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
The River (UK TV series) BBC1 during in late 1988 and repeated in July/August 1989. Chumley-on-the-Water is a fictional location for the filming. In reality, it was filmed at Wootton Rivers on the Kennet and Avon Canal near Marlborough, Wiltshire. The producer/director of "The River", Susan Belbin, claimed that the series wasn't meant to be a sitcom but a romantic comedy, the relationship between Davey and Sarah being the main focus of the programme. The outcome was different from the Belbin's aim, however, as "The River" became more of a sitcom and the Davey-Sarah relationship became a strand of the programme. The River (UK TV