Happy Families

35min

Drama

Comedy

Happy Families was a rural comedy drama written by Ben Elton which appeared on the BBC in 1985 and told the story of the dysfunctional Fuddle family. It starred Jennifer Saunders as Granny Fuddle, Dawn French as the Cook and Adrian Edmondson as her imbecilic grandson Guy. The plot centred around Guy's attempts to find his four sisters - also played by Saunders, for a family reunion.

Episodes

Cast

Edith

1. Edith

17th Oct 1985

A six-part comedy series written by Ben Elton. A family shrouded in the mist of time... a dying grandmother sends a complete idiot on an unbelievably difficult mission... to find his sisters and bring them back.

Cassie

2. Cassie

24th Oct 1985

Guy, with his small suitcase and matching brain, travels to Hollywood on the continuing quest to find his lost sisters and return them to mad old Granny Fuddle. This proves difficult since sister Cassie is now a big TV star and he is still an idiot!

Madeleine

3. Madeleine

31st Oct 1985

Beautiful, imbecilic Madelaine Fuddle lives in an artistic community in France; ugly imbecilic Guy Fuddle attempts to persuade her to return home to crotchety Granny Fuddle. Meanwhile the village priest longs to return to the old religious virtues, like setting fire to people who do not agree with him.

Joyce

4. Joyce

7th Nov 1985

It must be a really terrible thing to be a nun locked up in a closed order with a seriously annoying novice like Joyce. However, Novice Joyce has seen The Sound of Music.... and likes being a nun, so to get her home Guy will have to be really clever which, unfortunately, is out of the question.

Roxanne

5. Roxanne

14th Nov 1985

Guy Fuddle has now managed to persuade three out of four of his sisters to return home to crazy granny. However, this time he is going to have to persuade the Home Secretary because Roxanne Fuddle is doing bird.

Reunion

6. Reunion

21st Nov 1985

Well, this is the denouement... The four granddaughters return home and face their mad, old Granny which, quite apart from anything else, is going to be a very difficult piece of trick photography. Anyway, the questions and the lies of 20 years are finally sorted out as the stupid Fuddle family are reunited at last.

First air date

17th Oct 1985

Last air date

21st Nov 1985

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks