RaspberryLucozade
After doing for writers Pam Valentine and Michael Ashton five series of the wonderful 'That's My Boy', Mollie Sugden took charge of another show by the same writing and production team behind the earlier show.Here Sugden played Nora Powers, the head of a successful advertising firm named Ashvale Advertising. Powers is a fierce protector of her staff though is also a fierce enemy should her staff step out of line. Nora's husband George ( played by William Moore who was Sugden's husband in real life ) has recently retired and finds he cannot adapt to life as a man of leisure so tries to busy himself with various jobs before eventually securing a job as chief commissionaire at Nora's company.Nora's P.A is shy spinster Miss. Bamber ( nicknamed 'Bambi' by Nora and 'Dumbo' by George ). The rest of her staff include the fiery Tracey ( the gorgeous Carol Hawkins ), dizzy debutante Henrietta ( Jane Ashton ), dippy Samantha ( Roberta Tovey ) and Anita ( Natasha Gray ), all of whom work in the typing pool. Also present is the loud and bubbly tea-lady Pearl ( the late Isabelle Lucas ). Nora answers to ( as best she can ) the senile Mr. Mundy ( John Horsley ) who seems not to even know what day of the week it is never mind what he is in charge of.It was basically 'That's My Boy' without Robert and Angie, but it was frequently amusing if not exactly fantastic. Sadly, it has been regarded by many as being one of the worst British sitcoms of all time, a reputation I find to be cruel and unjust. Mark Lewishon described it as being 'so wooden that it could have been written on raw tree instead of its paper derivative!'. And this from a man who regards 'The Office' as a classic? 'My Husband & I' was amiable, harmless fun which managed to run to two seasons. Life afterwards for Sugden saw her appear in both 'Grace & Favour' and the '90's retread of 'The Liver Birds' for the BBC but afterwards she got so ill she was unable to work anymore. Valentine and Ashton never wrote another sitcom after this. One episode of 'My Husband & I' ( the Christmas special 'No Place Like Home' ) was made available on DVD as part of Network's 'Classic ITV Christmas Comedy' DVD but that unfortunately is all you will get for now.
