Brian Murphy (actor) the lazy George Roper, whose wife, Mildred, was played by Yootha Joyce. Her domineering, social-climbing characteristic was a sharp contrast to George's desire for an easy and quiet life and the pairing was an instant hit. A contributing factor to their immediate chemistry was that they had been friends for many years. Aside from their Theatre Workshop years, Murphy also featured in "Sparrows Can't Sing" (1963) with Joyce and other Theatre Workshop colleagues. When "Man About The House" ended in 1976, a spin-off was created for Murphy and Joyce, entitled "George and Mildred". This ran for five series until 1979.
Seven of One Glynn Edwards, Joan Sims, Keith Chegwin, Leslie Dwyer, Robin Parkinson, Sam Kelly, Christopher Biggins, Richard O'Callaghan, Yootha Joyce, David Jason, and Avis Bunnage in supporting roles. The series was released on BBC DVD in 2005. Whilst most of the pilots were not developed any further, "Open All Hours" and "Prisoner and Escort" were successfully developed into full series. "Open All Hours" was developed into a sitcom of the same name and a later sequel named "Still Open All Hours", while "Prisoner and Escort" became "Porridge", which led to a spinoff series called "Going Straight" in 1978 and a feature film