The Dora Bryan Show A.K.A.Happily Ever After.

[John Green]

A pilot was made, followed by 8 shows in 1961 and 4 in 1964.

Lostshows has:

HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Series 1
[untransmitted pilot] (missing)
19.02.1961 "The fishing trip" (missing)
26.02.1961 "The new party dress" (missing)
12.03.1961 "The film star" (missing)
19.03.1961 "Courting days" (missing)
26.03.1961 "Re-marriage" (missing)
07.05.1961 "The dinner invitation" (missing)
18.06.1961 "No animals in the house" (missing)
Series 2
10.05.1964 "Making Peter jealous" (missing)
17.05.1964 "Both mothers-in-law" (missing)
24.05.1964 "President of the women's club" (missing)
31.05.1964 "Break-up of best friend's marriage" (missing)

But Network have just listed another ABC Night In to stream (no.4) and it has:

The Dora Bryan Show: Happily Ever After: 7 May 1961


Known as both The Dora Bryan Show and Happily Ever After, this homegrown version of the classic US sitcom I Love Lucy stars Dora and Pete Murray as a married couple who get up to all sorts of implausible mischief! Though thirteen episodes were made, only two remain in the archive – the other one features in a previous compilation.

Dora Morgan is somewhat forgetful – which does not matter until she and Peter receive an invitation to dinner.



Starring DORA BRYAN, PETE MURRAY, AUDREY NOBLE, BERNARD FOX

Script by JAMES KELLY and PETER MILLER

Directed by PHILIP JONES

Original ITV Transmission 7 May 1961

Original ITV Transmission 14 August 1966 watch.networkonair.com/nights-in/-getting-rid-of-people.html

Does this mean that three episodes survive?

[John Green]

Worth pointing out that the TX dates on IMDB are different to those at Lostshows. Nor do they give any episode-titles.

[John Green]

And...
Network have what sounds like the missing episode The Fishing Trip streaming watch.networkonair.com/nights-in/-your-faces-are-all-blurred.html though once again with a different (regional?) TX date to Lostshows'.

In trying to persuade her husband that they both need a holiday, Dora succeeds in sending him off alone on a fishing trip!
Starring DORA BRYAN, PETE MURRAY, BRYAN COLEMAN, AUDREY NOBLE
Script by JAMES KELLY and PETER MILLER
Directed by PHILIP JONES
Original ITV Transmission 14 May 1961.

[John Green]

More on the show:

Sitcom Happily Ever After (which was also known as The Dora Bryan Show) detailed the the trials and tribulations of scatterbrained Dora Morgan. Pop DJ Peter Murray was Dora’s doctor husband and other regular characters included next door neighbours Harry and Grace Watkins.

The show was based on an American format bought in from NBC and is very similar in style to CBS hit show I Love Lucy. An unscreened pilot was made before eight episodes were then broadcast from Feb-Mar 1961. Like so many ITV shows of the era it suffered from an inconsistent screening schedule. The regions making up the ITV network didn’t always broadcast other region’s shows at the same, or broadcast them all or in some cases not at all.

12 episodes were made in total but the remaining four were not shown until 10 May -31 May 1964. The dates featured below are for the ABC region.

production details
UK / ITV – ABC / 12×25 minute episodes / Broadcast 12 February – 26 March 1961 and 10 May – 31 May 1964

Writers: James Kelly, Peter Miller / Director: Philip Jones www.memorabletv.com/tv/happily-ever-itv-1961-dora-bryan-pete-murray/

[John Green]

Oct 4, 2020 19:59:38 GMT John Green said:

A pilot was made, followed by 8 shows in 1961 and 4 in 1964.

Lostshows has:

HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Series 1
[untransmitted pilot] (missing)
19.02.1961 "The fishing trip" (missing)
26.02.1961 "The new party dress" (missing)
12.03.1961 "The film star" (missing)
19.03.1961 "Courting days" (missing)
26.03.1961 "Re-marriage" (missing)
07.05.1961 "The dinner invitation" (missing)
18.06.1961 "No animals in the house" (missing)
Series 2
10.05.1964 "Making Peter jealous" (missing)
17.05.1964 "Both mothers-in-law" (missing)
24.05.1964 "President of the women's club" (missing)
31.05.1964 "Break-up of best friend's marriage" (missing)

But Network have just listed another ABC Night In to stream (no.4) and it has:

The Dora Bryan Show: Happily Ever After: 7 May 1961

Dora Morgan is somewhat forgetful – which does not matter until she and Peter receive an invitation to dinner.

Original ITV Transmission 7 May 1961

Original ITV Transmission 14 August 1966 watch.networkonair.com/nights-in/-getting-rid-of-people.html

Does this mean that three episodes survive?

The site now has:

HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Series 1
[untransmitted pilot] (missing)
26.02.1961 "The new party dress" (missing)
05.03.1961 "The Italian maid and the dinner party" (missing)
12.03.1961 "The film star" (missing)
19.03.1961 "Courting days" (missing)
26.03.1961 "Re-marriage" (missing)
18.06.1961 "No animals in the house" (missing)
Series 2
10.05.1964 "Making Peter jealous" (missing)
17.05.1964 "Both mothers-in-law" (missing)
24.05.1964 "President of the women's club" (missing)
31.05.1964 "Break-up of best friend's marriage" (missing)

[John Green]

For 'Series 1' the Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy gives the dates for ABC's screenings, in the Midlands and North, as 12 Feb-2 Apr 1961.