After Henry

The Complete BBC Radio Series 1-4

By: Simon Brett

Narrated by: Benjamin Whitrow, full cast, Gerry Cowper, Joan Sanderson, Prunella Scales

All four series of the hugely popular BBC radio sitcom – plus two Christmas specials

After the death of her GP husband, widow Sarah is battling to bring up her strong-willed 18-year-old daughter Clare, hindered by her meddling mother Eleanor. Living on the middle floor of the family home, with Clare downstairs and Eleanor upstairs, Sarah finds herself besieged from above and below as she tries to cope with the demands of both her mum and her daughter. Luckily, she finds solace at work, where her best friend and boss at Bygone Books, Russell, provides a sympathetic ear.

In these four series, Sarah dips a tentative toe into the dating scene, daughter Clare has boyfriend troubles, and Eleanor takes a keen interest in both their love lives – sharing all the gossip with her pensioner friends, the ‘geriatric Mafia’. Holidays, house tidiness and hospital visits all cause problems for Sarah, and there are disagreements over everything from hiring a builder to the correct way to prepare Sunday lunch...

Also included are two special seasonal episodes, in which the three women bicker over the festive planning and Eleanor’s strict Christmas Day timetable.

Created by award-winning detective novelist and sitcom writer Simon Brett, this much-loved generation gap comedy ran for four years on radio between 1985 and 1989. It was adapted for ITV by Thames Television and was extremely successful, attracting 14 million viewers. Prunella Scales stars as Sarah, with Joan Sanderson as Eleanor and Gerry Cowper as Clare.

Cast
Sarah – Prunella Scales
Eleanor – Joan Sanderson
Clare – Gerry Cowper
Russell – Benjamin Whitrow
Nick – James Griffiths
Janie – Marion Bailey
Terry – Leo Dolan
Clifford – Richard Davies
Gwen – Ellen McIntosh
Vicar – John Nettleton
David – Nigel Williams
Chris – Mark Kingston
Alison – Mary Maddox
Miles – David Quilter
Quizmaster – Graham Blockey
Customer – Alan Thompson
Aubrey – Lockwood West
Delivery boy – David Learner
Doctor – Peter Howell
Sister – Deborah Findlay
Policeman – Michael Hadley
Percy Bradshaw/The television – Simon Brett
James – Edward de Souza
Valuer – Nicholas Le Provost
Neville – Ian Thompson
Julian – Jasper Jacob
The doctor – Julie Berry
Tom Wilkinson – Peter
Rod – Paul Sirr
Lady Newby – Fabia Drake
Vernon – Frederick Treves
Gary – Ian Michie
Auntie Lilian – Jean Anderson

Production credits
Written by Simon Brett
Produced by Pete Atkin

©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Audio is not great

I enjoyed the TV series. This audio radio series is hard to hear clearly. It's too bad.

implausible set ups

I started listening to this because I love Prunella Scales - however the writing is implausible and off-putting. In the first episode, the lead character, who is supposed to be sympathetic, seeks out the suspicious older man her 18-year old daughter is dating out of protectiveness - and then - wait for it - gets involved with him herself after 5 minutes' conversation. And the audience is supposed to laugh good naturedly, "just the sort of shenanigans anyone could stumble into!" Not for me.