scripts by John Kane, Terry Ravenscroft and Dave Freeman among many others, it was hard not to be amused. Scott's character was like that of an overgrown child with unrealistic hopes and aspirations, rather like the character he played in an earlier sitcom called 'Hugh & I'. June Whitfield's character served not only as Terry's wife but also a mother-type figure - she would frequently tell him off when he behaved foolishly or selfishly but would jump to his defence whenever someone else did so. Can anyone see shades of Eric and Hattie from 'Sykes' here?
Unfortunately, 'Terry & June' outstayed its welcome but overall was for the most part pleasant, care-free fun, rather like 'George & Mildred' and 'Keeping Up Appearances'. For those of you who haven't seen it, I would recommend it. Word of warning through - once you've heard John Shakespeare's infuriatingly catchy theme tune, you will be humming it for weeks!
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