Casanova '73

Casanova '73 followed an episode of Galton and Simpson Comedy ("The Suit", 1969) for London Weekend Television in which Phillips played Howard Butler, a philandering businessman whose clothes are stolen whilst he is in bed at his secretary's home. As with this series, it also featured Jan Holden as his wife. Casanova '73 was specially written for Phillips.{{cite book|last=Phillips|first=Leslie|author-link=Leslie Phillips|title=Hello: The Autobiography|year=2006|publisher=Orion Publishing Group|isbn=0752868896|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/helloautobiograp0000phil}}

Henry Newhouse has a successful career in public relations. Although happily married to Carol, he is a compulsive philanderer and leads a double life. His relationships invariably backfire and lead to farcical situations.

• Leslie Phillips as Henry Newhouse
• Jan Holden as Carol Newhouse
• Yolande Turner as Connie Langham
• Elvi Hale as Muriel
• Cyd Hayman as Miss Dropmore
• Madeline Smith as Tessa Finlay
• Josephine Tewson as Mrs Kershaw
• Ronald Adam as Dr Spartforth
• Astrid Frank as Miss West Germany
• Maureen Lipman as Gloria
• Michael Knowles as Judge
• Janet Davies as Wife
• Directed and Produced by Harold Snoad

Casanova '73 was poorly received by the critics.{{cite web|last=Oliver|first=John|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/467108/index.html|title=Galton, Ray (1930-) and Simpson, Alan (1929-)|work=BFI Screenonline|date= 2003–14|access-date=1 April 2020}} Stanley Reynolds in The Times wrote that Phillips character "gets caught in the wrong beds in all the right comic places but it still does not seem to work. The script is either too laborious and slow or the jokes are too old and feeble."{{cite news|last=Reynolds|first=Stanley|url=https://login.thetimes.com/oidc/rp/login/thetimescom?gotoUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetimes.com%2Farchive%2Farticle%2F1973-10-30%2F14%2F4.html|title=Casanova '73 BBC1|work=The Times|date=30 October 1973|page=14}} {{subscription required}} Mary Whitehouse, of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association and others objected to its risque contents. The complaints led to the programme being moved to a later time slot. The first two episodes aired at 8.00pm on Thursdays and the final five on Mondays at 9.25pm. This decision appears to have been taken close to transmission, as Radio Times, published a week in advance, still had the third episode as due to air pre-watershed, but The Times, published on the day of broadcast, listed the series as already having been moved in the schedule. {{cite newspaper|title=The Times|year=1973}} The quiz show Mastermind replaced it in the slot, helping it to become a hit.{{cite web|last=Brooke|first=Michael|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1330672/index.html|title=Mastermind (1972-97, 2003-)|work=BFI Screenonline|date=2003–14|access-date=26 March 2020}}

{{Episode table |background=#749DA6 |overall=6 |title=30 |airdate=20 |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=1

|Title=Episode One

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|9|13|df=y}}

|ShortSummary=When Henry receives letters at home from a girlfriend he feigns sickness so he can intercept the postman each morning. However, when the letters suddenly stop arriving he rejoices but wonders why.

|LineColor=749DA6

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=2

|Title=Episode Two

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|9|20|df=y}}

|ShortSummary=After believing he has been spotted by a neighbour having a romantic meal with another woman, Henry does what he mistakenly believes he needs to do to ensure her silence.

|LineColor=749DA6

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=3

|Title=Episode Three

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|9|24|df=y}}

|ShortSummary=Henry's son is about to be expelled from his boarding school (formerly Henry's too) for taking inappropriate photos of his maths mistress.

|LineColor=749DA6

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=4

|Title=Episode Four

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|01|df=y}}

|ShortSummary=Henry's business partner Arthur believes his wife is having an affair and he hides a tape recorder in their apartment to catch her in the act.

|LineColor=749DA6

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=5

|Title=Episode Five

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|15|df=y}}

|ShortSummary=Henry organises a beauty contest, Miss European Dairy Produce and gets involved with Miss West Germany.

|LineColor=749DA6

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=6

|Title=Episode Six

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|22|df=y}}

|ShortSummary=Henry gets a proposition such that he fails to rise to the challenge but suspects that Carol has had no such scruples about what she has been offered.

|LineColor=749DA6

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=7

|Title=Episode Seven

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|10|29|df=y}}

|ShortSummary=A worn out Henry turns to one of his regular girlfriends for assistance. However, when her wrestling husband returns home early Henry has to hide in the wardrobe.

|LineColor=749DA6

}}

}}

All seven episodes of Casanova '73 were released on DVD by Acorn Media UK on 8 October 2012.

;General

• {{cite web|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/casanova_73/episodes/|title=Casanova '73 – Episode Guide|access-date=8 December 2013|year=2013|publisher=British Comedy Guide}}

;Specific

{{reflist}}

{{Casanova}}

{{Galton and Simpson}}

{{Harold Snoad}}

Category:1973 British television series debuts

Category:1973 British television series endings

Category:1970s British sitcoms

Category:Television shows about adultery

Category:BBC television sitcoms

Category:Television series about beauty pageants

Category:British English-language television shows

Category:Television series created by Ray Galton

Category:Television series created by Alan Simpson (scriptwriter)