Casanova '73

Casanova '73 is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 in September and October 1973. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the series starred Leslie Phillips as wealthy womaniser Henry Newhouse.

Background and plot

Casanova '73 followed an episode of Galton and Simpson Comedy for London Weekend Television in which Phillips played Howard Butler, a philandering businessman whose clothes are stolen whilst he is in bed at his secretary's home. As with this series, it also featured Jan Holden as his wife. Casanova '73 was specially written for Phillips.
Henry Newhouse has a successful career in public relations. Although happily married to Carol, he is a compulsive philanderer and leads a double life. His relationships invariably backfire and lead to farcical situations.

Cast

Leslie Phillips as Henry Newhouse
Jan Holden as Carol Newhouse
Yolande Turner as Connie Langham
Elvi Hale as Muriel
Cyd Hayman as Miss Dropmore
Madeline Smith as Tessa Finlay
Josephine Tewson as Mrs Kershaw
Ronald Adam as Dr Spartforth
Astrid Frank as Miss West Germany
Maureen Lipman as Gloria
Michael Knowles as Judge
Janet Davies as Wife
Directed and Produced by Harold Snoad

Reception

Casanova '73 was poorly received by the critics. Stanley Reynolds in The Times wrote that Phillips character "gets caught in the wrong beds in all the right comic places but it still does not seem to work. The script is either too laborious and slow or the jokes are too old and feeble." Mary Whitehouse, of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association and others objected to its risque contents. The complaints led to the programme being moved to a later time slot. The first two episodes aired at 8.00pm on Thursdays and the final five on Mondays at 9.25pm. This decision appears to have been taken close to transmission, as Radio Times, published a week in advance, still had the third episode as due to air pre-watershed, but The Times, published on the day of broadcast, listed the series as already having been moved in the schedule. The quiz show Mastermind replaced it in the slot, helping it to become a hit.

Home release

All seven episodes of Casanova '73 were released on DVD by Acorn Media UK on 8 October 2012.