Man About the House 1974

Chrissy Paula Wilcox and Jo Sally Thomsett share a flat in Earl’s Court, west London, while both work for the same company. The morning after a farewell party for their departed flatmate Eleanor, they discover a stranger asleep in their bath—a student chef Robin Tripp Richard O’Sullivan. Robin has just moved to London from Southampton to attend university, and his arrival sets the stage for a new living arrangement that none of them quite expected.

The two women are unimpressed with Gabrielle (Helen Fraser) as a potential replacement for Eleanor, but they are genuinely impressed by Robin’s culinary skills, something Chrissy and Jo admit they lack in the kitchen. Learning that Robin has been staying at the YMCA, they manage to persuade him to move in, with the understanding that their relationship will remain strictly platonic—a line they all attempt to respect, at least on the surface.

Chrissy tells landlord George Brian Murphy Roper that Robin is gay to smooth over any objections to the mixed-sex living arrangement. George is portrayed as a miserly, spiteful, and unkempt man who lives under the thumb of his domineering wife Mildred [Yootha Joyce], a woman whose own frustrations manifest in sharp sarcasm and constant meddling. The dynamic between the Ropers and the three tenants drives much of the early humor and tension in the flat.

As the second episode unfolds, Mildred’s true attitudes begin to leak out. She rails against George’s perceived lack of class and sexual inadequacy by openly flirting with Robin and frequently siding with Chrissy and Jo against George. Robin, in turn, flirts with Chrissy and Jo, while the trio try to maintain their pledge of a strictly platonic relationship, navigating a growing mutual attraction without crossing lines they’ve vowed to respect.

Robin’s circle expands with the arrival of Larry [Doug Fisher], a lovable rogue who becomes a recurring presence throughout the series. Larry brings a mix of mischief and charm, and in the third series he moves into the loft apartment above the trio’s, becoming a frequent source of trouble and comic situations. The show also features George’s dodgy builder friend Jerry [Roy Kinnear], a character who reappears across episodes and eventually connects with the spin-off George and Mildred.

In the later arc of the show, Robin’s brother Norman Tripp appears in the final three episodes of the sixth and final series, igniting a romance with Chrissy. The storyline culminates in the wedding of Norman and Chrissy, bringing a sense of closure to the ensemble’s web of relationships.