Johnnie Mortimer partnership with Brian Cooke. A version of "Man about the House" later transferred to America under the name "Three's Company". The partnership also wrote two plays, the first a theatrical version of "George and Mildred" (later renamed "When the Cat's Away" after the death of actress Yootha Joyce who played Mildred). The second was "Situation Comedy", and featured two TV situation comedy writers struggling to come up with an idea for a new series (in the end they write a stage play instead). Johnnie Mortimer John Mortimer, born in Clare, Suffolk, (2 July 1931 – 2 September 1992) professionally Johnnie
Yootha Joyce this was to be her last work. Amidst growing concern over her health, she was admitted to hospital in the summer of 1980. Joyce died in hospital of liver failure four days after her 53rd birthday on 24 August 1980. Her co-star and good friend Brian Murphy was at her bedside. She was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. At the inquest into her death, it was revealed that she had been drinking upwards of half a bottle of brandy a day for ten years, and that she had, in the words of her lawyer Mario Uziell-Hamilton, become a victim of