Constant Hot Water
GenreSitcom
Written byColin Pearson
Directed byBernard Thompson
StarringPat Phoenix
Prunella Gee
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducerPaula Burdon
Running time25 minutes
Production companyCentral
Original release
NetworkITV
Release10 January (1986-01-10) 
14 February 1986 (1986-02-14)

Constant Hot Water is a British sitcom written by Colin Pearson. Six episodes were broadcast from 10 January to 14 February 1986 on ITV.[1] Every episode was broadcast on Friday nights at 8:30pm, and lasted 25 minutes.

Synopsis

Constant Hot Water starred popular British actresses Pat Phoenix and Prunella Gee, who played rival landladies, Phyllis Nugent (Phoenix) and Miranda Thorpe (Gee), in the seaside town of Bridlington.

Busybody Phyllis, who is prim and proper, strongly objects to the arrival of glamorous widow Miranda, who has opened up her house next door as a rival B&B.[2] All the men fancy Miranda, but Phyllis believes that she is a 'loose woman', and lowers the tone of the neighbourhood, even accusing her of running a brothel.[3]

Production

The hotel used for filming of the series was the Leeds House Guest House in Bridlington.[4]

Constant Hot Water's theme song was provided by comedy musical cabaret group Instant Sunshine.[5]

Reception

The series was critically unsuccessful, and in 2003, it was number 6 in the list of the worst British sitcoms in the Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy.[6] The British Comedy Guide described the humour as "erratic", and added that the show "rarely rose above the mundane".[7]

However, the ratings, while not stellar, were over 9.3 million for each episode, and a second series was reputedly planned, though did not materialise. On an episode of Wogan (27 June 1986), star Pat Phoenix said that no matter what the critical response was, 'the public seemed to like it, and we are doing another series this autumn with new writers and a lot of new ideas in it.'

Constant Hot Water was never released on video, and it remains unreleased on DVD.

Cast

Episodes

EpTitleOriginal air dateRatings
(millions)
Chart
1"Bed And Breakfast"10 January 198611.1225
2"Sunday Lunch"17 January 198610.0137
3"One Night In Portofino"24 January 19869.644
4"The Germans Are Coming"31 January 19869.3146
5"Chef's Special"7 February 198610.2137
6"Full House"14 February 19869.6644

References

  1. "Constant Hot Water - Production Details & Cast and Crew - British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  2. "Constant Hot Water – TV Cream". 5 May 2009.
  3. "Leeds House Guest House Bed and Breakfast in Bridlington, Humberside". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  4. ""It Was Us, Basil Brush and Terry Wogan" : Off the Telly".
  5. Martin Wainwright (30 September 2003). "Bilko named best ever comedy | Media". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  6. "Constant Hot Water - ITV Sitcom - British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2013.


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