Billy is an idealistic young man who is trapped in a boring life. He works in a tedious job in an undertaker's office with a permanently uptight employer, dates a soppy girl who fails to satisfy him emotionally or physically and lives with his parents and grandmother who stifle his personality. To forget about all of this, Billy escapes into his imagination and fantasizes his life away.

The show sees Billy concocting numerous wild schemes in order to forget the mundane reality of his existence. He dates dozens of girls, plans to work in numerous jobs and seeks to move out of the family home. Each time he is thwarted by his parents, girlfriend and boss but Billy is never dejected and returns after each defeat to dream again.

Our Review: In several ways this show conforms to many standards of 1970s sitcom. It features cheap sets, dated fashions and throwaway plots. Emphasis is placed on humour rather than pathos and the character is rarely grounded in reality.

However, one thing that does set this sitcom apart from many others of the era is the strong central character and theme. The concept of the daydreaming youth has captivated viewers and readers for several decades and its appeal is similarly apparent in this incarnation.

The strong main cast impresses too with Jeff Rawle, George A. Cooper, Colin Jeavons and May Warden all in fine form. The show was also boosted by some superb guest actors including stalwarts such as Thora Hird, Roy Kinnear, Roy Barraclough and Bill Pertwee.

All of these factors combine to make a show which is well worth watching. As the 26 episodes were written by the two writers in a relatively short space of time, it is hardly surprising that the quality dips in places, but there is humour to be found in each episode if the viewer is willing to look beyond the dated fashions.