After Henry - The Complete First Series (DVD)

Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers) is the widowed Sarah France. Though her deceased husband has left her well-cared for financially, he has also left her with something rather more of a handful: a demanding, cunning mother and a prickly, adolescent daughter. Joan Sanderson (Please Sir!) is the devious Eleanor, whose lot in life does not include making things easier for Sarah, her daughter. As for the teenage daughter Clare (Janine Wood - Krakatoa: The Last Days), she is desperate to leave and establish her independence, provided that Sarah is there to tidy up the messy aftermath.

Our Review: We'll be honest. After Henry, despite starring Prunella Scales, isn't going to be remembered as one of the greatest sitcoms which Britain has produced. It's not particularly ground-breaking or hugely clever, and there certainly haven't been any boundaries pushed. But it's one of those shows that you just can't help liking.

Gentle and inoffensive "Sunday afternoon" humour, fairly typical of late 80s family-fare comedy, After Henry started life on BBC Radio 4 in 1985, transferring to TV (Thames) in 1988. It stars Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers) as Sarah France, a middle-aged woman left financially safe when widowed, but stuck living with an 18 year-old daughter (Janine Wood) and her extremely devious mother, Eleanor (Joan Sanderson - Mrs "it wears the batteries down" Richards in Fawlty Towers). Her daily struggle, stuck between a daughter who doesn't seem to know if she should rebel or not and a mother who is often even more cunning than a fox, is one of multi-level mother/daughter relationships, examined cleverly but subtly throughout each episode.

Unlike other TV adaptations, the show is served perfectly, relying on well-constructed dialogue rather than flashy visuals and impressive sets, thus staying true to its radio roots.

The DVD itself, in typical Network fashion, is a well-polished affair, although some may be put off by the lack of any extras. We feel however, that given the relatively archive nature of the material, this isn't really surprising, nor a big deal. If you're a particular fan of the cutting-edge, challenging and boundary-pushing sitcoms, then you may wish to think twice before purchasing After Henry - The Complete First Series, but for anyone inquisitive about the show, for fans from earlier broadcasts, for comedy geeks like us, and anyone who enjoys good old gentle humour, this is certainly a recommended buy.

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