In common with 'Steptoe & Son', 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'Last Of The Summer Wine', 'Happy Ever After' began as a single edition of the BBC's 'Comedy Playhouse series, broadcast in May 1974. Terry Scott and June Whitfield had worked together before on the BBC-2 sketch show 'Scott On...'. When that ended, writers John Chapman and Eric Merriman had the inspired idea of giving them a sitcom in which they played a married couple, the Fletchers. Their son Frank and daughters Susan and Debbie have left home, and Terry and June are looking forward to having the house to themselves. Terry paces up and down the living room like an expectant father, fearing Debbie ( the last to go ) is about to be exposed to the vices of sinful London. Debbie unexpectedly returns, with a young man ( Paul Greenwood of 'The Growing Pains Of P. C. Penrose' fame ) in tow. It is merely a brief visit. Debbie has news for them. Talkative 'Aunt Lucy' ( the delightful Beryl Cooke ) has left her hotel and is heading to the Fletcher household ( bringing along her equally talkative mynah bird, Gunga Din ) with the intention of moving in with them...
Bolstered by the witty scripts, Scott and Whitfield made a superb double-act, and poor Aunt Lucy often found herself at the receiving end of some withering put-downs from Terry. The old lady takes it all in her stride. Terry does not know it yet but she is there to stay for the entire duration of the series, leaving only when the show became 'Terry & June' for copyright reasons. The daughters 'Susan' and 'Debbie' are played respectively by Lena Clemo and Caroline Whitaker. Clemo would later be replaced by Pippa Page.
Funniest moment - Terry is carrying Lucy's cases up the stars. He says, sarcastically, "When's your bedroom suite coming?" to which she replies, "Tomorrow afternoon!". At which point, Terry tumbles down the stairs!
Bolstered by the witty scripts, Scott and Whitfield made a superb double-act, and poor Aunt Lucy often found herself at the receiving end of some withering put-downs from Terry. The old lady takes it all in her stride. Terry does not know it yet but she is there to stay for the entire duration of the series, leaving only when the show became 'Terry & June' for copyright reasons. The daughters 'Susan' and 'Debbie' are played respectively by Lena Clemo and Caroline Whitaker. Clemo would later be replaced by Pippa Page.
Funniest moment - Terry is carrying Lucy's cases up the stars. He says, sarcastically, "When's your bedroom suite coming?" to which she replies, "Tomorrow afternoon!". At which point, Terry tumbles down the stairs!