Sometimes we Brits steal America's shows.
This is based on US show Who's The Boss? I say 'based'; translated is more like it, as the first episodes are identical in their script. The premise is interesting: career woman Caroline Wheatley (Diane Weston) is looking for a housekeeper. Unbeknown to her, her mother Laura (Honor Blackman) has promised the job to ex-footballer Charlie (Joe McGann, brother of Paul/Stephen/Mark McGann). Though Caroline is a bit unsettled at having a bloke in the house, he and his chip-off-the-block daughter Joanna (Kellie Bright) move in.
As a sitcom, it's a bit 'gentle' and laboured; sleepy Sunday type of TV, which is probably why it's being repeated on ITV 3. It works a lot better as a comic drama about alternative family structures and gender role reversals. Refreshingly (although I haven't watched every episode so don't know if this evolves) neither the characters of Caroline or Charlie are made to sacrifice their personalities. Caroline is a career woman who couldn't care less about domesticity and Charlie is house-proud without being portrayed as effeminate.
We know from the start that Caroline and Charlie will get together but it's like in Ugly Betty. It's the audience's pay-off. However there's no sizzling sexual chemistry. That may disappoint some viewers but I actually prefer it. The sitcom is about families and whilst I'm not disputing the right of parents to have a sex life (which Caroline and Charlie attempt to have else where), it would imply that the combined family was as a result, an afterthought, whereas it's actually the romance that's the afterthought.
There isn't really a 'will they, won't they?', it's a question of 'when will they?'. But even then, the appeal is that the families just accept their unconventional structure; indeed, they pretty soon become one family.
Whilst I wouldn't watch it for laughs, it's a nice undemanding bit of comfort TV. Second Chances was also on around about this time; it has a similar theme of families evolving/combining and a similar gentle tone. Interestingly the opposite of other nineties sitcoms such as Game On and Men Behaving Badly, which explored lad culture.
This is based on US show Who's The Boss? I say 'based'; translated is more like it, as the first episodes are identical in their script. The premise is interesting: career woman Caroline Wheatley (Diane Weston) is looking for a housekeeper. Unbeknown to her, her mother Laura (Honor Blackman) has promised the job to ex-footballer Charlie (Joe McGann, brother of Paul/Stephen/Mark McGann). Though Caroline is a bit unsettled at having a bloke in the house, he and his chip-off-the-block daughter Joanna (Kellie Bright) move in.
As a sitcom, it's a bit 'gentle' and laboured; sleepy Sunday type of TV, which is probably why it's being repeated on ITV 3. It works a lot better as a comic drama about alternative family structures and gender role reversals. Refreshingly (although I haven't watched every episode so don't know if this evolves) neither the characters of Caroline or Charlie are made to sacrifice their personalities. Caroline is a career woman who couldn't care less about domesticity and Charlie is house-proud without being portrayed as effeminate.
We know from the start that Caroline and Charlie will get together but it's like in Ugly Betty. It's the audience's pay-off. However there's no sizzling sexual chemistry. That may disappoint some viewers but I actually prefer it. The sitcom is about families and whilst I'm not disputing the right of parents to have a sex life (which Caroline and Charlie attempt to have else where), it would imply that the combined family was as a result, an afterthought, whereas it's actually the romance that's the afterthought.
There isn't really a 'will they, won't they?', it's a question of 'when will they?'. But even then, the appeal is that the families just accept their unconventional structure; indeed, they pretty soon become one family.
Whilst I wouldn't watch it for laughs, it's a nice undemanding bit of comfort TV. Second Chances was also on around about this time; it has a similar theme of families evolving/combining and a similar gentle tone. Interestingly the opposite of other nineties sitcoms such as Game On and Men Behaving Badly, which explored lad culture.