The Bounder
Encyclopedia
The Bounder is a British
sitcom ran from 16 April 1982 to 28 October 1983 made by Yorkshire Television
. The series starred Peter Bowles
(of To the Manor Born
fame) as Howard Booth, an ex-convict who served two years in jail. He lives with Trevor Mountjoy (George Cole) who's his brother in law, and his wife Mary Rosalind Ayres
. The latter left after Series one in 1982). It also starred Isla Blair
as the next door widowed neighbour, Laura Miles. This series was created by Eric Chappell
.
after serving two years for fraud
. Having nowhere to go and no funds, he imposes himself on his trusting younger sister Mary and her cynical estate agent
husband, Trevor Mountjoy.
anniversary dinner at a posh hotel, Howard cons his way into a private party, pretending to be a school old boy
. After being exposed by the manager, he attempts to impersonate the head waiter. Despite his initially successful plan, he comes badly unstuck.
Guest stars: Ronnie Stevens
as Hotel manager; Glyn Owen
as ‘Nipper’
. But she soon learns the truth.
manager into investing in an African diamond
mine he claims to have discovered during a fictitious trip to Africa
. But the scheme is quickly exposed as a fraud.
Guest stars: Larry Martyn
as window cleaner; Garfield Morgan
as bank manager
bracelet, which he’s obtained on approval using Trevor’s name. Laura likes it and Howard has to face paying for it or persuading her to reject it.
Guest stars: Ken Jones
as ‘Greasy Spriggs; Tony Steedman
as Cutforth
Guest stars: Stephen Greif
as Count Montefiore; John Rapley as Enquiry agent
Guest star: Sharon Duce
as Doreen Brent
Guest stars: Michael Robbins
as Bert; Frances de la Tour
as Celia
Guest stars: Ken Wynne as Raffles/Greasy Spriggs; James Grout
as DS Evans
, who takes Howard’s presence as a threat.
Guest star: Tim Stern as Potter
. But then Laura falls for him – or does she?
Guest star: Michael Culver
as Reggie Thorne
on a five pound note (withdrawn in 1991) than Trevor.
Guest star: Nicholas le Prevost
as Simpson
. Laura is attracted to Trevor, but Howard sets him up with Gloria, Trevor’s secretary, who is already engaged. They all meet at a social function where Trevor is due to speak, and it’s a disaster. Mary phones to ask to see Trevor, and he hopes for reconciliation, but the situation is left unresolved.
Guest star: Patricia Brake
as Gloria Pert
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom ran from 16 April 1982 to 28 October 1983 made by Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
. The series starred Peter Bowles
Peter Bowles
-Early life:Bowles was born in London, England, the son of Sarah Jane and Herbert Reginald Bowles. His father was a chauffeur and butler at a stately home in Warwickshire; but, upon the outbreak of World War II, he was seconded to work as an engineer at Rolls-Royce and moved the family to Nottingham...
(of To the Manor Born
To the Manor Born
To the Manor Born is a British sitcom that first aired on BBC1 from 1979 to 1981. A special edition appeared in 2007. Starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, the first 20 episodes and the 2007 special were written by Peter Spence, the creator, while the 1981 finale was written by Christopher...
fame) as Howard Booth, an ex-convict who served two years in jail. He lives with Trevor Mountjoy (George Cole) who's his brother in law, and his wife Mary Rosalind Ayres
Rosalind Ayres
Rosalind Ayres is an English actress. Active since 1970, Ayres may be best known by a wide audience for her role was in the 1997 film Titanic, in which she played Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon....
. The latter left after Series one in 1982). It also starred Isla Blair
Isla Blair
Isla Blair is an India-born actress of British descent. She made her first stage appearance in 1963 as Philia in the London debut of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and her first credited film appearance in the 1965 horror film Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.- Biography :Isla Blair...
as the next door widowed neighbour, Laura Miles. This series was created by Eric Chappell
Eric Chappell
Eric Chappell is an English comedy writer who wrote and co-wrote a number of the UK's biggest sitcom hits during the 1970s, '80s, and '90s...
.
(Episode 1) He’s not Heavy, he’s my Brother-in-law
Howard Booth, a smoothly plausible former investment manager, emerges from prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
after serving two years for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
. Having nowhere to go and no funds, he imposes himself on his trusting younger sister Mary and her cynical estate agent
Estate agent
An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of properties, and other buildings, in the United Kingdom and Ireland. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent...
husband, Trevor Mountjoy.
(Episode 2) Howard at the Majestic
Determined to treat Trevor and Mary to a weddingWedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
anniversary dinner at a posh hotel, Howard cons his way into a private party, pretending to be a school old boy
Old boy
Old boy may refer to:* Any male former pupil of schools in Britain, some schools in Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean .* A cadet who has attended St...
. After being exposed by the manager, he attempts to impersonate the head waiter. Despite his initially successful plan, he comes badly unstuck.
Guest stars: Ronnie Stevens
Ronnie Stevens
Ronnie Stevens may refer to:* Ronnie Stevens , British actor* Veronica Stevens, American female wrestler, sometimes known as "Ronnie" Stevens...
as Hotel manager; Glyn Owen
Glyn Owen
Glyn Griffith Owen was a British stage, television and film actor, probably best known to British TV viewers for two roles: that of Dr...
as ‘Nipper’
(Episode 3) We’ll go no more a-Roving’
Howard romances Laura, a well-off widowed neighbour. Having done some creative writing whilst in prison, he pretends to be a dashing novelist and romantic poetPoet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. But she soon learns the truth.
