Probably only remembered for being the series which gave the late Lewis Collins his first taste of television exposure. Screened by Granada Television, 'The Cuckoo Waltz' was scripted by Geoffrey Lancashire, who earlier wrote the second series of 'The Lovers'. Like that earlier show, however, it was sadly lacking in genuinely funny scripts. However, despite its hackyned premise, it managed to run to four series.
Lewis Collins played Gavin Rumsey, a smooth talking type who has recently walked out on his wife and has foisted himself upon his friends - newly married Chris Hawthorne and his wife Fliss, both of which are parents to twins. Fliss and Chris are not particularly happy about having Gavin move in but due to his high income and ownership of expensive electronics such as a colour television, they decide to let him stay.
Chris, meanwhile, struggles to make ends meet due to his lack of regular income from his job as a reporter for a failing newspaper.
Whilst not particularly awful, it was not particularly funny either. The obvious canned laughter did not help the show at all. 'ShadeGrenade' describes David Roper's Chris as 'smug'. Personally I thought Lewis Collins came across as being more smug. Fortunately he later found greater fame as Bodie in 'The Professionals'. Why would someone who was not short on money buy himself a place of his own rather than move into a cramped flat with friends who didn't want him there? Diane Keen later played another harrased wife in Richard Waring's equally limp 'Rings On Their Fingers'.
After three series, the show looked to have ended in 1977. However in 1980, it returned for one more series, with Ian Saynor's Adrian Lockett replacing Gavin Rumsey. Diane Keen done another Granada sitcom which was also scripted by Geoffrey Lancashire, 'Foxy Lady', which also starred Patrick Troughton and Gregor Fisher.
'The Cuckoo Waltz' is available on DVD in its entirety but unfortunately it is not something I could recommend to anybody.
Lewis Collins played Gavin Rumsey, a smooth talking type who has recently walked out on his wife and has foisted himself upon his friends - newly married Chris Hawthorne and his wife Fliss, both of which are parents to twins. Fliss and Chris are not particularly happy about having Gavin move in but due to his high income and ownership of expensive electronics such as a colour television, they decide to let him stay.
Chris, meanwhile, struggles to make ends meet due to his lack of regular income from his job as a reporter for a failing newspaper.
Whilst not particularly awful, it was not particularly funny either. The obvious canned laughter did not help the show at all. 'ShadeGrenade' describes David Roper's Chris as 'smug'. Personally I thought Lewis Collins came across as being more smug. Fortunately he later found greater fame as Bodie in 'The Professionals'. Why would someone who was not short on money buy himself a place of his own rather than move into a cramped flat with friends who didn't want him there? Diane Keen later played another harrased wife in Richard Waring's equally limp 'Rings On Their Fingers'.
After three series, the show looked to have ended in 1977. However in 1980, it returned for one more series, with Ian Saynor's Adrian Lockett replacing Gavin Rumsey. Diane Keen done another Granada sitcom which was also scripted by Geoffrey Lancashire, 'Foxy Lady', which also starred Patrick Troughton and Gregor Fisher.
'The Cuckoo Waltz' is available on DVD in its entirety but unfortunately it is not something I could recommend to anybody.