Happy Families (TV series)

Happy Families
Genre	Comedy
Starring	Jennifer Saunders Adrian Edmondson Dawn French Stephen Fry
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	6
Production
Running time	35 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC 1
Original release	17 October – 21 November 1985

Happy Families is a rural comedy drama written by Ben Elton which was a BBC series first broadcast in 1985. It recounts the tale of the dysfunctional Fuddle family.

It stars Jennifer Saunders as Granny Fuddle, Dawn French as the Cook and Adrian Edmondson as her imbecilic grandson Guy. The plot centred on Guy's attempts to find his four sisters - also played by Saunders - for a family reunion.

Each sister's story was shot in a different "style" of film; Cassie's story was shot to make it appear to be a U.S. soap opera, Madelaine's story was shot in soft focus to make it appear to be a French film, Roxanne's story was filmed as though appearing in a gritty BBC documentary, and Joyce's story was filmed like an Ealing comedy.

The first episode focuses on Edith Fuddle (Saunders), who is told by her doctor De Quincy (Stephen Fry), that she has Corrington's disease, and will die within nine months. Throughout the series de Quincy shows himself to be tactless, forgetful and almost negligent - he constantly forgets to inform Cook that she is pregnant, and at one stage injects himself with a dose of morphine intended for Edith. Although in a bitter feud with her grandson (Ade Edmondson), she enlists his help to go out into the world to find his four sisters, and to bring them back to her for a family reunion before she dies.

The second eldest, Cassie, has become a huge star in Hollywood under the name Cassie Epris-Curtis. Pampered by everyone who surrounds her, Cassie has cut off all ties with her British heritage. Although, as Guy arrives, Cassie is revealed to be a stressed, spoiled actress who throws tantrums over tiny flaws, and after ruining a scene of the show where she has gained her fame, she is fired, and reluctantly takes up Guy's offer to return to her grandmother.

In the third episode, the life of Madeleine, the second youngest granddaughter is revealed. Now living in the house of a renowned poet, Dalcroix (Jim Broadbent). Naive, and now with a French accent, Madeleine is loyal to her adopted housefather, unaware that he is a peeping tom. Guy arrives to the town where Dalcroix resides, and finds that the town (made up of Nazis) hates Dalcroix, and all that he stands for. Their anger finally bubbles over, after a postcard featuring Madeleine in a suggestive pose finds Guy, and led by their local priest (Rik Mayall) the town revolts and burns Dalcroix at the stake. Now, without purpose, Madeleine agrees with Guy's proposals to return to her childhood home.

...
Wikipedia