TV Comedy: Home to Roost

 

Home to Roost was one of those cosy middleclass comedies that used to dominate the British television schedules until well into the 1980s. The basic idea was that Henry Willows, a middle-aged divorced man living on his own, was forced to take into his home his teenaged son Matthew after his wife remarried.

Oh how we laughed ...

In an early episode first shown in 1985 Henry takes Matthew to enrol as a pupil at this old school. Much to the boy’s horror it is a traditional school: traditional curriculum, traditional uniform and, naturally, traditional corporal punishment.

Henry is played by John Thaw (best known for his role as Inspector Morse); Reece Dinsdale played Matthew (the actor was well into his mid-twenties by the end of the five-year run)  and the headmaster was Alfred Burke, who had his own moment in the TV sunshine when he starred in the very popular drama series Public Eye.

Home to Roost is regularly rebroadcast on British satellite / cable television. The first series which includes this episode (Bad Apples) is available to buy on DVD.

Video and picture credit: Yorkshire Television

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Traditional School Discipline

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