| Don't Tell Father | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by | Roy Clarke |
| Directed by | Harold Snoad |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Nick Ingman |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Harold Snoad |
| Editor | Andy Quested |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 26 April – 31 May 1992 |
Don't Tell Father is a British television sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was first broadcast on BBC1 from 26 April to 31 May 1992.[1][2] The series starred Tony Britton, Susan Hampshire, Caroline Quentin, Richard Ashton and Philip Fox.
The series follows a self-regarding veteran actor, Vivian Bancroft, who dominates the lives of his fifth wife, Natasha, and four grown-up children: Kate, Garth, Spirit and Congreve. Vivian is particularly outraged by his eldest daughter, Kate's, engagement to Marvin Whipple, a driving instructor.[1][2]
 | This section needs a plot summary. (December 2024) |
| No. | Title | Produced & Directed by | Written by | Original release date [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Vivian & Marvin" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 26 April 1992 | |
|
Vivian discovers that his eldest daughter, Kate, votes Conservative. He and his fifth wife, Natasha, plan to marry her off to a left-wing aristocrat, but Kate, unbeknownst to them, is engaged to Marvin Whipple, a driving instructor. Vivian is to be interviewed by a camera crew later that day. He decides to host a lunch party, inviting all his four children. Kate decides to invite a reluctant Marvin, much to Vivian's displeasure. | |||||
| 2 | "The Film Studio" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 3 May 1992 | |
| 3 | "Marvin's Parents" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 10 May 1992 | |
| 4 | "Vivian's Shower" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 17 May 1992 | |
| 5 | "Sacked" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 24 May 1992 | |
| 6 | "Car Trouble" | Harold Snoad | Roy Clarke | 31 May 1992 | |
Of the series, in his Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy, Mark Lewisohn wrote: "Tony Britton hammed it up for all he was worth as the awful Vivian, and Caroline Quentin proved particularly adept at delivering Roy Clarke's witty dialogue, but the piece as a whole lacked the magic ingredient which made so many of the writer's ideas long-running series."[2]
