Mildred Roper arrive, George often runs away to the pub or next door, unless Mildred bellows for him to sit. Upon the death in 1980 of Yootha Joyce, who had played Mildred, Thames Television did talk of producing a spin-off for the character of George, looking at him cope with life as a widower. This project did not materialise, but Brian Murphy did reunite with "George and Mildred" co-star Roy Kinnear and writers Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke for "The Incredible Mr. Tanner", a comedy produced for Thames soon after Yootha Joyce's death. Yootha Joyce appeared as Mildred Roper in all episodes
George and Mildred new series. Speaking of their relationship in a 2001 ITV programme, "The Unforgettable Yootha Joyce", Murphy said that when they had first met at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop he had, "always regarded Yootha as very stylish and very confident. I was rather over-awed by her at first, full of admiration for her. "At her death, "People said, 'You've lost a working partner' and I said, 'No, I've lost a chum'... and then I realised I've lost my working partnership "as well"...". Thames Television did consider producing a spin-off for the character of George, looking at him cope with life as