Full House (ITV 1985-1986, Sabina Franklyn, Christopher Strauli)

In Full House writers Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke travels some of the same ground as their iconic seventies sitcom Man About The House, albeit with far less success on this occasion.

Paul Hatfield (Christopher Strauli) and his wife Marsha (Sabina Franklin) have been married for three years and they’re still living with mum, desperate for a place of their own they agree to join up with Murray McCoy and his wife Diana to buy a house they will all live in together. It very quickly becomes obvious in best Odd Couple fashion that the couples are very different.

When the series aired in the US it was retitled Mixed Doubles as there was already another popular sitcom called Full House.

The programme was renamed “Mixed Doubles” for the US market to avoid confusion with a US television programme called “Full House”. A US pilot was also made under the title No Place Like Home.

The Hatfields and McCoys, who gave the characters their surnames were two famous feuding families from the Wild West era.

production details
UK / ITV – Thames / 20×25 minute episodes / 1985-86 3 Seasons

Writers: Brian Cooke, Johnnie Mortimer, Vince Powell / Producers: Peter Frazer-Jones, Anthony Parker, Mark Stuart

cast
Christopher Strauli as Paul Hatfield
Sabina Franklyn as Marsha Hatfield
Natalie Forbes as Diana McCoy
Brian Capron as Murray McCoy
Diana King as Paul’s mother (series 1)
Joan Sanderson as Paul’s mother (series 3)