(Episode 4) Raising the Wind
When Trevor won’t advance Howard a small loan, he cons a bankBank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
manager into investing in an African diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
mine he claims to have discovered during a fictitious trip to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. But the scheme is quickly exposed as a fraud.
Guest stars: Larry Martyn
Larry Martyn
Lawrence "Larry" Martyn was an English actor known for his comedy performances.Martyn was born in London and was a former member of the Parachute Regiment. He was famous as Mr. Mash in the BBC comedy series Are You Being Served?, appearing in the first three series before being replaced by Arthur...
as window cleaner; Garfield Morgan
Garfield Morgan
Garfield Morgan was an English actor who appeared mostly on TV and occasionally in films.Born in Birmingham, Morgan was apprenticed as a dental mechanic before going to drama school. He started his acting career with the Arena Theatre, Birmingham...
as bank manager
(Episode 5) On Approval
Howard gives Laura a £7000 diamondDiamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
bracelet, which he’s obtained on approval using Trevor’s name. Laura likes it and Howard has to face paying for it or persuading her to reject it.
(Episode 6) Suspicion
Howard and Trevor are shopping at an expensive clothes shop, but Howard spots his former cellmate ‘Greasy” at his usual occupation - shoplifting. When Greasy slips the purloined items into Trevor’s shopping bag, Howard has to do some quick thinking, including impersonating a police officer.Guest stars: Ken Jones
Ken Jones
Ken Jones may refer to:*Ken Jones , Welsh athlete and international rugby union footballer 1950s*Ken Jones , Wales international rugby union player of the 1960s...
as ‘Greasy Spriggs; Tony Steedman
Tony Steedman
Tony Steedman was an English character actor, perhaps best known for his role as Socrates in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure....
as Cutforth
(Episode 7)The Rival
Laura is being wooed by an Italian, Count Montefiore, which leads Howard to jealousy. He engages an enquiry agent to check up on the Count and see if he’s really who he claims to be. But the investigator mistakenly checks Howard out, rather than the Count.Guest stars: Stephen Greif
Stephen Greif
Stephen Greif is an award-winning English actor.His television appearances include Waking the Dead , Spooks , Mistresses 2 , He Kills Coppers , Holby City , The Last Days of Pompeii as Sporus, Judge John Deed , Space Race , EastEnders , The Bill and...
as Count Montefiore; John Rapley as Enquiry agent
(Episode 1) A Tale of the Unexpected
Mary has left Trevor and the house is a mess. Trevor engages a cleaning woman, but Howard thinks she’s Trevor’s girlfriend and scares her into leaving.Guest star: Sharon Duce
Sharon Duce
Sharon Duce is a British actress, .Her biggest role was alongside Ray Brooks in the BBC comedy drama Big Deal .She has also appeared in:*Wycliffe,*The Royle Family*London's Burning,...
as Doreen Brent
(Episode 2) Matchmaker
Howard starts the HB Matrimonial Agency, but the first (and only) two clients are dissatisfied with his bumbling efforts and demand their money back.Guest stars: Michael Robbins
Michael Robbins
Michael Anthony Robbins was a British actor known for his television work...
as Bert; Frances de la Tour
Frances de la Tour
Frances de la Tour is an English actress perhaps best known for her role as Miss Ruth Jones in the British sitcom Rising Damp, and as Madame Olympe Maxime in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.-Early life and family:De la...
as Celia
(Episode 3) Raffles
Laura’s house is burgled and her jewellery stolen. The police suspect it’s the work of a known thief, nicknamed ‘Raffles’, but Howard’s criminal record causes them to suspect him instead. Howard discovers Raffles breaking into Trevor’s house, but realises it’s really ‘Greasy’, who he shared a cell with in prison.Guest stars: Ken Wynne as Raffles/Greasy Spriggs; James Grout
James Grout
James Grout is an English actor of radio and television.Grout was born in London, the son of Beatrice Anne and William Grout...
as DS Evans
(Episode 4) Love me - Love my Dog
Howard is still smitten with Laura, but she isn’t as gullible as he supposes and resists his advances. To compound her resistance, she acquires ‘Sabre’, a German Shepherd DogGerman Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...
, who takes Howard’s presence as a threat.
Guest star: Tim Stern as Potter
(Episode 5) Third Party
Howard and Laura believe that Mary is seeing another man, but it turns out that he’s only trying to sell her insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
. But then Laura falls for him – or does she?
Guest star: Michael Culver
Michael Culver
Michael Culver is an English actor.He was born in Hampstead, London, the son of actor Roland Culver and casting director Daphne Rye...
as Reggie Thorne
(Episode 6) A Genuine Simpson
Howard meets ‘Softly’ Simpson, a painter and forger he knew in prison, and persuades him to paint Trevor. But the painting looks more like the portrait of the Duke of WellingtonDuke of Wellington
The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title in the senior rank of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the title was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , the noted Irish-born career British Army officer and statesman, and...
on a five pound note (withdrawn in 1991) than Trevor.
Guest star: Nicholas le Prevost
Nicholas Le Prevost
Nicholas Le Prevost is an English actor. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 1964...
as Simpson
(Episode 7) Unreasonable Behaviour
Mary sues Trevor for divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. Laura is attracted to Trevor, but Howard sets him up with Gloria, Trevor’s secretary, who is already engaged. They all meet at a social function where Trevor is due to speak, and it’s a disaster. Mary phones to ask to see Trevor, and he hopes for reconciliation, but the situation is left unresolved.
Guest star: Patricia Brake
Patricia Brake
Patricia Ann Brake is an English actress.Her first prominent television role was as Julie Pinfield in The Ugliest Girl in Town , a short-lived sitcom made for the American ABC network...
as Gloria Pert