Three Up, Two Down

Three Up, Two Down
Genre	Sitcom
Starring	Michael Elphick Angela Thorne Lysette Anthony Ray Burdis
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	25
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC
Release	15 April 1985 – 18 June 1989

Three Up, Two Down is a British sitcom starring Michael Elphick and Angela Thorne that ran from 1985 to 1989. It was written by Richard Ommanney.

Cast

• Michael Elphick - Sam Tyler
• Angela Thorne - Daphne Trenchard
• Lysette Anthony - Angie Tyler (née Trenchard)
• Ray Burdis - Nick Tyler
• Neil Stacy - Major Giles Bradshaw (series 2 and 3)
• Vicki Woolf - Rhonda (series 4)

Plot

Nick and Angie have just had a baby, and to help them financially they decide to rent out the basement. Both Nick's father, Sam Tyler, and Angie's mother, Daphne Trenchard, want the basement apartment and the only solution is to share. Sam is a Cockney, while Daphne is Cheltenham-bred and has not forgiven her daughter for marrying Nick, a 'common' photographer. Both Sam and Daphne are widowed, and stubborn.

The comedy came from the clashes between Sam and Daphne, and the eventual romance that develops between them. The next-door neighbour, Rhonda, was a catalyst for bringing them together.

Episodes

Series One (1985)

1. Your Place Or Mine? (15 Apr 85)
2. Widower's Mite (22 Apr 85)
3. Ill Wind From Cheltenham (29 Apr 85)
4. Epping's Not Far (6 May 85)
5. Just Desserts (13 May 85)
6. Two Down, One To Go (20 May 85)

Series Two (1986)

1. Major Inconvenience (7 Apr 86)
2. Sweet And Sour (14 Apr 86)
3. Arrivals And Departures (21 Apr 86)
4. It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (28 Apr 86)
5. Winner Takes All (5 May 86)
6. Ill Met By Candlelight (12 May 86)

Series Three (1987)

1. Four's A Crowd (6 Sep 87)
2. One Flew Over The Perimeter Fence (13 Sep 87)
3. Truth And Consequences (20 Sep 87)
4. Mirror Mirror On The Wall (27 Sep 87)
5. Jailhouse Shock (4 Oct 87)
6. Come Sail With Me (11 Oct 87)
7. Life And Death (18 Oct 87)

Series Four (1989)

1. Passionfruit (14 May 89)
2. On The Radio (21 May 89)
3. Omelettes And Optimism (28 May 89)
4. Golf (4 Jun 89)
5. The Driving Test (11 Jun 89)
6. Cheltenham (18 Jun 89)

American adaptation

An American adaptation of Three Up, Two Down, called 5 Up, 2 Down aired for a pilot on 5 June 1991 on CBS, but did not develop to a full series. Nick and Angie were played by Jeffrey D. Sams and Jackie Mari Roberts, and Angie had given birth to triplets. Sam and Daphne were played by Cleavon Little and Emily Yancy.

DVD releases

The first two series of Three Up, Two Down were released in a box set by Universal Pictures Video on 17 May 2004.

References

• Mark Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2003
• British TV Comedy Guide for Three Up, Two Down

External links

• Three Up, Two Down at bbc.co.uk