Just seen 1st two episodes on forces tv very laboured comedy I can see why it wasn't successful just didn't really engage and wasn't particularly funny,Susan penhaligon was as gorgeous as usual.4 episodes in and I realised it's some sort of sex comedy,and really feel sorry for the actress who was cast as the daughter for the final episode never to work again.
5 Reviews
A poor TV exit for Richard!
Rabical-9111 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Richard O'Sullivan felt enough time had passed since the end of his long running show 'Me & My Girl' ( which alas I never saw ) to return to sitcom. In 1991, a revival of the 'Doctor' series entitled 'Doctor At The Top' came to fruition and O'Sullivan was approached to reprise his role as Bingham but he had to turn it down as he was contracted to head 'Trouble In Mind', scripted by Colin Bostock Smith. In hindsight, he probably now wishes he hadn't bothered.
Richard played psychiatrist Adam Charlesworth, a middle aged man in the throes of a mid life crisis. His wife Julia, played by Susan Penhaligon, was a landscape gardener. The show did not work because of its limited format, as well as the lack of good scripts.
Midway through its run, it was shifted to a graveyard timeslot due to dismal audience figures. Only nine episodes were made. It was nothing to do with it 'not being crass and vulgar enough'. The '90's also saw the arrival of hugely successful shows such as 'Keeping Up Appearances' and 'Goodnight Sweetheart', neither of which were 'crass and vulgar'. It simply was because viewers did not find it funny.
O'Sullivan was forced to retire from acting shortly afterwards following a stroke. A pity he went out on such a low. One positive thing that can be said about it however is its nice theme tune, composed by O'Sullivan himself.
Richard played psychiatrist Adam Charlesworth, a middle aged man in the throes of a mid life crisis. His wife Julia, played by Susan Penhaligon, was a landscape gardener. The show did not work because of its limited format, as well as the lack of good scripts.
Midway through its run, it was shifted to a graveyard timeslot due to dismal audience figures. Only nine episodes were made. It was nothing to do with it 'not being crass and vulgar enough'. The '90's also saw the arrival of hugely successful shows such as 'Keeping Up Appearances' and 'Goodnight Sweetheart', neither of which were 'crass and vulgar'. It simply was because viewers did not find it funny.
O'Sullivan was forced to retire from acting shortly afterwards following a stroke. A pity he went out on such a low. One positive thing that can be said about it however is its nice theme tune, composed by O'Sullivan himself.
Pulled after 9 episodes, and here's why.
EdinaJambo26 March 2022
The only 9 episodes made for this so called 'comedy' were all based on pathetic innuendo concerning a psychiatrist's attempts to come to terms that he should go through a vasectomy procedure. Every one of the 9 episodes were all written round this nonsensical premis and I can't for the life of me understand why the lovely and very talented Susan Penhaligon saw fit to add this utter rubbish to her acting CV. Richard O'Sullivan left acting after this nonsense, maybe because of it, maybe not. We'll never know.
Richard O'Sullivan's last throw of the comedy dice
ShadeGrenade1 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
When the BBC revived the 'Doctor series ( based on Richard Gordon's books ), Richard O'Sullivan was asked to reprise his role as conceited 'Dr. Lawrence Bingham'. He had to turn the offer down. He was far too busy with a show of his own. 'Trouble In Mind' saw him playing 'Adam Charlesworth', a psychiatrist facing a mid-life crisis. Susan Penhaligon played his landscape gardener wife. The show ran to nine episodes, made no impact, and was cancelled. It would have stayed forgotten forever except for a screening on the now-defunct Forces T. V. channel. Having watched the series again, I can understand perfectly why it failed. Firstly, how do you make psychiatrists funny? Not easy. There's a very funny 'Doctor At Large' episode called 'Let's Go Back To The Beginning' ( written by Graham Chapman and Bernard McKenna ) in which Freddie Jones hammed it up as a pop-eyed psychiatrist named 'Sir Robert Joyce'. That character was a broad caricature, O'Sullivan was aiming for something more believable. It did not work. The other problem was that old school comedy was in decline. Formats and styles which had worked well in previous decades were suddenly deemed to be old hat. The arrival of satellite television did not help either. There was no longer any point to making 'clean' comedy shows when there were plenty of dirty ones over on Rupert Murdoch's channels.
'Trouble In Mind' was not very funny, The scripts were by Colin Bostock-Smith ( who also wrote for 'Terry & June' and 'You Must Be The Husband' ) and Tony Millan and the late Mike Walling. Having said that, I rewatched all nine episodes with a great deal of enjoyment. For all its faults, its a nice, easy-going sort of show.
Richard O'Sullivan never appeared on television again, sadly. The reason for this is that he had a stroke. The quality of 'Trouble In Mind' was not the reason for his retirement, as EdinaJambo suggests. If its any consolation to O'Sullivan, he did not lose out by not being in 'Doctor At The Top'. Nobody found that funny either.
The wonderful 'Trouble In Mind' theme tune, was written by O'Sullivan himself.
'Trouble In Mind' was not very funny, The scripts were by Colin Bostock-Smith ( who also wrote for 'Terry & June' and 'You Must Be The Husband' ) and Tony Millan and the late Mike Walling. Having said that, I rewatched all nine episodes with a great deal of enjoyment. For all its faults, its a nice, easy-going sort of show.
Richard O'Sullivan never appeared on television again, sadly. The reason for this is that he had a stroke. The quality of 'Trouble In Mind' was not the reason for his retirement, as EdinaJambo suggests. If its any consolation to O'Sullivan, he did not lose out by not being in 'Doctor At The Top'. Nobody found that funny either.
The wonderful 'Trouble In Mind' theme tune, was written by O'Sullivan himself.
Richard O'Sullivan bows out in fine style
Robsnide18 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I'm guessing the negative reviews for this fine sitcom were written by young people. 'Trouble In Mind' is about a middle-aged man having a mid-life crisis. The character of 'Adam Charlesworth' was definitely not modelled on Robin Tripp. Richard O'Sullivan's previous series was the ghastly 'Me And My Girl' which wasted both his talents and those of his co-star, the late Tim Brooke-Taylor. This show was not designed for foul-mouthed youngsters. In 1991, the trend was for crass, vulgar 'comedies' such as 'Absolutely Fabulous'. 'Trouble In Mind' was aimed at a more discerning audience. O'Sullivan and Penhaligon had great onscreen chemistry. There was real wit in the scripts. My only regret is the show was not given a fair crack of the whip. Not crass and vulgar enough it seems.
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