Casanova '73
Encyclopedia
Casanova '73 was a short-lived British sitcom broadcast on BBC1
in 1973. It was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson
and starred Leslie Phillips
as Henry Newhouse (a literal translation of the Italian "casa nova"). The show's plots were bedroom farce
and the humour owed much to the innuendo of film series such as Carry On and the Doctor series, both of which Phillips had previously appeared in.
The series is perhaps more famous for what replaced it than for its own content. Midway through its run, the BBC decided that the show was too risque to appear in an early evening slot and moved it to late nights, filling the now vacant slot with the quiz show Mastermind, allowing the formerly late-night quiz to become a popular hit. In his autobiography Hello, Leslie Phillips recalls how Magnus Magnusson
cornered him at a subsequent BBC function to thank him for making Mastermind a success, and Magnusson himself also told the story on numerous occasions.
The cast included :
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in 1973. It was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson
Galton and Simpson
Ray Galton OBE , and Alan Simpson OBE , are British scriptwriters who met in 1948 at a tuberculosis sanatorium, the Surrey county sanatorium near Godalming, on which the sitcom Get Well Soon was based...
and starred Leslie Phillips
Leslie Phillips
Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
as Henry Newhouse (a literal translation of the Italian "casa nova"). The show's plots were bedroom farce
Bedroom farce
A bedroom farce or sex farce is a type of light comedy, centered on the sexual pairings and recombinations of characters as they move through improbable plots and slamming doors...
and the humour owed much to the innuendo of film series such as Carry On and the Doctor series, both of which Phillips had previously appeared in.
The series is perhaps more famous for what replaced it than for its own content. Midway through its run, the BBC decided that the show was too risque to appear in an early evening slot and moved it to late nights, filling the now vacant slot with the quiz show Mastermind, allowing the formerly late-night quiz to become a popular hit. In his autobiography Hello, Leslie Phillips recalls how Magnus Magnusson
Magnus Magnusson
Magnus Magnusson KBE was a television presenter, journalist, translator and writer. He was born in Iceland but lived in Scotland for almost all of his life, although he never took British citizenship...
cornered him at a subsequent BBC function to thank him for making Mastermind a success, and Magnusson himself also told the story on numerous occasions.
The cast included :
- Leslie PhillipsLeslie PhillipsLeslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
as Henry Newhouse, - Jan HoldenJan HoldenValerie Jeanne Wilkinson was an English actress who was known as Jan Holden.Jan Holden was a stage actress known for her performances in light comedy and also for her appearances in several popular television series during the 1950s and 1960s. She was an elegant woman notable for her arresting...
as Henry's wife, Carole Newhouse, - Madeline SmithMadeline SmithMadeline Smith is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2 August 1949 in Hartfield, Sussex) is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2...
as Henry's niece, Tessa